Skip to content.

Scholarships

Applying for a Scholarship

Applying for a Scholarship Finding a scholarship that suits your requirements and for which you are eligible can be a timeconsuming and difficult process. Many students spend hours finding a scholarship yet fail to put an equal amount of effort into their application. Make sure you spend as much time on the application as is necessary to get it right. The following is a list of simple tips to help you submit the best application possible and thereby maximise your chances of being awarded the scholarship.


About the Scholarship

Make sure you get as much information about the scholarship as possible. Check the information on the Scholarships Website. Write, call or email the provider of the scholarship to ensure you have full details of application procedures and what will be expected of a successful applicant. If the scholarship entails a particular project, find out the full objectives and intended methodology. If
the scholarship is being funded by a private enterprise, gather as much information as you can about the company, its philosophy and its goals. You can never have too much information.

Eligibility

Check thoroughly to ensure that you are actually eligible for the scholarship before you embark on the application process. It is pointless to submit an application for a scholarship for which you are ineligible. Check for any gender, age, nationality, indigenous or other special group restrictions on applications and only apply if you match the eligibility criteria.

Read Instructions Carefully

Once you have confirmed your eligibility for a particular scholarship and received full application guidelines, make sure you follow the guidelines to the letter.

Common complaints from scholarship providers are:

  • All of the requested documents are not attached.
  • The documents are not supplied in the form requested originals, certified copies, one sides documents etc.
  • All pages of the application form are not filled in
  • Applicants do not read the questions properly and thus provide inappropriate or irrelevant responses.
  • Applicants skip questions that they think don’t apply to them. If you are asked a question, you must answer it in some way.
  • Applicants don’t supply their full and correct address and email contact address.
  • The applicant’s handwriting is illegible. Always write clearly and in block letters.


Presentation

Application presentation is very important.

  • When documents are requested, supply the documents in the order in which they are requested.
  • Use the same style of writing and pen throughout the application do not use other than black or blue.
  • Use neat, legible handwriting and type your application if this is not possible.


Using References

Ensure that your referees are the appropriate people to provide the kind of information about you that the selection panel will need to know. For example, if they need to know about your research capabilities, ensure the referee you provide has supervised your research work before or has some other knowledge of your capabilities.

Always make sure that your referees know of every scholarship you have applied for in which they are listed as a referee. If they are aware of the particular requirements of each scholarship, they will be more able to provide the appropriate information to
each scholarship selection panel.

Referee’s statements are also required on the closing date.

Apply Individually

Apply for each scholarship separately. Do not use the same application to apply for two separate scholarships. Each scholarship will have its own particular requirements and if you use a previous application you will almost certainly miss addressing vital and particular criteria of the new scholarship. Each scholarship application should be approached as a separate undertaking.

Double Check

Make a checklist for each scholarship application and double check it before you submit the completed application. Ensure that you have completed all the necessary forms, supplied all the supporting documents in the form required, submitted all statements, names of referees and any and all other information requested by the provider. Ensure that you submit it by the due date.

Don’t lose out on a scholarship because your application is late, incorrect or messy! Work hard on it and ensure yourself the best possible chance of winning a scholarship in today’s competitive environment.

Responding to correspondence

Make sure you are available to respond to an offer of a scholarship. If candidates do not respond to the offer letter in sufficient time or the offer goes to the wrong address the scholarship may then offered to another candidate.

Good luck with your applications!