Pursuing higher education can be expensive, and many students will not further their studies for fear of the financial strain that comes with it. This is where scholarships come in.

A scholarship provides high-achieving students with financial assistance toward their education. Students can apply for scholarships through businesses, schools, or colleges.

When students receive a scholarship, they will be awarded a scholarship certificate. Teachers can celebrate their students’ achievements with a scholarship certificate, which can be used in an official scholarship ceremony. Scholarship certificate templates can help to customize this achievement and give the recipient a special document that they can look back on with pride.

Scholarship Certificate Templates

What is a Scholarship Certificate?

A scholarship certificate is awarded to students who have successfully been offered a scholarship through a scholarship program or organization. It is a way to honor the hard work and academic achievements of these students.

A scholarship certificate can be difficult to obtain and often requires a specific level of academic achievement in order to be awarded, as a scholarship provides financial assistance. However, each scholarship has different requirements, and students may be best suited to a specific scholarship award depending on the criteria.

  • Different Types of Scholarships
    There are a variety of scholarships available for high school students to help ease their financial worries when attending college. The amount of money paid out from a scholarship will also greatly differ depending on the awarding institution, how many students apply, and the criteria for achieving the award.
    Students will be awarded a scholarship award certificate regardless of the scholarship they achieve, but it is important to recognize the differences between the kinds of scholarships available to students.
    These types of scholarships can include:
    Academic Scholarship
    Athletic Scholarship
    Community Service Scholarship
    Creative Scholarship
    Government Scholarship
    Religious Scholarship
    Essay Scholarship
    Military Scholarship
    This means that students who are not necessarily the highest achieving students academically can still have the option of obtaining a scholarship award certificate based on other aspects of their life, such as giving back to their community.
    There are a range of scholarship award opportunities available for students that recognize hard work outside of academic performance. This means that students should focus on areas outside of school alongside their academics, such as volunteering in the community, artistic pursuits and investing interest in a specific organization if they are passionate about its ethos.
  • Athletic and Academic Scholarships
    Typically, an academic or athletic scholarship will have the highest payout, and this is generally due to the high standards and criteria necessary to achieve these scholarships. Merit based scholarships such as these are therefore the most competitive kind of scholarships.
    For example, an athletic scholarship may cover most or all of your tuition costs, but they require an incredibly high standard of athletic performance throughout high school, along with an excellent academic record.
    Academic scholarships, however, are awarded to students who demonstrate academic excellence throughout high school, and these can be awarded through a college institution or through a private organization. The money provided by an academic scholarship can be of great support for students in financial need when applying for college.

Scholarship Award Certificates

How to Get a Scholarship Certificate

Each scholarship will have different requirements and specific criteria for applicants. This criterion may be college-specific, but the process for applying typically remains the same for high school students.

We’ve outlined the basic process for applying for a scholarship, and hopefully, with your achievements, you can be awarded a scholarship certificate at the end of your high school journey.

  1. Begin the application process early
    This is an essential step not to be overlooked. Thinking about scholarships early in your high school career will help you to have a better overall record and for you to understand what scholarship committees are looking for.
    Students should consider applying early for a scholarship award to be in with the best chance of winning. Applying early will give you more time to write your submission (if a written submission is required), as well as time to improve your grades and academic record before the deadline for scholarship award applications draws near.
    When students apply early for a scholarship award, they have more time to enjoy other activities and it minimizes the mounting stress of their academics and studies during their final years of high school.
  2. Have the basics in check
    Whilst different scholarships will consider a variety of factors, there are some basic requirements that will stand you in good stead, regardless of the scholarship award that you are applying for.
    Ensure that your grades are the best they can be.
    Scholarship committees will definitely consider your academic performance and grade point average (GPA).
    Participate in extracurricular activities throughout high school.
    Ideally, these extracurriculars will be linked to the scholarship award that you are applying for, but participating in any kind of extracurricular activity will benefit your scholarship.
    This doesn’t just have to be athletic activities, either. You can participate in a Debate Team or work on the School Newspaper, for example. Or, if you’re particularly creative and want to demonstrate strong leadership skills, beginning your own after-school club will look great on your scholarship application.
    Build good relationships with your teachers.
    This doesn’t mean becoming best friends with your teachers! Simply put, being on time for class, completing your homework, and participating in lessons will make your teachers have something good to say about you in an application.
    For most scholarship applications, a teacher will have to write a reference about you and your performance, so bear this in mind when you don’t feel like doing your homework.
  3. Decide which scholarships you want to apply for
    Most scholarships that are awarded are awarded by colleges themselves. This is often known as ‘financial aid,’ which colleges will offer to students with a strong scholarship application.
    Private scholarships are another option, and these are often more difficult to obtain, but can have a higher payout. Many large companies offer a scholarship award or scheme, such as Google, Microsoft, Walmart, and Coca-Cola, to name a few. Your school may have a list of scholarship opportunities that are available, so be sure to ask your teachers and use your school’s website to find a scholarship that works for you.
  4. Apply for scholarships during college
    The hunt for a scholarship opportunity doesn’t end when you go to college. You can still apply for scholarships and financial aid throughout college which can greatly help to ease any financial strain you may have during this time.
    Some scholarship opportunities may be college-specific or career specific, too, which can be useful to consider if you apply during college. Your college may offer a specific scholarship award that can support you. Many companies also offer scholarship awards, such as Target and Walmart, and if you work for an organization that offers this, you can apply for one of their scholarships too.

Frequently Asked Questions about Scholarships

  • Are all scholarships paid in full?
    Achieving any kind of scholarship award is a great achievement and students will benefit in many ways. Not only will the financial burden of college be eased, meaning that students can further their education, but students can also include their scholarship certificate on their resumes to help boost their career prospects.
    However, in most cases, the majority of scholarships rarely cover tuition costs in full. Many academic scholarships and athletic scholarships will cover a high amount of the costs for higher education, but many scholarships are partially funded. Fully funded scholarships are very competitive, which is important for students to bear in mind when considering which scholarships to apply for.
    Teachers can use scholarship certificate templates regardless of the scholarship that a student achieves, as this can celebrate this excellent accomplishment and motivate students to continue working hard.
  • What is the difference between a Scholarship Award and a Fellowship Award?
    Scholarships
    Scholarships are a grant awarded to each recipient based on a variety of factors throughout high school. These factors typically include:
    Academic performance
    Extracurricular participation
    References from teachers
    Demonstrable talent in the arts or sports
    A scholarship award helps to cover some or all of the costs of a student’s college tuition, encouraging them to continue with higher education. Teachers can use a scholarship certificate template to award scholarship-winning students for their achievements.
    Fellowships
    Often confused with a scholarship, a fellowship is awarded to students for their research in a particular subject area. Fellowships are often considered to be a ‘merit-based’ scholarship, meaning that a student has completed an advanced study of particular subject. Fellowships provide students with financial aid towards further education.
    Obtaining a fellowship award is typically based on the following details:
    A high first degree in a research subject
    Evidence of advanced study in a specific field
    Experience working in their field of study (such as medicine, law, or physics)
    Unlike a scholarship, fellowships are generally obtained by graduate students to help them continue their research. They are therefore targeted toward a specific field of study and will be career-specific awards.

Scholarship Award Templates

What to Include on a Scholarship Certificate

Although a scholarship certificate is simple to create, there are several important features to include on the certificate. A scholarship certificate template will already include areas to input this information.

However, if you are designing a scholarship certificate template from scratch, then here are the key things to include:

  • The scholarship recipient’s full name
  • The name of the institution awarding the scholarship
  • The name of the scholarship
  • The date the scholarship certificate was issued
  • The institution the recipient attended when the scholarship was awarded
  • The reason the student has been awarded the scholarship certificate
  • A signature from the scholarship awarding institution or the school principal

Although this may seem like a lot of information, scholarship certificate templates will display concise information in a clear way. It is essential that the scholarship certificate looks presentable and formal, as students will use the certificate as an important document to refer back to in the future.

Additional Features to Include on a Scholarship Certificate

Whilst the scholarship certificate should remain formal-looking and clear, you can include additional features to add a unique look to the scholarship certificate templates.

Each scholarship certificate template may include features such as:

  • An elegant border design
  • A logo representing the awarding institution of the scholarship
  • A small image, of an award or gold medal, for example

Incorporating a unique design into your scholarship certificate template can help it to stand out amongst plain, standard scholarship certificate template styles.

How to Create a Scholarship Certificate Template

Creating a scholarship certificate template is a fantastic way to show your appreciation for your students and their hard work throughout high school. Fortunately, designing a scholarship certificate template is a straightforward and simple process.

You can download and print a free scholarship certificate template to get started, or you can create your own scholarship certificate template using these simple steps.

  1. Choose a design for your scholarship certificate template, including clear font styles and a professional-looking border.
  2. Create the scholarship certificate template design using an online tool, such as Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Adobe Photoshop.
  3. Add the basic details to the scholarship certificate, such as the student’s name, the date of issue, and the name of the scholarship.
  4. Add a signature from the awarding institution or the school principal at the bottom of the scholarship certificate template.
  5. Include any additional features, such as a small image or logo of the awarding institution for the scholarship.
  6. Celebrate your students’ achievements and host a scholarship awards ceremony for scholarship certificate winners!

Remember to keep your scholarship certificate template design simple, and professional, to help your students refer back to this document in the future.

Download a Free Scholarship Certificate Template to Celebrate Your Students’ Achievements

Alternatively, you can download and print one a free scholarship certificate template to help make this process even easier. A scholarship certificate template will give you a pre-made scholarship certificate design that you can edit and customize for your students.

Scholarship certificate templates can be used to award each student during a formal ceremony. The structure of a scholarship certificate template ensures that each certificate looks professional and clear, whilst also saving you time in creating your own scholarship certificate templates from scratch.

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Tagged:CertificateEducationScholarshipScholarship CertificatesStudent
TemplateLab August 6th, 2023
Eleanor Griffiths
Eleanor Griffiths