Scholarship Requirements

If you're beginning your undergraduate education with the help of one or more scholarships, congratulations! Scholarships help ease the financial stress of college and serve as recognition of your achievements. While earning the scholarship is the biggest step, you also may need to do some work to maintain it.

Being Organized
When you receive a scholarship, keep all of the pertinent information in a file. If you received more than one scholarship, keep a separate file for each one. The files should contain all the pertinent information about your scholarship, including phone numbers and addresses of the awarding organization, as well as terms and conditions.

In these files, you should also keep the paperwork you used to apply for your scholarship, including transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any application forms.

Stay in Touch with Donor
When you receive a scholarship, it's always a good idea to send a thank you letter, whether you received the scholarship from a business, community organization, or private estate. Make sure to tailor the letter specifically to the organization from which you received the scholarship.

In addition to a thank you letter, maintain contact with the donor, especially if your scholarship is renewable each year. Make sure you keep informed about any new rules or requirements of the scholarship, as well as deadlines. Place any new information in your scholarship file.

Live Up to Your Achievements
You received a scholarship because, in some way, you stood out from your peers. Whether you've received a scholarship because of your outstanding grades, athletic ability, or selfless hours of community service, you have a responsibility to keep up the good work once you begin school. Your donor might ask you to maintain a minimum GPA or take certain classes within your major; dedicate yourself to a sport; or complete a determined number of community service hours.

Not living up to your scholarship's expectations not only shows ingratitude toward the person who gave you the award, but it could also compromise your ability to keep the scholarship. Be proud of your scholarship achievements, but know that with each scholarship comes a responsibility.