Guide to Writing a Resume for a Scholarship (With Example)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published June 18, 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Admission to a post-secondary institution is a significant event in an individual's life, but once accepted, it's essential to determine how to pay for the program. Many students pursue college and university scholarships to help them reduce the costs of tuition and other educational expenses. Knowing how to write a resume for a scholarship can help you be more successful in receiving one. In this article, we explain what a resume for a scholarship is, review the different types, explore what to include in one, highlight how to write one, and provide a template and example.

What is a resume for a scholarship?

A resume for a scholarship is a document that highlights your academic accomplishments and activities, volunteer and professional experiences, and skills when applying to receive financial benefits for school. These documents also showcase your professional goals and ambitions. While few scholarship applications require a resume, most applications allow you to submit supplementary documents. Including a resume is an excellent method to distinguish your scholarship application from those of other students. You may use a scholarship resume to present pertinent facts to the scholarship selection committee.

Types of post-secondary scholarships

Here are some types of college and university scholarships that may require a scholarship resume:

Merit-based or academic

Some organizations offer academic scholarships to students that do well in their studies. Certain scholarships, such as private or company-sponsored scholarships, have a limited budget and quantity. Some post-secondary institutions provide academic scholarships to all students who meet certain criteria, such as high grades, regardless of how many people apply. Although these institutions automatically award these scholarships to anyone who fulfills the prerequisites, it's still a good idea to have a resume available to share.

Need-based

Individuals who might require financial assistance to attend a post-secondary institution often receive need-based scholarships. The qualifications for this type of scholarship often vary according to the institution that awards it. Most institutions require students to show record their family income to qualify, as students may qualify for the scholarship if the income is below a specified amount. In addition to these requirements, need-based scholarships may also require maintaining specific grades or meeting other requirements.

Race, ethnicity, or gender

These scholarships are available to students who identify as part of a specific group to help provide equal access to opportunities. Typically, factors of being in a minority group is a necessary requirement, in addition to certain other stipulations. Many scholarships are available to international students, which means they may attract a greater number of applications.

Interest- or hobby-based

Certain organizations provide scholarships to students who demonstrate a particular passion or interest. Often, local or national institutions or groups offer grants for a variety of activities. These awards often require a student to participate in the activity or hobby consistently, and eligibility may include other requirements. Scholarships for culinary arts, literature, and gaming interests are just a few examples.

What to include in a scholarship resume

A scholarship resume can include the following information:

Contact information: Provide contact information for the selection committee, including your name, phone number, e-mail address, city, and province or territory of residence.
Objective statement: Include a brief paragraph describing your professional objectives, academic accomplishments, and motivation for continuing your studies.
Academic experience: Include your most relevant academic experience, along with the school's name, dates of attendance, and subject area of study.
Awards and honours: You can show your achievements in a bullet-list style list.
Volunteer and work experience: Describe your volunteer and job experiences, including the name of the company or organization, the dates involved, the title of the position, and the tasks or responsibilities.

How to write a scholarship resume

To create an impressive scholarship resume, you can follow these steps:

1. Add your contact information and compose an objective statement

Start by including your contact information at the top, including your name, phone number, e-mail address, city, and province or territory. After that, create a short paragraph outlining your professional objectives or resume aim. This can be a brief statement that highlights your academic objectives and intentions, and also your prior academic experience. This section can emphasize your academic accomplishments, involvement in extracurricular activities, and motivation for seeking higher education. By clearly articulating academic accomplishments and outlining particular objectives and ambitions, you can try to use the information that quantifies and validates your claims.

2. Compile a list of your soft and hard abilities

Consider which talents make you an excellent candidate for the scholarship. You can examine the stipulations and list of required qualifications and include explanations of the ones you meet on your resume. Consider both hard and soft abilities and any transferable skills you have that can help your resume be more effective..

3. Provide an education section

This section might be particularly beneficial if you have minimal job experience. When drafting your education section, be sure to mention the school's name and dates of attendance. You may also add the following information:

Pertinent coursework
Membership in groups or organizations
Leadership roles
Accomplishments, distinctions, or certificates

4. Use reverse chronological order to list your work history

Next, you can write your work history in reverse chronological order. When writing in reverse chronological order, begin each section with the most recent and pertinent experience and work backward. Include just the information that's necessary to demonstrate why you are a strong candidate for the scholarship you seek.

5. Check for errors and save as a PDF

Finally, proofread your completed resume for spelling and grammatical mistakes and ensure that all the information included is current, pertinent, and true. You may want to have your scholarship resume reviewed by a friend, family member, or instructor. When you've completed your resume, save it as a PDF to help ensure the document maintains its layout.

Scholarship resume template

You can use the following template when creating your own resume:

[Your name]
[Phone number]
[E-mail address]
[City and province or territory]

Objective statement
[Insert statement about career goals or resume objective]

Academic experience

[Name of the most recent school]
[Area of study], [Dates attended]
[City and province or territory]

Honours and awards

[Award or honour]
[Award or honour]
[Award or honour]
[Award or honour]
[Award or honour]

Volunteering or paid employment experience

[Name of organization and dates]

[Title of position]
[Tasks or duties]
[Tasks or duties]
[Tasks or duties]

Scholarship resume example

Here's a scholarship resume example you can use as inspiration:

Robert Mannings
515-1235-115
robert.mannings@email.com
Toronto, Ontario

Career objective
Student at Ursula Franklin Academy Senior High School with volunteer experience at the Regional Hospital Family Support Centre and Teen Mentor Program, seeking funding to continue secondary school at the Golden Sun University in social work and psychology. I want to use my studies to pursue a career as a family and youth counsellor in Toronto.

Academic experience
Ursula Franklin Academy Senior High School
August 2017–May 2021
Toronto, Ontario

Awards and honours

Received high honours every year for four consecutive years
Awarded top place in the 2018 High School Science Fair

Volunteer or work experience
Centre for Family Support for Children's Hospital, 2017–2019
Volunteer support staff

Maintained the cleanliness and order of the support centre's common spaces
Helped new customers complete intake paperwork to receive assistance from the centre
Planned activities and parties for hospitalized children

Teen Mentor Program
Volunteer Teen Mentor, 2019–2020

Volunteered as a mentor to two students
Tutored and assisted each mentee with their homework assignments
Addressed each mentee's personal issues at home and offered support and encouragement

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