Writing a Scholarship Letter

Though many scholarship providers offer an online scholarship application process, you may come across a few scholarship programs or colleges that require students to mail in a scholarship application request letter. For these scholarship providers, the scholarship letter is one of the first steps in securing college financial aid, which is something you want to be sure to do when you start to apply to college. Your letter of inquiry will be the source of the scholarship provider's first impression of you, so it is important for your letter to be well written, and contain the right information.

Before you can make an inquiry, you must first know the source of the scholarship and who to contact within the organization. If your letter is addressed to the wrong individual or department, you may miss an important deadline or miss being considered for a scholarship entirely. Performing internet searches can get you started, but sorting through thousands of internet listings can be a daunting task. WiseChoice has developed a tool to help you find the right scholarships quickly and easily. By filling out just one questionnaire, you'll be presented with scholarships you’re eligible for, which can save you hours of searching the web. Let the WiseChoice Scholarship Finder help make getting into college and paying for it a lot easier for you!

If you find a scholarship that may be a good fit, you will want to find out if you are required to send in a letter of inquiry to get the scholarship application details. Be sure to use the following formula to create perfect scholarship letters every time.

• First, get to the point immediately. The person receiving your letter may read many dozens of scholarship inquiries - don't waste his or her time! Clear and concise is the best way to go: “I am writing to inquire about the XYZ Scholarship. I'd like to understand the requirements and any information that may help my application.”
• Second, you may want to provide a bit of background to provide the reader with some context for your inquiry. While this is not your college application, you can set the stage for the scholarship provider by pointing out some achievements. Or mentioning why your background fits nicely with the goals of the scholarship program.
• Lastly, close your letter with a clear statement of exactly what you are attempting to accomplish with your letter. Do you want information mailed to you? Are you asking for a phone call? It is important to be clear.
• Your letter should be short, clear and concise. Use standard block format and be sure to check your grammar and spelling. Beyond that, just follow the formula: state why you are writing, provide a paragraph of context, restate your request and thank the reader for his or her help and consideration.