A perfect motivation letter is what makes you stand out from the rest when applying for a scholarship. A winning and compelling motivation letter not only helps you win scholarships (academic or professional) but also finds you employment with innovative large companies. Now, Radviser, your intelligent adviser, will tell you how to write a motivation letter for a scholarship. This is everything you need to keep in mind while writing one. 

In this article, you will learn to develop a template that can be used for multiple situations, which will help increase your chances of winning the scholarship you desire. 

Motivation Letter Explained

A motivation letter for a scholarship is supposed to include your academic achievements. It should simply explain:

• Why are you an ideal candidate?
• How do your abilities and skills contribute to the desired university or country?
• What are your goals and visions for the future?

Your motivation letter must portray your deepest desire that you want to learn and contribute new knowledge. Although your academic ability, recognition, and experiences matter, without having an attractive and clearly stated motivation letter would be rough to get the scholarship. Note that your achievements and skills align with a motivation letter will make you the right candidate for a scholarship. 

What to Do Before Writing a Motivation Letter for Scholarship?

Before writing a motivation letter for a scholarship, you better search and investigate the institution and the country you want to apply for. You need to collect information about the profile the scholarship provider is looking for. Browse the official page, review comments and sections, and learn all about their culture, philosophy, and requirements. You need to analyze whether they prefer leadership, teamwork, attention to detail, etc., find out if they are socially responsible and concerned about the environment, care about ethics, and value numbers and concrete results. 

This is a fact, and we experienced it before. This research will help your motivation letter follow their interests and help you realize if this scholarship suits your interests. Well, you need to take two steps:

1. Review the vision and mission of the institutions and analyze the profile of the faculty members. Use close words to the ones used in your motivation letter. 
2. Check the testimonies sections of students or employees of the institution, analyze the program, and then address your motivation letter based on what you find. 

How to Write a Motivation Letter for Scholarships?

So far, you have learned enough about what you are aiming for; it is time to write a winning motivation letter for your scholarship. A perfect and thorough motivation letter must include the following points:

1. Header and Title

Title: “Letter of Motivation for [Scholarship Name]”

Header: (Upper right or upper left)

• Full Name
• Adresse and Zip/Postal Code
• Phone
• E-mail
• Skype and Social Networks (Optional)

2. Introduction

Start the motivation letter with a formal greeting and mention the reason for this letter. For example: “Through this, I want … apply to the scholarship … published in …”. You need to answer these questions in your introduction section:

• Why are you applying for this scholarship?
• What is inspiring about this program?

This way, you can briefly explain what you like about the institution and the country. Remember to mention your objectives and how they relate to the purposes of the program. For example: “I have been looking for an international opportunity for …, and I wholeheartedly believe that the … program in this institution can help me …”.

3. Let Them Know You. 

This is the beginning of the second paragraph of your motivation letter. You should write about your academic achievements and explain why you are their ideal candidate. Write down your accomplishments in a way that demonstrates the value you can bring to the institution of the country to which you are about to apply.

1. How Do You Bring Value?

Besides wanting to learn and travel, how do your skills and abilities contribute to the university or even the country you are applying to? This is where you need to be smart and persuasive. Mentioning things like “Increase the knowledge of peers or colleagues about my culture and country or participate in certain activities, etc.” might be the best option. 

2. Who Are You Addressing, the Institution, University or Country?

Although you mentioned it in your introduction, here you must give more details of your motivation. Explain why this program means so much to you. How the facilities and projects of the institution of the country will help you achieve your goals. 

3. Final Shot

You know what you really want; then you need to prove it! Show them the desire you have for learning and contributing new knowledge. Make a strong statement with words like “I am very motivated by ....” or “It would be an honor…” or “This is the beginning of a road full of …” etc. If you do not believe in yourself, nobody will. Show them you are worthy of this investment.

Also, check How to Write A Motivation Letter? ( With Tips and Examples)

Motivation Letter for Scholarship Template

Of course, you are going to apply for several scholarships, but did you know there is no need to write a different motivation letter for each application? With a general template, you can simply adapt the content to the specific situation. If you have done the previous steps, you already have a simple template to edit so that your motivation letter corresponds to the desired scholarship. Check out the template below. 

1. Street Address
2. City, State, Zip code
3. Date of Letter
4. Complete Title and Address
   • Contact Name
   • Contact Title
   • Institution Name
   • Street Address
   • City, State, Zip Code
5. Address to Particular Person
   • Dear_____,
6. Opening Paragraph
   • Explain why you are writing, name the program and institution, the opportunity you are exploring, and how you heard about the scholarship.
7. Body Paragraphs
   • Make them want to read your motivation letter, be brief and specific.
   • Explain why you are interested in this institution and program and your reason for wanting this scholarship. If you have relevant experiences, academic background, and achievements, point them out, but not your whole resume. Be sure to do this confidently and note that the reader will view your letter as an example of your writing skills.
8. Closing Paragraph
   • Ask for consideration and remember to follow up. Explain your interest in the scholarship and your enthusiasm for using your skills and knowledge to contribute to the work of the institution or country. Thank the reader for their consideration. End your motivation letter by stating that you look forward to being a part of their community.
9. Closer
   • Sincerely, 
   • Your Name 

Tips on Writing a Winning Motivation Letter for Scholarship

• Write a letter that is easy to read. Avoid complex words, and separate the paragraphs. Be brief but specific. Do not extend the letter to more than 1 page. 
• Identify your desires and strengths and coherently show them with the program. You want your motivation letter to have a natural flow, a story-like feeling. Your sentences must be convincing and result-oriented. You need to write every sentence with a purpose. Your motivation letter is the most important resource you have. 
• Write your letter in Word, but save it in a PDF document unless it is specified otherwise. 
• Be yourself but be formal. Your motivation letter should have formal language.
• Do not forget about the deadlines. 
• Review your spelling and writing. You can give it to someone and ask them to review your letter. 
• Make sure you tilted your letter correctly. 
• If you apply in another language, make sure you make proper use of the language, the writing, and the translation.

Things to Avoid When Writing a Motivation Letter for Scholarship

Let us say one more time that your motivation letter is a vital document if you want to win a scholarship in another country. In other cases, a well-written one will facilitate the attainment of employment.  

Note that motivation letters are not only about mentioning your interest in obtaining new opportunities but also about defending why you are the ideal candidate.

1. Your letter must demonstrate the reasons why they should choose you. To make yourself worthy of the prize begging by replacing phrases like “my dream has always been ...” because “my achievements have been …” to “I consider I am the ideal candidate because …” or “my work is characterized by …”.
2. Take your wishes into account, but you must know what you want and why you deserve it. Replace the words like “I think” with “I know” or “I’m sure”.
3. What you will do for them matters. They expect you to be genuinely interested in the program and the positive impact you will make with this opportunity. They do not want to hear that you would be happier, richer, and healthier living in their country. Still, they want to know how you will return to society the investment they make in you. It is not about money. Your contribution can be in terms of culture like teaching others, continuing extracurricular clubs, or any corporation projects you have in mind.
4. Limit the letter to what it is and what they ask you. Follow the rules and give them exactly what they want. If you do not comply with all their requirements, give yourself time because there are always new application dates and scholarship opportunities. 

Final Words

In this article, we learned how to write a killer motivation letter for scholarships. You know every tip for writing your motivation letter now. This is the best opportunity to showcase your knowledge before the interview. Writing a motivation letter for scholarship applications requires time and commitment. Decide what you will say in advance, and allow at least three days to write the letter, edit it, step away from it, and review it. 

If you want to increase your chance of success with your application, go through Radviser’s Library and update your information.