How To Apply For Scholarships – 9 Guidelines Every Student Should Know

How To Apply For Scholarships – 9 Guidelines Every Student Should Know 

Every academic year, thousands of scholarships become available for students to apply, but most of these scholarships go unclaimed due to one mistake or another.

For any student who desires to study abroad or in Nigeria, getting a scholarship can transform their academic journey. But applying the right way gives them an edge of being selected for the opportunity.

Scholarships are life-changing opportunities that offer to fund the education, accommodation, tuition fees, and other expenses of selected students. To help them ease their financial burden and pursue their education.

Here I will share how to apply for scholarships and nine guidelines every student should know. To help them stand out.   

They include the following

1. Know What You Want Before Applying
2. Start Searching For Scholarships Early
3. Prepare The Required Documents On Time
4. Write A Strong And Compelling Personal Statement
5. Check The Eligibility Criteria
6. Apply For More Than One Scholarship
7. Prepare Yourself For Interviews
8. Use Academic Software Tools To Proofread And Format
9. Recheck Your Application Before Submitting

Now, let’s discuss these nine guidelines every student should know before applying for scholarships.

1. Know What You Want Before Applying

Before you start your application for any scholarship opportunity, you need to be clear about what you want and why.  You need to be clear about the level of education you want: is it undergraduate, master’s, or PhD?

• What field of study do you want
• Which country do you want to study in
• Most importantly, why do you want a scholarship

2. Start Searching For Scholarships Early

Scholarships open up every academic year, and many of these scholarships are open for 6- 12 months. You have to start searching for a scholarship on time; do not wait until the last minute.

You can search for scholarships on:

• Official scholarship websites
• University Scholarship Pages
•  social media pages

3. Prepare The Required Documents On Time

The documents required for one scholarship may differ from those for another.  However, the documents usually requested for scholarship applications include the following. It is advisable to keep the PDF file of these documents.

• Admission letter
• WAEC/NECO results
• International passport( if it is a foreign scholarship)
• A personal statement
• A CV or resume that is updated
• Language test
• Recommendation letters

4. Write A Strong And Compelling Personal Statement

A personal statement is a document or a written summary that explains who you are, what you have done, and why you are a strong candidate who should be chosen for the course or program you are applying for.  It provides candidates the opportunity to convince the selection committee that they are a strong candidate for the program or opportunity

The personal statement is meant to include:

• An introduction
• The academic background
• Why a candidate is interested in the course, school or country (depending on the opportunity)
• How the scholarship will benefit their future
• What will they do after studying the course or after the scholarship period is completed

5. Check The Eligibility Criteria

Every scholarship opportunity always has an eligibility criterion that candidates must meet before applying for the scholarship. The first thing to do after reading about a scholarship is to check the eligibility criteria. Here are some of those requirements.

• Field of study
• Age limit
• Grade requirements
• Language preference, etc

6. Apply For More Than One Scholarship

Have you heard the saying, ‘put your eggs in one basket’? That does not apply to scholarship because you might not be selected for one, but you will be selected for another. So the best thing is to apply for multiple relevant scholarships.

You can apply for local, international, university, external, general and specified scholarships. You can make a spreadsheet to help you stay updated with the  deadlines  and requirements for each

7. Prepare Yourself For Interviews

Not all, but some scholarships require an interview, either virtual or in-person. You need to prepare yourself for these interviews to make yourself stand out.

Here are some interview questions you can practice with:

• What is your leadership story  and academic background
• Introduce yourself and tell us about your study goals
• Why did you choose this institution or course
• What makes you a strong candidate for this scholarship
• How do you plan to contribute to your community after your studies

8. Use Academic Software Tools To Proofread And Format

You can use academic software tools to proofread, format, organise and update your application. These tools include Grammarly, Canva, Notion, and Zotero.

9. Recheck Your Application Before Submitting

You need to check your application before submitting to avoid mistakes that can disqualify you for the scholarship.  You should not apply without reading the eligibility criteria, don’t submit poorly written essays,  don’t miss the deadline for submission, and don’t upload the wrong or incomplete document

Conclusion

It is one thing to apply for scholarships, and it is another thing to get selected. This is why I have shared these nine guidelines with you. It is also advisable to listen to the stories of past scholarship winners to learn how they achieved success.

If you have any questions or concerns, you can drop them in the comment section.