Paying for college requires a lot of planning. The rising cost of tuition can make higher education out of reach for even the most talented students. College scholarships can help them pursue their dreams without the burden of excessive debt. If you support a student’s application, our free 10-pack of Recommendation Letter Samples for Scholarship Applications offers practical, customizable examples for various types of scholarships.
Their free, fully customizable templates include the following 10 sample letters:
1. Academic Excellence Scholarship Recommendation
This template provides a comprehensive view of a student’s academic achievements, making it ideal for students with good grades and a passion for learning.
2. Community Service Scholarship Recommendation
Perfect for students deeply involved in community and volunteer projects, this letter highlights the positive impact they have made and their commitment to service.
3. Leadership Skills Scholarship Recommendation
Designed to emphasize leadership in school and community settings, this letter covers a student’s contributions to committees, events, and projects.
4. Scholarship recommendation to overcome adversity
This letter, designed for students who have demonstrated resilience, addresses the personal challenges a student has faced and how they have maintained their academic and personal growth in the face of adversity.
5. STEM-focused scholarship recommendation
This template showcases a student’s skills in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, and highlights their dedication to the field and their future goals.
6. Sports scholarship recommendation
This letter highlights the balance between athletic and academic performance, providing a holistic view of a student’s achievements, character, and teamwork.
7. Scholarship Recommendation for First Generation College Students
This letter recognizes the importance of becoming the first in your family to pursue higher education, addressing academic excellence and personal commitment.
8. Financial Need Scholarship Recommendation
This recommendation template is ideal for students who demonstrate dedication and academic excellence while facing financial challenges.
9. Career and Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship Recommendation
Aimed at students pursuing technical fields, this letter highlights practical skills, dedication, and specific achievements in areas such as automotive technology or culinary arts.
10. General Recommendation of Academic Scholarships
This sample letter of recommendation for scholarship applications offers a balanced view of a student’s academic strengths, character, and extracurricular activities, suitable for a variety of general scholarship applications.
How to Write Scholarship Recommendation Letters
If you’ve been asked to write a letter of recommendation for your student’s scholarship, you may feel overwhelmed. You want to help your student, but you’re worried that your letter isn’t good enough. Our scholarship recommendation letter templates cover all of the following:
- Using your letterhead, add your personal information (full name, title, school name, etc.) in the top left corner.
- Each sample letter includes an introduction, two or three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- The first paragraph introduces your student, specifies the scholarship they are applying for, and shares details about the nature and duration of your relationship.
- The body paragraphs describe the ways in which your student is eligible and deserving of the scholarship.
- The final section brings everything together and emphasizes your student’s strengths as well as the reasons why you support them.
Don’t think you can honestly offer a positive recommendation? Politely decline their request for a letter. Avoid putting yourself in a position where you have to be insincere. You don’t want to write something negative because it could cost the student the opportunity to get a scholarship.
Get Your Free Customizable Scholarship Letter Templates
Our free templates include examples of all the letters described above to help make writing scholarship recommendation letters for your students easier than ever. Simply click the button below to fill out the form on this page and get your free Google Doc templates.
