Applying for scholarships can be a time-consuming process. By using the tips below you will increase your chances of success. It is important to recognize that most scholarship funds support full-time students rather than those studying part-time.
 Searching
Start with a web search and be persistent; use the VUW Scholarship Database and national scholarship databases. You may find that you return a large amount of possible scholarships in your search and the key is to spend time looking through these. The more difficult it is to find a particular scholarship; the less competition you are likely to have. While you should avoid applying for scholarships that you are clearly ineligible for, you must also avoid waiting for the perfect scholarship.

 Only apply if you are eligible

Check the eligibility criteria in the scholarships regulations carefully and only select scholarships that fit your skills, personal attributes or research interests. Is there a minimum grade point average (GPA) required? Does the scholarship require demonstrated financial need? If you apply for every scholarship you stumble upon, you will submit weak, off-target applications and waste a lot of valuable time. Spend your time perfecting those scholarship applications that match you and you will then produce strong, relevant applications.

 Write an up-to-date CV

Focus on your strengths. Before you start applying for scholarships, write a CV and then keep it up to date. This CV should include all important information such as dates, academic history, a summary of your work experience, publications and your extracurricular activities and interests. Even if a scholarship application does not require a CV, writing one will help to focus your thoughts and remind you of what you have accomplished so far.

 Participate in extracurricular activities
In most instances grade point average (GPA) will be important, however, many scholarship committees do not simply choose the student with the highest GPA. That is only half the story; committees may be equally interested in your extracurricular activities particularly if the scholarship criteria are targeted to these. Are you involved in the community? Have you volunteered your time to assist others? What jobs have you had? Have you published any articles? What are your goals? Involvement in other activities shows an ability to manage your time and a willingness to become involved. Many scholarship committees are interested in awarding to students they consider well-rounded and who demonstrate leadership qualities.
 Identify clearly what the funder is looking for
The student who best meets the funder’s requirements is awarded the scholarship. As simple as this may seem, many students don’t take time to ensure they know what these requirements are. Read through all the scholarship information and scan the funder’s website carefully for details and clues about what the funder’s goals are.
 Arrange your references early
Ask key people now if they are available to provide you with written references or to act as your referee. Let your referee know of the closing date for references – this will, in most cases, be a day or two before the closing date. You may need both academic and personal referees. Many applications have failed due to references and supporting statements not being received on time or the referee being unavailable or unprepared to comment. Most referees are happy to provide a reference; however, they may not be happy to write a separate statement for each application so ask them to save a copy in case you need to use them again. Unless the referee states otherwise, references submitted through Community Force will not be available to the applicant.
 Watch deadlines carefully
Late applications will not be accepted and you will not be able to submit after the closing date and time noted for the scholarship. Scholarships panels will not accept late applications. Make a calendar of closing dates and display it in your workspace. Once you determine which scholarships to apply for, begin your applications immediately. Arrange for copies of academic transcripts from other institutions well before the submission dates as you may need to upload these. Set yourself a personal deadline to complete an application at least a week before the official deadline. This will guarantee that your application will be submitted in time and you will have time to carefully proofread your application and to ensure all documentation is available and has been submitted. Your application will be stronger if it is not rushed and last minute and your referees have plenty of time to submit their support.
 Applying
Follow all instructions carefully. If you don’t follow the specific instructions exactly, your application may be rejected in a preliminary check. Have you included all the information asked for? Is your contact information correct?
 Proofread your application.
By proofreading your application statements carefully you can increase your chances of success. Once you have verified the information on the application, read through any personal statements or research outlines again. Are there any spelling errors? What about grammatical errors? Is it formatted correctly? Finally, check your statements again the day after you wrote it. By checking the next day, you will gain a fresh perspective and notice things that you might have missed the day before. Simply spending a little more time can vastly increase your chance of being successful. After you have proofread your statements ask someone else to proofread them.
 "Never, never, never, never give up" (Winston Churchill)
Don’t be surprised if you are not successful with your first application. Rather, be surprised if you are! Once you submit your first scholarship application, begin the next one. Remember to treat each application individually and give it the same level of care. The key to winning a scholarship is determination. If you refuse to give up then you exponentially increase your chance of being successful.

Written by Fesojaye Sam-Damilare

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