How to Write a Scholarship Recommendation Letter

When a student applies for a scholarship, recommendations from faculty often factor into the committee's decision of whether or not to award the scholarship. If you are asked to write a scholarship recommendation letter for a student, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. Follow these tips for writing a scholarship recommendation letter.

1. Step 1

   Review the scholarship committee's requirements. These include how the letter should be structured, whether it should be sent to the committee or directly to the student and whether you need to answer any specific questions about the student.

2. Step 2

   Ask the student for an updated transcript and some samples of work he has done for your class. Although you may have some of this information on file, it's helpful to let the student choose which materials he provides. This will clue you in to what he thinks is his best work.

3. Step 3

   Address specific situations in which the student has excelled in your letter. While you may mention grades, try to point out how the student's intellect, passion for the subject and drive to learn have motivated her.

4. Step 4

   Use examples from the student's work to help illustrate why she deserves the scholarship. Many scholarship recommendation letters are too vague, and being detailed and showing the committee the student's own work will help your student gain an edge over other applicants.

5. Step 5

   Talk about the student's character. Many scholarship programs have a more personal component, so unlike job recommendation or other recommendation letters you may write, those needed for a scholarship should mention what kind of person the student is.

6. Step 6

   Include information about the student's potential in his chosen field of study. It's helpful to sit down with the student and determine his overall career goals, which you can talk about in the letter.

taken from http://www.ehow.com/how_2292682_write-scholarship-recommendation-letter.html