Scholarship Resources

Essay Writing Tips:

Be Concise: Do not use filler words (e.g. basically, just, like, etc.) unless needed, and do not add unnecessary information to the page for the sake of page count.

Read Your Essay Out Loud: Reading your essay out loud helps you catch mistakes or clunky wording.

Have Someone Else Read Your Essay: When working on a paper, we often get tunnel vision. Having someone else read your paper is a set of fresh eyes, ones that can catch mistakes, organization, and other issues you may have overlooked due to familiarity with the essay.

Use Spellcheck or other Grammer Checkers: Don't hesitate to use spellcheck or other grammar checkers for your essay. 

Example Essay Outline:

1. Introductory sentence

• State your name
• What year you are in at OSUIT (or if you're an incoming student)

2. Educational Objectives and Career Goals

• Identify your major
• Why did you choose this major?
• What will you do with a degree in this field?
• What career path have you chosen?
  Example: I have always enjoyed working with computers and I love to write. I’m pursuing a career in applied technology; this will allow me to pursue both interests - focusing on a viable career and doing something that I enjoy.

3. Brief Background

• Who are you? (not your name) – family, children, siblings, etc.
• How did you get to where you are today?
• What is important to you?
  • Insert extra-curricular interests, volunteer work, hobbies – things that make you stand our or are unusual.
  • Academic Accomplishments: GPA, level of difficulty of courses taken, types of courses taken, etc.
    Examples:
    During my free time, I volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club 
    Much of my free time is spent with my children, teaching them by example that education is important.
    I am currently enrolled in 16 credit hours and I work two part-time jobs. 

4. Need

• Why do you need a scholarship?
• How will it make a difference to you?
  Examples:
  Although I work two part-time jobs, I find it difficult to meet the financial demands of supporting myself and paying for an education. A scholarship will allow me to continue with school in the fall.
  My parents provide me with room and board, but because I have younger brothers and sisters, they cannot help me with my educational expenses. The money I earn at the car wash part-time is barely enough to cover my books and supplies. A scholarship would help a great deal.
  Receiving a scholarship would allow me to reduce the number of hours that I work at the daycare, which would then allow me more time to concentrate on my studies.

5. Conclusion

• Wrap it up with a simple sentence or two. You can include how your education to date has made a difference to you.
• End with a “thank you for allowing me the opportunity to apply.”

Adapted from: "Scholarship & Grant Research", Rogers State University. https://libguides.rsu.edu/scholarships_grants/writing. Date accessed 22 August 2024.

Application Tips: Things to Consider

• Don't procrastinate! Give yourself time to complete the application and your essay, including feedback and editing.
   
• Be aware of deadlines dates! Post-marked means it was marked for sending that day, received is when the application would be received by scholarship sponsor(s).