7 Killer Examples of Scholarship Motivation Letter

A scholarship motivation letter helps determine whether your application will be accepted or Rejected. This is an opportunity for students to show their knowledge before an in-person interview, even without going through their Curriculum Vitae.

A motivation letter is like a cover letter; it is unnecessary for every application. But when necessary, they are critical. Luckily, some universities, such as IU International University of Applied Sciences, don’t require motivational letters.

For instance,  IU International University of Applied Sciences offers up to 75% scholarships from tuition fees to students who need it the most, across many in-demand courses: Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Finance, Accounting, and more. They have already given over 4.000 scholarships to students from all over the world.

SEE: 10 Best Small Division 1 Colleges in 2024 | Apply Now

A big part of IU International University of Applied Sciences’ mission is to provide education to as many people as possible, no matter their circumstances, and the past two years have led many people to want to change their circumstances, whether it is retraining in a completely new field, or pushing themselves to the next level in their current career path.

Equality, diversity and inclusion are ingrained in their very being. Because of this, IU offers scholarships each year to its students. There are different ways to get an education, but they all share the notion that anything is possible.

Looking to apply for a scholarship without a motivational letter? Apply to IU now to secure a scholarship up to 75%. Visit the IU website to learn more about the scholarship offer.

In this guide, we will give you insight into motivation letter for scholarship format, motivation letter for Ph.D. scholarship, and a guide on how to write a motivation letter for scholarship application.

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Scholarships allow students to study without having to pay through their noses.

With this, great-performing students can continue their education in a learning institution. It is a fact that you should not let the lack of financial ability hinder attaining education.

So, if you have great value to offer to a school you are applying to, apply now for a scholarship opportunity. And you need a power-filled scholarship application letter to get started.

In this article, you will learn how to write a motivation letter for a scholarship, and you will see 7 killer letters of motivation samples to guide you through writing yours.

The table of contents below will let you in on all discussed extensively in this piece.

What Is A Motivation letter?

A Motivation Letter is a one-page introductory document that describes why you are the perfect candidate for a certain job position or scholarship opportunity.

It is usually attached to your resume. The letter introduces you to the interviewers and convinces them to deepen your documents in order to consider a job, a scholarship, or an admission.

It is important to keep your motivation letter on one page (unless otherwise noted). On average, interviewers, university admissions officers, and managers take about 20 seconds to evaluate each cover letter. With only 20 seconds to impress, you must keep your cover letter short and straightforward.

There are cover letter samples online to help you write your cover letter, but it is pertinent to note that recruiters/managers want to know that their job/business is important to you.

Therefore, be careful when using guides or cover letter templates. If you copy verbatim, it gives the impression that you copy and paste the same letter into multiple entries/openings, and that’s a huge red flag.

Your motivation letter is your only chance to show the skills you have to be accepted for a job or get a scholarship. The Motivation letter is your only chance to prove yourself. You must showcase your strengths and present yourself as a highly motivated and capable candidate.

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What is the Motivation Letter for Scholarship Format?

A motivation letter for a scholarship should include your academic achievements.

It should explain: Why are you the ideal candidate? How do your skill and abilities contribute to the university or country?

You should show the desire to learn and contribute new knowledge.

A motivation letter for scholarship format must include the following 7 elements:

• Your name and contact details (best way to contact you)
• The name of the company or university to which you are applying and its address
• The date
• Dear Sir / Madam (Directly to the person/manager/ hiring manager if known)
• The body of the paper
• Acknowledgment and dismissal
• Signature (Handwritten)

Tips on How To Write a Motivation Letter For a Scholarship 

Writing a motivation letter isn’t just what you do anyhow. There are tips for writing motivational letters for scholarships that you must adhere to. The list includes:

• Professionalism

Remember, this is professional writing. And a very important one that determines your future. This is not a quick email to an old friend signed with your first name. This letter requires a commercial format that aligns with your scholarship desire.

• Research

Find the university that interests you. If you are writing a cover letter to get into a particular program, do thorough research on that program. After the research, include some of the information in your cover letter. It is impressive to show that you took the time to investigate.

• Advertise yourself 

Sit down and analyze what you have inside you that makes you unique. Why should you be accepted? How do you differentiate yourself from others? It is essential to mention that you learn fast and work hard. Tell them about your excellent work ethic. Say you are an optimistic person.

Continue and tell them when you last helped or volunteered in the church. The admissions office reads and filters hundreds or even thousands of these letters. So, you want them to read everything about you before moving on to the next letter.

• First preview

Have a detailed plan for your cover letter before writing your first draft. Add the search section (mentioned above) and the list that makes you unique (also mentioned above), but also answers to essential questions specific to your cover letter.

The questions listed below are the most commonly used that received a response when writing a cover letter.

A cover letter contains the following questions when writing a design:

• Who are you, and for what do you apply?
• Why did you choose this university/diploma/ program?
• How did you hear about this university/study/ program?
• Relax

Relax after writing your first cover letter. Take a cup of tea, turn on the music and forget to write for a minute. The goal is to reorient your mind and recalibrate it. A good rule is to take a break of a few minutes every thirty minutes to an hour of work. If you do not take the break you need, plug into writer’s block!

• Preview your Letter

Nobody gets the first perfect project; think again. Look at your design several times. If you are really satisfied, make sure it looks professional. Which font and what size do you use? Is it easy to read? Make sure the font is a universally used, such as a font. Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial. Do not write in size smaller than 12.

Does your letter fit on one page? Your cover letter must appear on a page (unless otherwise specified in the requirements). This makes it easier to read your letter. And if you have more than one page, your letter will be overwhelming for the readers or the candidates.

Fellows always recommend writing a cover letter or a letter of interest yourself.

Read Also: Quick tips on How to write a scholarship application letter with Samples

How Do I write a motivation letter for a scholarship application?

How write a convincing motivational letter for a scholarship is always a challenge for students. You can structure the contents of your motivation letter in two ways:

• By writing it with three paragraphs (an introduction, a body, and a conclusion)
• Write up to seven paragraphs, each around three sentences, containing clear and concise information about the position you are applying for.
• Whether you choose the first or second structure mentioned above, you will use the same 3 steps to focus and direct your letter.

Using these 3 steps will increase your chances of getting an interview.

Step 1: Identify a problem

It is essential that the recruiter, the company, or the admissions office feel very important. Identify one or all of the following problems before drafting your motivation letter.

Find the school you are applying to. Find out why they are offering scholarships. What problem does the company face? What are they trying to fix by having the job filled? Knowing this information allows you to express your awareness of the problem and immediately attract the recruiter’s and reader’s attention.

Step 2: Propose the solution

No matter what challenge you discover, the answer to their problem is always the same. And this answer is and must be YOU. Explaining why you are the solution to their current problem is the most effective way to be selected or assigned to the position.

Indicate all the relevant information you can think of – your skills, achievements, and all your education – that tells you that you are the right applicant. Tell them what you would achieve if they awarded the scholarship to you.

Step 3: Close with confidence

Until then, you have shown passion and hard work. Now you must end your motivation letter with confidence.

A Motivation letter is like a Cover letter you can include with an application and CV. The purpose of the letter is to explain:

• Why are you a good candidate for a scholarship
• What do you intend to do with the training you receive?

Review committees often use letters to zoom out their candidate pool. Sometimes, you may need to write one for specialty programs at a bachelor’s level too.

Take it if you can include a motivation letter with your scholarship application. This may be the only chance you have to wow the review committee.

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How To Channel Your Motivation Letter to Fit the Scholarship

A cover letter must link your plans to the goals of the award. How do you benefit from continuing education in this area? How will you use this knowledge to support the mission of the Community? Let’s say the scholarship comes from an organization engaged in wildlife conservation.

The letter should explain how you want to use your training for a career in this field. You will also need to understand why you should win this application more than other candidates.

What specific experiences do you have that distinguish you from others? What detailed plans do you have to deal with a current problem in the world? Even if you currently have limited knowledge of the problem, use it to your advantage. Explain how you can succeed with more education and solve more problems in the future.

What NOT to Include When Writing a Motivation Letter For a Scholarship

Your motivational letter for a scholarship must be well-written and not contain any grammatical or spelling mistakes.

Use a professional tone and advanced phrasing (no familiar language). Give specific examples of your past, present, and future.

Avoid vague generalizations. Indeterminacy indicates a lack of care or knowledge, which is not impressive for a scholarship review committee.

Motivation Letter or Scholarship application – General Guidelines

Most applications will not specify how long your motivation letter should be. You will need to use your initiative to write a concise motivational letter. The letter should include the following:

• The most important elements of your resume
• Your education
• An introduction that states which program you are applying for
• Information about your academic background
• Why do you want to do a PhD
• The potential impact of your proposed research
• Your future career plans
• Your professional experiences and plans for the future.

Note: Motivation letters usually range from 500 to 1,000 words. As in the standard 500-word essay, you must divide them into paragraphs as you write so you can easily read them.

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Why Do I Need Motivation Letter for CSC Scholarship?

Letter of Motivation for the CSC Scholarship application helps convince a Chinese university professor to provide you with an acceptance letter. 

A motivation letter introduces you to the professor who may accept you to work in his laboratory. Therefore, it is necessary to write your motivation letter carefully and fill in all the necessary details in your Motivation Letter to impress the teacher.

A letter of motivation is recommended when applying for a CSC scholarship because it outlines your educational plan, objectives, and mission. Before you draft a motivation, you must first secure admission into your chosen university. 

Motivation Letter for Undergraduate Scholarship

A motivation letter for an undergraduate scholarship can either support or ruin your application for University studies. It is required for every scholarship application and should illustrate to the selection panel what distinguishes you from the other candidates.

Your job in a motivational letter is to convince the panel that you can complete the studies for which you will get financial aid.

Usually, the donors don’t have specific requirements when it comes to the layout of the motivation letter for undergraduate scholarships, which makes it even harder to compete with the other candidates. However, every good motivation letter for a scholarship should include the following:

– Information about your educational achievements;

– About your professional experience and endeavors;

– Information about your financial situation and how this scholarship would benefit your studies/career.

Motivation Letter For Your Ph.D. Application

When you apply for a Ph.D., you will need to write a research proposal and a letter of motivation. This letter describes why you wish to undertake a Ph.D. and why you would be well-suited to research your proposed topic.

But what needs to go in this letter, and what tone is appropriate for it? To give you some ideas, we’re sharing a sample motivational letter for a Ph.D. scholarship so you can see what your letter needs to contain.

It should be mentioned that a European-style motivation letter focuses on your academic background, as opposed to the US-style personal statement, which discusses your life experiences.

A professional motivation letter should describe your previous research experience without giving too much personal information.

To strengthen your application as much as possible, your letter should include the following essential components.

Related Article: See 12 Steps On How to Apply for Scholarship in Any Country

Killer Examples of Motivation Letter For Scholarship

Your motivation letter for a scholarship has to stand out if you must secure a spot. After intensive research, we were able to come up with 7 points to note if you want your motivational letter for a scholarship to stand out:

1. Motivation Letter for University vs. Scholarships

There is a subtle difference between writing a motivation letter for a university and writing a motivation letter for scholarships.

A letter of motivation for admission to a university explains why you want to study at a university and take a specific course. You must also specify your career goals before, during, and after the course.

However, a motivation letter for a scholarship depends solely on the type of scholarship you are applying for.

So, to start drafting a motivation letter, first, decide on the purpose of the motivation letter before setting out to write it. By doing this, you stand to gain clarity of purpose.

2. What kind of scholarship do you ask?

The different scholarships have different profiles of the persons sought, each with specific goals. For example:

An academic grant would like you to have a remarkable history of academic achievement in your cover letter, as the goal is to win outstanding student applications.

A scholarship will be awarded to professionals who present their work experience, past impact on their career goals, and future impact.

Most scholarships aim to attract exceptional candidates for applications that create an impact.

Minority scholarships will show you how to meet your ethnic needs, and you may need to highlight some of the challenges you would like to solve in your current configuration once you receive the scholarship.

3. Start with the brainstorming

Now you know who is looking for this scholarship, it is time to evaluate yourself to see how you compare with the person you want to attract. A brainstorming session is a simple exercise that will help determine whether you are well-suited for a scholarship.

This can be with you or a friend/colleague who knows your academic and professional background. Brainstorming can be done through the following questions:

• Which course did you apply for?
• Your long-term plan relationship?
• What makes you unique?
• What have you achieved so far? (Maybe academic or professional, based on the type of scholarship)
• What is the relationship between the goals of the scholarship?
• What are your short-term and long-term projects to receive after the scholarship?
• How does the scholarship help you to carry out these projects?
• What impact will this scholarship have on you and society?

4. Write your Letter of Motivation for Scholarship in an Easy-to-Read Format.

One of the most essential tips you should keep in mind is to put yourself in the position of the person reviewing your application. You need to easily understand who you are, what drives you and motivates you, why you stand out from others, and why you deserve to receive a scholarship.

General guidelines regarding structure and format include:

• Ensure your motivational letter has both cohesion and coherence. Each paragraph must discuss a point with good command of the chosen language.

• Eliminate or reduce typos with proofreading tools like grammar. Typing mistakes makes you less stressed. However, we are imperfect, and typos or grammatical errors can occur after several changes to your letter. The use of proofreading tools helps you to narrow down the digits.

5. Be as accurate as possible

When applying for scholarships, the number of words is almost always limited. It is, therefore, vital that you are on the spot and accurate. One of the reasons why motivational letters fail is that the writer is not accurate and beats around the bush unnecessarily.

It is best to ensure that you provide only the relevant information regarding the requirements listed for the replacement.

These are the only details that will be considered. The process requires you to be critical and practical enough.

Statement of Purpose for Graduate School | Sample

6. Show proof, do not say.

Some common words can be extracted from a cover letter. They understand “motivated.” Head. Hard worker. “It’s common for everyone to say they’re motivated and want to change things, so you need to differentiate yourself by example because they’re motivated, but can you show or prove that?”.

7. Read what you have written

It is essential that writing is done in cycles. After verifying that steps 1-6 are completed, you can create the first version of a cover letter. Please read it. Would you be convinced to grant yourself a scholarship if you read what you wrote? Otherwise, optimize your application and revise it until you find that what you have written is the best and can not be changed.

Template for Writing a Scholarship Motivation Letter

I know you want to apply for multiple scholarships, but you don’t have to write a different letter of motivation for each nomination. Develop a template that allows you to tailor content to a specific situation. But how do you do this?

Once you have completed the seven steps in the previous section, you already have a template that you can edit to match your cover letter to the application you want to apply for.

A Detailed Outline of Motivation Letter

A suitable scholarship motivation letter format has a minimum of five and a maximum of seven paragraphs.

Most scholarship motivation letters in this format are fruitful. To achieve this, you need to discuss each point exhaustively in paragraphs.

The outline below will guide you:

• Add personal and contact details in the header section
• Title of motivation letter
• Introductory paragraphs
• The story behind your achievements
• A data of acquired skillset
• Propose a summary of relevant objectives
• A plan of execution
• Provide reasoning why you’re a potential candidate
• Conclusion

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Scholarship Motivation Letter

As we already know, a motivational letter for a scholarship is the most crucial document for winning a scholarship in another country.

The motivational message for scholarships is not just about mentioning your wishes for new opportunities but defending an idea of why you and none of the other candidates should be so capable. Here are a few tips to guide you:

1. Fewer Words and More Facts

It is easy to express your desire to travel or study in a particular country, but it isn’t easy to express why they should choose you. Many of us want to travel, expand our vision of the world, improve other languages ​​, and improve our quality of life, but what should you do to make “you” worthy of that prize?

It begins to replace phrases like “my dream has always been XYZ” because “my achievements have been …” to “I consider I am the ideal candidate because …” and/or “my work is characterized by ….”

Remember that the prize does not go to the one who most wants it, but to the one that correctly demonstrates deserving it.

2. Take Ownership and Demonstrate Deep Knowledge

In the above paragraph, I do not mean that your wishes are not considered. These are important to the extent that you prove that you know what you want and why you deserve it.

3. It matters more what you will do for them

Your reasons should not be limited to the comfort of living in a developed country. The scholarship providers expect you to be genuinely interested in the study program and the positive impact you will make with what you learn.

To make it clearer:, they do not care a whistle that you feel safer, happier, wealthier, or healthier living in the country offering the scholarship.

What is important to them is how you intend to return to society the investment. Tranquil! They do not want money. Count the contribution you will make in terms of cultural exchange, what you can teach the other students or teachers, the extracurricular clubs you can contribute to, and other cooperation projects you have in mind.

Tip: If the scholarship requires you to return to your country of origin upon completion of the study program, it is essential that you mention how you will apply in your country what you intend to learn.

4. The rules are the rules

Finally, limit the letter of motivation to what it is and what they ask you. If they tell you 1 sheet, send a sheet.

Please, do not expect that the scholarship provider will exempt you from some of the requirements for the motivation letter.

If they ask you for 7 of IELTS, it is 7, not 6.5. The same with certified work experience: two years is 24 months and not 22 and a half, etc.

However, it is beautiful to show that you deserve the scholarship and not try to convince them that you have worked hard but cannot meet the other requirements. If you do not comply, give yourself time because there are always new application dates and scholarship opportunities.

A Sample Scholarship Motivation Letter

Macdonald Walter
9876 Estate
Stillwater, OK 74074

The Scholarship Committee
123 Learning Rd. Suite 4A
Australia, OK 73127

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Macdonald Walter, a Fourth-year student at Conevant University. I am currently pursuing a five-year Bachelor of Business Administration and Management Degree, and I plan to follow up with a one-year master’s degree after I graduate.

While in high school, I worked extensively with my a reputable oil company in Human Resource department to help build manage their affairs and resource. Am well-grounded in the area of management Functions and proper utilization of resources to achieve a significant result. 

I wanted to become a manager to create synergy between the management department and the production unit.

Also, I would like to work with the Human Resource department again, this time as a Human Resource manager and not a lower cadre staff. I believe firmly in their mission to build “a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”

I appreciate your consideration. With your assistance, I can continue my Business Administration and management schooling to bring accessible homes to those in need.

Sincerely,

Conclusion

Writing a scholarship motivation letter requires time and commitment. Plan in advance what you will write. And give at least three days to write, check, delete, and edit the letter. This extra time will boost your chances of success with your application.

FAQs Scholarship Motivation Letter

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