How To Get a Scholarship: A Full Step-by-Step Guide
Discover insider tips on how to get a scholarship, which scholarships to apply for, and how to actually do it.
- โณ 6-8 min read
- Scholarships
- Applying to Study Abroad
- Study Abroad Financing

Are you wondering how to get a scholarship?
When I started working at Keystone, one of my first tasks was to review 4,000+ scholarship applications for the educations.com Master's in Europe scholarship.
During this review process, I noticed many mistakes candidates make when applying for scholarships.
Here's everything you need to know to perfect your scholarship applications.
Apply for our ongoing educations.com scholarships:
๐ Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship (โฌ5,000)
๐ฝ Study a Bachelor's in the USA Scholarship ($5,000)
๐ Go Global MBA Scholarship ($7,000)
๐ Women's Scholarship for International Students ($5,000)
๐ Graduate Study in the USA ($5,000)
๐ฌ Undergraduate in STEM Scholarship ($5,000)
The educations.com team reviews thousands of applications and essays for our study abroad scholarships. Read our insider scholarship tips to learn how to get a scholarship and make your study dreams come true!
If you're more of a beginner and are wondering how scholarships work, check out our scholarship guide.
Find 440+ study abroad scholarships with our Scholarship Directory
Find out how to get a scholarship in your dream location!
Scholarship essay tips and application procedures from educations.com
1. Focus on best-fit scholarships for you
๐ Reserve your time and effort for scholarship applications that you have the best chance of winning, and spend the remaining time casting the net wider for less likely fits.
The first thing to know about the best ways to get a scholarship is to look for study abroad scholarships that you qualify for and are a good fit for.
Be realistic - there are usually thousands, if not tens of thousands, of candidates for a single scholarship. The scholarship committee will choose the best-fit candidate.
The good news is that there are many different kinds of scholarships that you can apply for. For example, scholarships in the United States might be awarded for academic merit or could be awarded as an athletic scholarship.
2. Speak to the values of who is awarding the scholarship
๐ Be the ambassador for the attributes the scholarship providers are looking for. Check out their mission statements to see what they hold dearest and look for examples of how you live these values - then include them in your essay.
Before even starting your application, carefully analyze the requirements and ask yourself, What do the scholarship providers want to see from me?
Here are some examples:
- Academic merit scholarships: academic achievements, high grade average, high standardized test scores, great study habits, and overall they want someone who will elevate the school's academic reputation.
- Athletic scholarships: offered to students who excel in sports and have a demonstrable experience in leadership and extracurriculars.
- Need-based scholarships: demonstrated financial need and student's dedication to education (often through grades) and long-term goals.
Of course, each university, company and scholarship is different, so do your research!

3. Share your vision of the future
๐ Clearly communicate what value you'd be bringing to the university/industry/field of study/world. Make your "why" the focus of your scholarship application essay.
Study abroad scholarships will make a meaningful difference to many students in their personal lives, but few students are able to effectively articulate how this scholarship will help them make meaningful differences in the world.
If you're applying for a need-based scholarship, it's good to talk about how the scholarship will impact your life and help you achieve your goals.
For every other scholarship type, it's important to present why you should be the one to receive the money. Why should the committee care about you specifically? Scholarship reviewers go over dozens of scholarships per hour (at my fastest, I was doing 100-120 a day), so it's important to be very clear on what value you'd be providing to the university/world/your field of study if you were the one to receive the scholarship.
Whether itโs making a change in academia, NGOs, the national government, the private sector, or your hometown, you need to explain your "why". So, one of our scholarship tips is to figure out what drives you forward and how it's special from all other candidates. If youโre struggling to frame this, take a look at our article on studying abroad and global citizenship to start with the โwhyโ to inspire others to get invested in your mission.

4. Write an effective essay
Here are our top scholarship essay tips.
Carefully follow the scholarship essay prompt
๐ Spend some time planning out your scholarship essay to address the topic in a meaningful way. Research the organization/university, and try to uncover what kind of person they're looking for - and then present yourself as that person.
One of the most important things we tell students when asked how to get a scholarship is to look closely at a study abroad scholarshipโs criteria and the essay prompt.
The criteria aren't random: they're designed to help us find the right student, who lives the values we want to promote in the world.
Unfortunately, many of our applicants ignore the essay question and are immediately disqualified. For example, our scholarship essay prompts generally revolve around how your degree will help you become a thought leader in your field. But most candidates just list their achievements or needs, without ever addressing the assigned topic, which leads to a disqualification.
Even though you might be an outstanding candidate in other areas, it's important that you carefully read and analyze the essay prompt.
This isn't to say that you can never reuse your essays to save some time. You can do that, but it's important to do it strategically, and always customize the essay meaningfully to address the essay prompt.
Mention how life challenges shaped you (but don't just list them)
๐ Focus on the passion your life challenges ignited in you to show how you can positively influence the world.
Having a passionate reason to pursue your studies abroad is fantastic, and scholarship reviewers know that strong emotions and convictions can help drive you towards your goals.
However, students sometimes get carried away and drift too far from the original topic. Again, one of the best ways to get a scholarship is to tailor your answers to the prompt.ย
For example, in our Study a Masterโs in Europe scholarship we ask โWhy did you choose your study abroad country, and how will it help you grow as a globally-minded leader?โ Some of our most compelling finalists had faced personal hardship or witnessed the terrible effects of issues facing their community, country, or the world. This inspired them to choose a program and country where they could improve their knowledge and give back to the world. They discussed how they plan to address public, private, and non-profit challenges.ย
Don't just list your accomplishments
๐ Weave your previous experience into a narrative that tells your application reader who you are and what your vision for the future is, not just what you've accomplished in the past.
While this point might seem obvious, lots of candidates use their application essays only to give a chronological history of their grades, volunteer work, and career history. After reading their scholarship essays, I still had no idea what their goals were, or how their desired program would play a part in that vision.
To avoid making the same mistake:
- Put your experience into a larger context
- Explain how your desired program or university will help you achieve your goals
- Connect those goals and dreams with the assigned essay topic
For example, if youโre pursuing a Masterโs to further your dream of helping Mexico preserve its native bee population, donโt be shy about telling how you got interested in the first place. Scholarship reviewers would love to hear more about how your passion began and has developed over the years, and sharing these kinds of details will help you stand out from the crowd.
Remember, scholarship reviewers and committees will actively compare your essay and application with other candidates. There are a limited number of scholarships, and thousands of applicants, so they want to evaluate who'll benefit the most from this opportunity.
You need to convince the reader why you are the person with the most potential.
Make your scholarship essay unique
๐ Even if you're using a template or repurposing an old essay to save time, it's important that you edit the text enough in order to truly make it your own.
When I was reviewing scholarship applicants, I kept track of how many blatant templates I encountered (by 'blatant' I mean word-for-word, copy-pasted from a site or ChatGPT). Sometimes, multiple people were using the same site.
Remember, the reviewer is looking over hundreds, or even thousands, of applications. There will most certainly be at least one other person reusing the same template as you, and when they encounter the same word-for-word essay, both will be disqualified.
Therefore, the words you use should be your own.
5. Follow the submission instructions carefully to make it through the first round
๐ Don't underestimate the importance of submission requirements. A few minutes of your time can ensure your application is not disqualified.
Another simple yet often missed factor when students learn to get a scholarship is following all submission directions.
๐ก Key things to look out for:
- Fill out all the required fields
- Use the correct file format
- Attach the correct documents
- Adhere to the assigned word count
- Stick to the specified language
These kinds of requirements the easiest to check, and therefore easiest to filter out candidates. When I was reviewing scholarships, word count alone disqualified 50% of candidates, and it only took me a few seconds to check.
Similarly, most tools organizations use allow us to filter out candidates based on criteria they've set. For example, if the scholarship is specifically for full-time Master's students, then everyone who selected "part-time" as their choice will be immediately filtered out.
6. Proof-read your scholarship application
๐ Have a trusted friend, family member, classmate, or mentor read over your application to give you feedback.
While the reviewer/committee most likely won't disqualify you for a typo or misspelling (we don't include this in our rubric), it may work against you. This is especially the case with academic merit scholarships, which tend to be some of the most rigorous ones with their expectations. These errors can suggest a lack of interest or professionalism, even if the content of the application is strong.
Here's a quick checklist of everything you should proofread before submitting your application:
- Check for spelling and grammar errors via spell-check tools (or manual review).
- Ensure consistency in font, font size, and line spacing throughout the document.
- Make sure your punctuation and capitalization are correct.
- Maintain consistent verb tenses and clear pronoun references.
- Edit for conciseness: remove redundant phrases or wordiness.
- Maintain a professional and consistent tone throughout the essay.
- Choose an easily readable font if one is not specified.
- Name files professionally (e.g., โFirstName_LastName_ScholarshipEssay.pdfโ).
Bonus tip: don't get too creative with images unless they are permitted and speak to the message behind your application. For example, including photos of your volunteer work, or a photo with you presenting an academic project could bring your essay to life.
7. Donโt miss your deadline!
๐ Apply on time! Scholarships are typically run on firm deadlines.
You may not think about it, but the administrative procedures necessary to review thousands of applications, choose finalists and ultimately a winner will mean that an application cycle will be closely choreographed.
If youโre applying for multiple study abroad scholarships, itโs important to keep track and schedule of all of the scholarships youโll apply for in order to complete and submit applications before the deadlines.
Don't count on the scholarship providers to be lenient and overlook a late submission - most of the time it'll cost you the chance to win the scholarship.
Need information about scholarships in different countries?
Use our country guides to know more!

Sara Evans
Author
Sara is the Content Manager at Keystone Education Group, in charge of creating and managing editorial content for students across the globe. After getting a Bachelor's in Interactive Media Design, she pursued a career in Content and UX. She's been involved in the international education industry since her high school years.
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