Paying for college takes a lot of planning. Tuition costs rise every year and graduates are buckling under the weight of debt from loans. For some, the expense of higher education is prohibitive, with many talented students being forced to cut their dreams short. Scholarships can make getting a degree more affordable. Students qualify based on academic performance, special interests, or financial needs. If you’ve been asked to help with the process, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of sample recommendation letters for scholarship applications that best meet your students’ needs.
If you’ve been asked to write a recommendation letter for your student’s scholarship, you might feel overwhelmed. You want to help your student, but you’re worried your letter won’t be good enough. In the end, you can only do your best, so lead with your heart and consider the following suggestions:
Here’s a quick video on how to craft an effective scholarship recommendation letter:
Don’t feel you can honestly provide a positive recommendation? Gently decline their request for a letter. Avoid putting yourself in a position where you will have to be insincere. You don’t want to write something negative because it could cost the student an opportunity to earn a scholarship.
This is a great sample scholarship letter if you’re trying to offer a rounded view of a student’s performance in high school. You’ll include information about your experience with them as well as your thoughts on their potential success in a higher-education setting.
If your student is a candidate for a prestigious award such as the Rhodes Scholarship, this sample scholarship letter will give you an idea of what to share with the selection committee. With these types of recommendation letters, you want to provide as much praise and positive information as possible.
There are many great scholarship opportunities for strong math students. This sample recommendation letter outlines how to share not only your student’s math talents but the other traits that make them a good candidate as well.
This helpful scholarship recommendation letter offers an example for highlighting leadership skills. Back up your endorsement by sharing specific situations as well as participation in any committees, programs, and events where your student excelled.
Does your student plan to go abroad? If so, review this sample for writing a strong letter of recommendation for this specific type of scholarship. Be sure to include evidence as to why you believe your student is well rounded and exceptional.
Has one of your students decided to pursue a degree in environmental sciences and wildlife? If so, this scholarship recommendation letter is a good example because it concisely highlights their strengths and shares why they would make a good candidate.
ADVERTISEMENTNo one should miss out on a college education because they can’t afford to pay. You can help them overcome this barrier! This excellent sample letter of recommendation shows the details to include for scholarships based on financial need.
There are many scholarships for students who plan to pursue a career in STEM fields. If you’ve been asked to write a letter of recommendation for this type of scholarship, this sample will give you a good idea of what to include.
Fraternities and sororities can be a great source of financial support for college and university students. Review this sample recommendation letter for scholarship applications for Greek society candidates.
This sample recommendation letter for a scholarship application is best when you can’t vouch for the prospective student’s academic performance but want to share information about their personal character and how it relates to the scholarship program.
