Sample Cover Letter for Scholarship Application in 2023

$100,000+.

That’s the average price of a four-year college degree.

Looking at going to grad school? That’s at least another $30k on top. But there are ways you can ease that pain.

Scholarships, grants, and research grants offer incredible opportunities and freedom from debt.

But to land a scholarship you have to prove yourself to the committee through a convincing scholarship cover letter.

And we’ll help you get it written.

This guide will show you:

• A best-in-class scholarship cover letter example.
• Scholarship cover letter samples that prove your worth to the committee with relevant goals and achievements.
• A full guide to writing a cover letter to help you get that life-changing scholarship.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

Create your cover letter now

Use this cover letter template

Sample Cover Letter for a Resume—See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.

Scholarship Cover Letter Sample

When the review committee sees that, you’re already winning.

Looking for tips on how to make your scholarship resume pass pass the litmus test? See this guide: Scholarship Resume Sample: Template and Complete Guide

Now, here’s how to write a cover letter for a scholarship application, step-by-step:

1

Use The Best Scholarship Cover Letter Template & Format

Getting a college scholarship isn’t easy but the formula for a successful scholarship cover letter is. Just follow this checklist and your letter will be as well structured as the best degree programs out there.

Scholarship Cover Letter Sample—Checklist

• Your contact info
• The scholarship organization’s contact info
• Dear (addressee’s name)
• Paragraph 1: introduction and a big achievement fitting the scholarship
• Paragraph 2: key information about you and why you fit the scholarship
• Paragraph 3: show your passion + why you want it
• Paragraph 4: your call to action (CTA)
• Best regards + your name + title
• P.S.—add value

Apart from the right section order, there’s one more thing that all best scholarship cover letters need. 

This is good formatting.

Here’s how to make it right: 

Cover Letter For Scholarship—Formatting Basics

• Set one-inch margins for an eyeball friendly frame of white space.
• Left-align your letter, it’s easy on the eye, too. Don’t use justification, it’s against the rules of business letter formatting.
• Use the correct spacing: 1 or 1.15. 
• Double-space between paragraphs. More eyeball friendly white space.
• Go pro. Use a digital copy of your handwritten signature in your sign-off.
• Save your job application documents in PDF format. It’s the best file format for cover letters because it keeps the layout intact. Keep a copy in another format though because some institutions won’t accept PDF.

That’s the theory section dealt with, let’s put it into practice. The very first part you’ll write is a header and a scholarship cover letter header is a bit like taking attendance in class.

Boring but necessary. 

You’ll need your name, address, phone number and email address first. Then the date, and the name and address of the person you’re writing to.

Here’s how to get it right:

Scholarship Cover Letter Example—Header

What about salutation? 

For a formal document like a scholarship cover letter stick with [Dear Title Surname]. Like “Dear Mr Clark” in the example above.

Warning! Do not use “To Whom It May Concern.” It’s more old-fashioned than your creepy Uncle’s mullet. Worse, it puts you at a disadvantage.

Personalization is powerful.

That’s because using a person’s name actually activates their brain and makes them pay more attention. So make sure you flip that switch.

Get more formatting tips in our expert guide: Cover Letter Format

Think of your scholarship cover letter as your elevator pitch. 

You have two minutes to impress and make the committee genuinely interested in your application.

Here’s how to get them hooked faster than you can say “school’s out for summer.” Show passion and understanding for the scholarship program plus a real insight into the benefits you’ll bring to society after completing your area of study. Come in strong.

Let’s see how to put it to good use with an example.

Scholarship Cover Letter Sample First Paragraph—Undergraduate Scholarship

That’s not just good, it’s great.

Passion, dedication and insight work together to create a powerful first paragraph. And a nice little humblebrag helps, too.

That’s all brag with no humble. No understanding of the scholarship and no passion. All achievements and no heart.

The board won’t even bother reading the application. Now for a sample suitable for a postgrad research grant.

Scholarship Cover Letter Sample First Paragraph—Research Grant

This is a great introduction that zones in on the aims of the program. There’s useful info about the applicant and it whets the appetite for more detail to follow.

All about me. No understanding of the program either. It sounds like a generic scholarship cover letter template.

Whatever sort of scholarship you apply for, make the introduction passionate and focused. Show from the outset that you’re a good fit for the program’s ethos.

We’ve got more great advice on cover letter openings in our guide: How to Start a Cover Letter 

Next, the main event.

You’ve got a compelling introduction, but you’ve got to keep the review committee reading. Model yourself on the great teachers you’ve had. They keep you entertained for the whole lesson.

You have to keep your readers entertained for the whole letter. To do that, you need two middle paragraphs. 

The first details why you’re the best candidate for the scholarship and what you hope to achieve. The other shows your motivation and passion for the scholarship program.

Undergraduate Scholarship Cover Letter Example—Middle

The committee is convinced!

This just works. It covers the applicant’s needs and personal circumstances perfectly. 

It also mentions what they hope to achieve and reinforcement of understanding the program’s philosophy.

Next candidate, please. 

It’s eager, but where’s the detail? Where’s the understanding of the scholarship program?

Let’s take another look at our postgrad research grant candidate.

Research Grant Scholarship Cover Letter Example—Middle

That’s powerful. It shows a deep personal understanding of the scholarship and a personal affinity with the intended area of study that shows the committee the money will be well spent.

They’re ready to sign on the dotted line.

Lackluster and no detail. Next.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Tempted to write a longer cover letter? Don’t be. Find out why in our guide: Cover Letter Length: How Long Should a Cover Letter Be?

4

End Your Cover Letter for Scholarship with a Call to Action

Your cover letter is almost perfect.

But there’s one last thing before you can graduate top of the cover letter class. You need to beat the competition and get in front of the committee for a scholarship interview. 

How? You’ve just got to ask.

Use a CTA to do it right. Give them a reason to want to meet you.

Undergraduate Scholarship Cover Letter Sample—CTA

That sample asks for an interview and delivers even more focus on the program's aims. It’s relevant and compelling. Worthy of an honors degree in itself!

This is the spot where you can really make use of your achievements. For a scholarship it means showing what you’ve done that really goes beyond the call of duty.

Good grades are great, but cast your net wider. Volunteer work, extra-curricular activities, hobbies, sports. Any area you excel in that demonstrates your abilities is a good bet here.

In fact good grades really aren’t the final word. Only 55% of scholarships are won by straight-A students.

Low-energy, old-fashioned, all ask, and no give. There’s a place scholarship cover letters ending like this end up.

The trash.

Pro Tip: The P.S. is your secret weapon. It makes the committee sit up and pay attention. Use it to add another relevant achievement and get them sold on interviewing you.

This closing strategy is the most effective. It works equally well for grants and postgrad research, too.

Just follow the formula of adding value to your invitation and you’ll be set.

One last thing.

For all types of scholarship cover letters use the right formal closing. “Sincerely” is always a good go-to, but there are alternatives.

Try these for a finishing touch as classic as a mortarboard on graduation day.

Top 5 Scholarship Cover Letter Closing Salutations

• Thank you,
• Best regards,
• Kind regards,
• Sincerely,
• With best regards,

Can’t think of a great offer to finish your scholarship covering letter? Get inspired. Read our guide: How to End a Cover Letter

Let’s summarize how to write the perfect cover letter for scholarships:

• Use the right format. It makes your letter more readable and sets you up as an A+ candidate.
• Start by showing an understanding of the program’s ethos and passion for the field of study. Prove your relevancy to the committee.
• Cement your worth in the middle of your cover letter for scholarship. Show off your personal attributes and end goals. Stay relevant to the program and show the committee the impact you’ll make.
• Finish with a CTA. Ask the question and offer something in return. Get your application read and get that interview.
• Put in a P.S. for the cherry on top.

Scholarships can change lives. If you want more advice on how to get the scholarship covering letter right then please ask in the comments section. We’d love to help.