6 Guides to Apply and Gain Scholarships| Full Application Guide

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Scholarship application are opened every year for students to apply and gain scholarship. To finance your college education, scholarship in one of the ways to go about it.

Scholarships are given to students to support their educational study by schools, government organisations, private organisations and foundations like grants that never need to be paid back.

Gaining a scholarship is a process, as the number of available scholarships and its applicants have increased. As such how do you apply and gain scholarships?

How can you make your scholarship application a success?

One thing sure to do is to read guides to apply and gain scholarships. In so doing you will find out which scholarship to apply, how to gain a scholarship by applying.

Types of Scholarship

Scholarships can be arranged, classified or named according to the scholarships available and provided, so lets get you familiarized with the different scholarships

#1. Full Funded Scholarships

This scholarship takes care of your entire education ( tuition fees, books, accommodation, transportation, air tickets etc) and are offered to students who demonstrate exceptional performances academically or in sports.

They are competitive mostly because it requires the best candidates competing.

#2. Partial Scholarships

This is different from the former (Full scholarship) it covers part of education (tuition reduction, books, transportation, accommodations). They are offered by organisations, schools, foundations and awarded in varying amount.

#3. Merit Based Scholarships

These are scholarships offered to students with exceptional performance, either in academics, sports or curricular activities. Candidates with volunteer work and community services or leadership services are at an advantage in applying and gaining these scholarship.

#4. Need Based Scholarships

Students with financial challenge, have poor financial background whereby they or their parents can not pay for their education and they have good academic records. They or their parents/guardians are required to submit their financial status for processing.

#5. Career Specific Scholarships

These are scholarships awarded to students enrolled or about enrolling in proffessional courses like engineering, medicine and some sciences.

Now that you have identified the different scholarships and that you belong or qualified for, here is a secret for you. Hundreds of Thousands scholarships application are opened every year, but only few students do apply and many never apply because they believe the scholarship application, process are rigorous and too competitive to qualify.

Above the various types of scholarships are stated so this is not true and you should discard the thought, believe you can’t qualify for any. Just ensure you meet the requirements or criteria of the scholarship provided, apply, put your efforts, believe and you will gain a scholarship.

1. What to Note in any Scholarship

There are scholarships published on websites, see scholarship details like deadline/closing date, scholarship awards or value, qualifications or eligibility/requirements, documents required, how to apply.

A scholarship requesting for an application fee may be scam as most scholarship never request for application fee or scholarship form fee.

Ensure you go through scholarship details and pay attention to details required on form and application process.
Also Read; How to Gain International Scholarships To Study Abroad

2. Scholarship Application

Put together a list of scholarship you searched, interested then proceed to do a check on eligibility/requirements and deadlines. get your details and documents ready with you. begin priority with earliest deadline start go through and start scholarship application.

Don’t rush scholarship application because its about the quality of your scholarship application submitted and the numbers of scholarship application submitted that enable you gain a scholarship.

These guide will help in how you apply, scholarship application process and possibility of scholarship award.

3. Focus on Scholarship Details

Never loose focus on details of scholarships, because numerous scholarships applied gives an edge and maximize possibility to gain scholarship.

Take necessary caution when applying scholarship, to avoid losing details, by mixing up scholarship details and attachments required by scholarship provider. Neglecting few details and requirements can cause you to lose scholarship award and when noticed may lead to regrets.

Ensure to use contact us(via mail or telephone) if challenges or question arises, as scholarship provider will be ready to entertain questions, challenges in the cause of applying and offer answers.

4. Apply Scholarships Early

Scholarship application process may take quality time to complete application, as details required can be more than your basic details. An early scholarship application will lead to early submission as scholarships application has submission deadline.

Ensure to begin scholarship application from posted date or few days from date published and submit before scholarship deadline date.

So many unforeseen factors may slow down application like poor network connection, congestion on scholarship provider websites and unavailability of all required documents when applying and these delay your application as all required documents must be attached.

Also Read; How to Apply For Study in Germany Universities

5. Required Documents

Most scholarship application requires attaching or uploading required documents. so ensure to tick down, check and provide required documents, when not provided scholarship application are turned down and not considered.

Below are most like the document that will be required, but ensure to go through the list of required document stated by scholarship provider to increase chances of gaining scholarships.

Academic Transcript

This is a full report of your academic records in the previous school attended, and need to be sent to the scholarship provider, or school you applying into. Some school may require a processing fee to prepare and send your academic transcript to the desired location, school, organisation or scholarship provider.

Letter of Recommendation

These is a letter required from head teachers, senior lecturer, or employer. Attesting to have details, have known you, your character, conduct, performance and possibly provide much details about you. So ensure you have a good recommendation from one that want you to succeed in the application, selection or nomination and scholarship award.

Ensure letter of recommendation are typed on letter head , stamped, signed and dated. Some letter of recommendation may not be given to you directly for submission, rather sent to the scholarship provider( school, organisation, foundation etc) base on how the scholarship provider decide and state the letter of recommendation be submitted. It should be prepared down months before application same as personal statements, the differences between the two is personal statement are written and prepared by you.

Personal Statement

This is a statement about you, capabilities, achievements etc, its basically to tell you proposed scholarship provider about you and why you should be offered the scholarship. It require critical thinking, good writing skills and ability to persuade the providers why you are most suitable to be offered the scholarship.

It does not require rush, that;s why it’s best writing this down few months before applying and not night to scholarship deadline so you can gain scholarship.

Cover Letters

Also called Application letter, require proper addressing, personal details and address good application writing. therefore get a good winning cover letter and personal statement that can used against other competitors seeking same scholarship

Essay

Get a good essay written down , with flow of thought, and grammar. proof read the essay and get a qualified tutor or teacher proofread it. And if they are not available, let a good friend proofread to reduce or eliminate grammatical errors, misspelling.

6. Distinct Your Application

Make your application unique, distinctive if the judges are to review all application letters, essay, recommendation letter, personal statement so as to get the interest and mind of the judges on you. This mean you need to follow the required procedures guides but be original, include exhibitions and be impressing.
Also Read; IELTS Test for International Study| Full Preparation Guides

Gaining Scholarship

Can you gain a scholarship? yes you can. After all application have been submitted, believe and wait for response from your proposed scholarship provider.

Never loss the confidence, if turned down. The more scholarships you apply the more your chances of gaining a scholarship.