Requirements for Scholarship Applications
What to know about scholarships?
- Scholarships help ease financial worries allowing to completely focus on studies.
- Applying for scholarships takes time and one should begin early.
- There are few essential documents you need to keep in order when applying for scholarships.
- The requirements for the scholarship application are published by the scholarship provider.
- Not all scholarships depend on grades.
A scholarship is an excellent way to fund your studies. It lets you concentrate on your studies and not worry about financial issues. This blog gives you an overview of how to apply for a scholarship successfully. Here are a few points on how to go about the process of scholarship application:
- Start Early
The application process for various scholarships is a lengthy process, and the deadlines for application come early if care is not taken. If you have made up your mind about what you are going to study, you need to start the preparation right away.
- Find a suitable scholarship
There are multiple scholarships being offered as well as various types of financial aid like grants, fellowships, studentships, prizes, competitions, and many more. Thankfully, not all of them depend on your grades.
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Write an Application
Before you begin preparing your application, ensure that you have selected an apt scholarship. Evaluate if you meet all the requirements for eligibility. You need to visit the website of the provider of the scholarship. Assess if you match the profile. You would be investing a significant amount of time in this application, and it would be better if you prioritize this step.
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Prepare the Application
If you are sure that you have selected an apt scholarship for yourself, you need to start preparing your application. Given below are some of the essential documents you would be needing for your application package:
- Certificates of your previous education include first degree, school-leaving exams, and the like.
- LOR or Letter of Recommendation. It can be from work or academics.
- Certificate of language proficiency, for example, TOEFL or IELTS
- Motivation letter
- CV or Curriculum Vitae
- Resume
You may be asked to submit examples of past work, such as essays and the like.
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Ensure that all the documents required to apply for the scholarship are in order before you begin to write. It will be a hassle for you to go back to them after you have finished writing your letter, only to realize that you lack a vital document.
You need to have plenty of time in hand to make sure that you have all the required documents. It gives you the chance to make the letter catch the eye, and you do not need to rush with the deadline. Make sure that the application forms are filled out neatly and all the sections are omplete. You are required to have hard copies of all the documents you are submitting because if any of the papers goes missing, you have to start all over again.
Certificates of your past education
Depending on the school or university you have graduated from, it might take some time till you receive your certificates, transcript of records, diploma, and the like. Try to receive them and some other certified copies as soon as you can. Ask the educational institution you graduated from or the scholarship provider if there is a possibility of submitting preliminary documents to meet deadlines coming close.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are an essential part of the scholarship application. If your teachers or employers are busy, try to contact them as soon as possible.
You need to carefully go through all the requirements asked for the scholarship application you would like to apply to. Some of them have specific rules about the LOR and do not accept mainstream ones.
Whom to ask for a referral?
The best place to go for LOR is teachers. They have tutored you for a significant amount of time. They know you better and will provide you with a strong letter of recommendation. Some scholarships might allow you to submit non-academic references too. It could be from an employer or community leader and so on.
What to do?
Ask the potential source if they can write a LOR for you. You also need to give your source sufficient time to complete the letter.
You need to provide your referee with the following documents:
- Information about the scholarship application
- An updated copy of your CV
- The latest versions of the samples required in the application
- A concise paragraph about your accomplishments.
You can ask your referee if it would be suitable to suggest specific qualities to highlight your skills in the letter for some countries. This is a common norm. Notify about the date of the deadline. You should not assume that the LOR will be sent by them promptly if they have agreed to write it.
Some applications for scholarships give an option to your referee to send the information through email or an online form, but few others require a printed document.
If you require a printed letter, you need to collect the LOR from your referee in person. You might have to ask your referee to put the letter in a sealed envelope and with their signature to ensure that it has not been tampered with. Your scholarship provider will give out the information about this.
Certificate of Language Proficiency
If the language of the study program you are applying to does not have the same medium of instruction as your native language, you are required to procure a certificate showing your proficiency in that language.
For English, IELTS or TOEFL are widely accepted for scholarships and educational institutes worldwide. You should be aware that it takes time for the preparation, write the test, and receive the result.
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Motivation Letter
The motivation letter is an essential part of your scholarship application. It should consist of the reasons why you think you are eligible for the scholarship, why do you want to study at the specific university and pursue a certain course, and details of other relevant information. It provides you with the chance to let your personality be portrayed through your application.
The scholarship providers may need different information for your motivation letter. The requirements are usually listed out on their application page.
Now that you know how to go about the process of writing a scholarship application, you can start the taking the needful actions.
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