How to Write a Letter of Motivation For Scholarship 

“What is a letter of motivation?” You might ask.

In this article, we are going to answer the question “what is a letter of motivation” and we will give details and guidance on how to write a letter of motivation for a scholarship. 

One of the requirements when applying for a job or scholarship is a letter of motivation. This letter goes a long way in communicating with the employer or reviewer as the case may be. Lack of a well-written letter of motivation can hinder you from getting a lot of opportunities for employment and scholarship.

What is a Letter of Motivation?

There have been different answers to the question “what is a letter of motivation?”. However, you do not need to worry. We‘ll be giving you the best answer to this question below.

A letter of motivation is a letter that tells why you are worthy of a position. It can be a job or a scholarship. A letter of motivation should not be voluminous. It must be a one-page-long letter. It should be attached to your CV when applying for a job, internship, volunteering role, or scholarship. A letter of motivation tells about your personality, interest, and motives for applying. 

When an institution in South Africa offers a scholarship, students are expected to add a well-written letter of motivation to their resume. One that captures the attention of the reviewer gives the applicant a better chance of getting the scholarship.

After answers have been provided to the question “what is a letter of motivation”, the next thing to know is how to write a decent letter of motivation. 

How to Write a Letter of Motivation

Since we have addressed the question ” what is a letter of motivation?”. We’re moving on to giving you more information on how to write a letter of motivation.

To write a good letter of motivation, you should also give it a good structure. Your motivation letter should consist of three parts; the introduction, body, and conclusion. How to write these parts will be explained below. This guide would help you understand better, what is a letter of motivation.

Introduction 

This should be the most captivating part of your motivation letter. You have to write it in a way that grabs the reviewer’s attention. These are some of the tips that will make it fascinating;

• Put your recent contact information in the heading. Add the address of whom you are writing the letter of motivation in the heading as well.
• Refer to the reviewer by title or by name. 
• Specifically, state what you are applying for in the letter. You should not at any point leave the reader in a state of confusion.
• Explain why you are writing your letter of motivation. At this point, you should have found a way of engaging the reader to make them interested and want them to read more.

Sometimes, it is always hard to develop a good introductory paragraph. It is something you can always skip and come back to. 

Body 

The body of the letter of motivation should be contained in the second paragraph. This is where you turn it up and give your best points. These are some of the tips to make a good body of your motivation letter. 

• Use distinct examples that express the motives and desires you stated in the introductory paragraph.
• Use action verbs to put more capability behind your words.
• Resist from putting irrelevant words. They discourage the reviewer. 

Conclusion 

This part of your letter should wrap up the whole letter. Here you should mention why you are best for the position. You also should write what you would like to gain from your experience to put more realness. Furthermore, you should add a call to action to show you are ready to take the offer. 

At the very end, you should not forget to acknowledge the reader and thank him for giving attention, and make it clear that you are looking forward to hearing from him or her. 

Frequently Asked Questions Related to What is Letter of Motivation 

Here are some of the frequently asked questions on “what is a letter of motivation” is and their answers

What is a letter of motivation?

A letter of motivation is a letter that states why you should be appointed for a position whether a job, internship or scholarship. This is a summarized definition of what is a letter of motivation. 

How to draft a letter of motivation for a scholarship?

These are some of the tips on how to draft a letter of motivation. 

1. Input a title and header. This should contain the title of the letter and also your full name and address information.
2. Introduction. Begin with a formal greeting and state the reason you are writing the letter. 
3. After the introduction, state who you are and what you have. State your academic achievements and why you are the best fit for the scholarship. 
4. Write how you can contribute. 
5. Put your final words. Show your desire that you want to learn and how you can contribute to the school. 
6. Do not forget to acknowledge and thank the reader for his attention. Also, put how much you are looking forward to a response from them.

Are letters of motivation important?

Yes, some companies find letters of motivation very important for their hiring/ recruitment process. Some schools also use this letter as one of the metrics to give scholarships to different students.

Conclusion

I hope this article has provided you with a good answer to the question “what is a letter of motivation” and has given you tips on how to write an excellent letter of motivation.