The Thank You Letter
Congratulations, you have won your scholarship(s) and now you can concentrate on studying for your academic success. But, before we go-off celebrating and getting those A’s, lets take a moment and compose a sincere and appreciative scholarship thank you letter to the donor of the award(s).
If you’ve recently received a scholarship award letter or email, it means you’ve done a whole bunch of things right: from your grades to your after-school activities to getting your scholarship application materials in on time. But there’s one more thing to do: Write a thank you letter.
Just as you would thank someone who gave you a birthday or graduation gift, you should thank the person or organization that awarded your scholarship. Scholarship dollars should be treated as the gift they are. Scholarship donors want to know that their gift to you is appreciated.
Winning scholarships shows that you are a class-act, with academic credentials and extracurricular commitments deemed worthy of free college cash. But it doesn’t end the day you endorse your scholarship checks – your responsibility includes a follow-up thank you letter, acknowledging the generous gift-aid you are receiving, due to the philanthropy of the scholarship sponsor.
Nothing is appreciated more than a kind letter of thanks! Many scholarships available at Scholarshipjamaica.com are made possible by contributions from generous donors who, through an investment in your future, have expressed their belief in the importance of a college education. A letter of sincere gratitude to our donors may be the key to future gifts to your university or college and, therefore, continued support of exceptional students like you in Jamaica.
Suggested Thank You Letter Structure
In writing your thank you letter, be short, precise and sincere. It’s also extremely important to pay careful attention to spelling, grammar, and the organization of your letter. Letters may be handwritten or typed, but should be limited to one page.
Simple hints to you thank you letter would be: Include your full name; return address, phone number and email at the top of the letter. Use a formal salutation including the appropriate prefix and suffix. DO NOT use first names (For Example: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Blake or Dear The Blake Family Foundation). Be sure to reference the specific scholarship that you received, but NOT the amount. Always proofread! Try reading it aloud before sending it off.
Comprehensive Letter Tips
Write your thank you letter (if possible). A hand-written note shows you were really touched by the gift, so touched that you want to thank your scholarship donor in a personal way. While hand-written is best, a typed letter signed by you is a good choice and also acceptable. Stay away from E-mail if possible; if you can’t, make sure your E-mail is warm and appropriately personal.
Properly address the letter. If you received a scholarship from your parents’ place of business, consider addressing the letter to the president of the company. The same holds true if your scholarship was from another company, such as the Facey Commodity or GraceKennedy Foundation, whose scholarships are open to all students: Address your thank you to the president. For scholarships awarded by community foundations, alumni associations, or nonprofit groups such as Next Move Jamaica International, address your letter to the executive director, board chairman, or president (whichever is the top title in that organization).
Once you’ve found the appropriate name and address, a simple salutation is best: “Dear Ms. Blake” followed by a comma. If you can’t find the person’s name, it is acceptable to substitute “Dear [name of organization or scholarship] selection committee” followed by a comma.
Use a simple start. “Thank you for the [name of] scholarship” is the best possible beginning. There is no need to ask how are you doing questions or hoping statements such as “I hope you had a great weekend etc”. Keep it simple and to the point, it’s best, professional and safe.
Be personal. In your thank you letter, tell the scholarship donor what the award means to you. If it’s enough to cover books for a semester, include that. If it means you won’t have to work a part-time job (so you’ll be able to spend more time on your studies), tell them. The scholarship donors want to see the impact of their financial investment in your future.
Example: “This $74,000 scholarship covers tuition for my upcoming academic year at the University College of the Caribbean. As a result, I will be able to cut my hours working at the JPS Call Center, and spend more time on my academics and volunteering to help other students in need.”
Furthermore, if you are the first person in your family to attend college, or if the gift will allow you to attend your first-choice school, for example, include that information. The more you can illustrate the importance of this scholarship award to you, the better.
Write legibly and spell everything correctly.You might consider drafting your letter and have a family member or friend proofread it for you as mentioned before. Always proofread! Try reading it aloud before sending it off. if your hand writing isn’t the best (no judgement – as you should be honest with yourself), type the letter, proofread and sign your name. this makes the letter way more personal. This is how to write a thank you letter!
Allow the scholarship donor to share your letter. Sharing your letter with others enables the sponsor to better demonstrate the reasons why scholarship programs are important. At ScholarshipJamaica, we share students’ stories (with permission from the students) to illustrate to prospective donors why they should considering making a financial contribution to a scholarship program. Hearing from you why your scholarship matters are much more compelling than hearing dry statistics and facts.
Example: “Please feel free to share my thanks and my story with others in your organization, including publications and online. I would be honored to help you raise more funds for more students.”
End with another simple thank you. Go ahead, repeat yourself. The person receiving your hand-written or typed thank you letter won’t mind. You are grateful for this scholarship award so its only right to repeat your self in saying thank you.
Additionally, here is where you could indicate to the donor that they can feel free to publish your letter and contact you if they need further information about you academic performance. It might seem simple, but this is an open invitation for the donor to reach out to you for future awards, internships or opportunities that may arise.
Sign it. Sign your name after using the closing word or phrase that feels right to you (i.e., “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” “Most sincerely,” etc.). Add your telephone number, enrolled university or college and your projection year of completion.
Congratulations on earning your scholarships, and good luck! If you have questions or if you need help in composing your thank you letter, please contact our office at [email protected].
[ALSO READ: HOW TO WRITE A SCHOLARSHIP REQUEST LETTER]
This article was adopted from Scholarship America and other online sources.
Simple Scholarship Thank You Letter Sample
Date
Dear (Scholarship Donor),
I am sincerely honored to have been selected as the recipient of the (name of the scholarship). Thank you for your generosity, which has allowed me to (explain how receiving this scholarship has impacted your college experience).
As I complete my education at (Name of University/College), I am very thankful for receiving your thoughtful gift. Because of your scholarship, (explain how receiving this scholarship will positively impact your future).
Thank you again for your thoughtful and generous gift.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Number
Name of University
Class of 20XX
See Other Sample Scholarship Thank you Letters below:
- Sample Scholarship Thank you letter A
- Sample Scholarship Thank You Letter B
- Sample Scholarship Thank You Letter C
- Sample Scholarship Thank You Letter D
