A Complete Guide on Availing Scholarship for a Better Future
Studying in any world renowned institution is a dream that almost every student wants to come true. Many a times this dream appears to be a distant one because of a number of reasons like the low scores, insufficient vacancies, etc. but the main reason because of which students find it difficult to realize this dream is the enormous cost of education associated with any course. Yes, it is true that everything comes at a cost and so does this one. However, with evolution in education, the institutions over time have realized the importance of making this dream come true for every deserving candidate and thus comes the role of a scholarship.
With rapid advent of technology and ever-increasing globalization and interconnectedness, students from different corners of the world dream about studying in some of the most prestigious colleges or universities. And fortunately, many students are able to realize this dream because of the scholarships granted by these institutions to the deserving candidates. In a student’s life, a scholarship acts as a key that would open various doors to numerous opportunities for a better and brighter future. Scholarships present a student with once in a lifetime opportunity to pursue education from the destination of their dreams. And therefore when one is presented with this rare opportunity, he/she must make the most of it.
Even the thought of a scholarship is quiet appealing to a student however the process associated with the entire scholarship application makes many students nervous and anxious. And if you are also one of the students with impeccable academic track record but are unaware about the scholarship application process, then you have landed yourself on the very right page. In this article, we will be dealing in detail with the complete process involved in applying for a scholarship successfully.
The word ‘scholarship’ is music to a student’s ears. However the path that leads to it is equally tedious and challenging. To begin with, scholarship itself begins with the word ‘scholar’, which implies that anyone looking to get a scholarship must be having excellent track record in academics and that forms the first pre-requisite in order to successfully gain a scholarship. But it has been observed that many students in spite of having impeccable educational background, sometimes fail to avail a scholarship and this mainly results from the lack of proper guidance to fulfill all the requirements of the scholarship and thus we bring to you a detailed guide that will take you through a step by step guideline on how to apply for a scholarship and the entire process involved in its successful application. Read on and all your worries and inhibitions regarding the process involved in applying for a scholarship will be resolved.
The Process to Apply for a Scholarship:
A scholarship holds immense importance for any serious student. The scholarship thus granted does not only help a student from the financial perspective by covering the entire cost of education for a particular course but it also acts as a testament to a student’s excellence and brilliance in academics. And to help you achieve a scholarship successfully, we have curated a list of important steps involved in applying for a scholarship successfully:
- The first and important step that many students give amiss while applying for a scholarship is researching about the right institution and the right course. Getting a scholarship is a great boost for your career and you would not like to get anything less than desired. Therefore, start your hunt for a good scholarship by researching for the institution and course of your interest. Once you have narrowed down the list, look carefully for what that institution requires in order to grant the scholarship.
- While looking for the requirements of a scholarship, start by looking for the academic requirements of that course and its respective scholarship. If you fulfill the required academic criteria, proceed further. Look for other academic requirements that might be asked in supplementation with an excellent track record. Other things that might be asked will include – an essay or a dissertation.
- After knowing all the academic requirements, proceed to know what other documents are required to be attached along with the scholarship application form. Make a list of all the important documents asked and start assembling them gradually.
- If you are seeking a scholarship from an overseas university or institution, make sure to know whether your passport complies with visa regulations of that country. When a student seeks scholarship from a foreign university to pursue the education in that country then a special type of visa is assigned to the student, that is, scholarship visa. If you fall under this category, then look out for all the guidelines provided by the immigration department of that country.
- Once the list of all the necessarily required documents is curated, start working on collating them. For instance, if the scholarship procedure asks you to write an essay on a certain topic, make sure that you write it with the given word limit and the time frame. Or if it asks you to provide some recommendation letters then start contacting the required persons or authority in order to acquire all the required documents within time.
- Another crucial point to remember is to submit all the documents on time. It is one of the common mistakes that many students commit. Therefore, make sure you gather all the required documents well within time and submit them accordingly on the official website of the university.
List of Important Documents required to apply for Scholarship:
The confusion or dilemma regarding what all documents are required to apply for a scholarship is one area where many students struggle. The lack of well-planned out thought or approach makes them commit some last minute mistake that proves to be detrimental for their career. Hence in order to ease things out for you, Livewebtutors has specifically curated a list of all the important and vital documents that are required in order to apply for a scholarship:
- A Thoroughly and Duly filled Application Form: The process to apply for any scholarship generally begins by filling out the application form. Make sure to fill all the requirements carefully as an incorrect or incomplete application form is among the many reasons for which a scholarship claim gets rejected.
- Statement of Intent: It is nothing but a letter from the applicant addressed to the concerned authorities stating the motivation or purpose behind seeking admission in a particular college or university. Make sure to write a genuine statement of purpose as it acts as a deciding factor for the authorities for granting a scholarship.
- Educational Certificates/ Transcripts: It is the most common yet the most important requirement. As mentioned above that academic excellence is a pre-requisite to avail any scholarship and these transcripts or score cards act as proof to solidify your claim on the scholarship. Therefore, whenever applying for a scholarship, carefully include all the relevant and important certificates. You must also include any additional certificate related to co-curricular activities as they reflect positively on your application and enhance your chance to avail the scholarship.
- Curriculum Vitae or Resume: This is an essential requirement as it serves as an introduction of the candidate. Always remember to attach an updated resume. Make sure that the resume you have built is a strong one. Include all the achievements and important milestones that might have gained in your journey. Mention about all your hobbies, interests, skills, etc. Remember a resume must be the reflection of your thought process. Also include in the resume about the ultimate objective that you are seeking to fulfill by joining the institution.
- A copy of any Identification Proof: Well, it goes without saying that how important is an ID proof and why it is required to apply for a scholarship. Ensure that you attach a copy of the valid identification proof.
- Copy of Passport: This is crucial and inevitable for the students applying for a scholarship in foreign universities. Attaching the copy of your passport helps the authorities to ascertain your nationality and thus they are able to help you better. Make sure to attach a copy of a valid passport.
- Medical Documents: Medical documents are an essential part of the process for applying to get a scholarship. Many universities and colleges generally provide a detailed guideline as what all tests they require to be included in a medical bulletin. Therefore, check with the authorities of the college or university that you are applying to as what all they require to be included in the health documents.
- Financial Documents: These documents pertain to include the family income of a candidate. It is an essential requirement as it helps the institution to decide whether the student requires monetary assistance or not. Therefore, you must attach all the valid and authentic financial records like the bank account statements of your parents/ guardians or of yourself.
The above mentioned is a suggestive list comprising all the essential and crucial documents commonly asked for by the colleges. The above is not a hard and fast list. It is highly advised to all the students to carefully check all the requirements of the college and thus accordingly accumulate all the documents.
