Scholarship Application: Applying for a scholarship? If yes, it might come across as a tedious task to you in the first instance. However, if you have a clear idea of what has to be done and what is not, it will surely ease the process. Whether you want to apply for a government scholarship or a corporate/private scholarship, the applications for most of them are filled and submitted online. The key steps that one can follow to make an online application are –
Registration > Login > Application Form Filling > Documents Upload > Final Submission
This process may vary from scholarship to scholarship and provider to provider.
Read this article further to get a complete overview of what you must do and not do while applying for a scholarship.
Scholarship Application Do’s and Don’ts
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Read the guidelines carefully | Wait for the last date to apply |
| Keep track of the deadline | Fill misleading information |
| Keep all your documents handy | Share your login details with everyone |
| Proofread the application before submission | Fall into the trap of misleading information sources |
| Keep track of submitted application | Submit incomplete application |
Do’s for a Scholarship Application
Having a laptop/desktop with a good internet connection is a mandatory requirement to apply for a scholarship online. You may continue to fill out the application online on your mobile devices, but that can become a hectic process in case of time-bound applications. Given below is the list of 5 key things that you must ‘DO’ while applying for a scholarship online.
1. DO Read the Guidelines Carefully
Each scholarship program comes with a predefined set of guidelines containing every relevant information related to the scholarship eligibility, application guidelines and benefits. The students are advised to go through the guidelines very carefully to avoid any confusion at a later stage. If you find yourself eligible in every respect, you must further read the guidelines related to the scholarship application and proceed accordingly.
2. DO Keep Track of the Deadline
The application deadline plays a crucial role when applying for any scholarship. There are various government and corporate scholarships that are re-introduced on a yearly basis. Examples are MOMA scholarships, AICTE Scholarships, UGC Scholarships, L’Oréal scholarships, Santoor Scholarship, etc. To apply for any of these scholarships, you must be aware of their application timeline and other important dates (if available).
3. DO Keep all your Documents Handy
The application process remains incomplete without proper submission of the candidate’s documents. Almost every scholarship application requires the students to upload essential documents related to their academic qualifications, family income, identity proof, bank account details, caste/category, etc. Thus, to ensure a hassle-free application process, you are advised to keep the soft copies of all the documents on your system in the prescribed format. Keeping all these documents handy before starting to apply will save your time in the application.
List of Documents Required
| Commonly Asked Documents | Especially Asked Documents (in special cases) |
| Identity proof | Age proof (if age constraint is applicable) |
| Address proof | Category certificate (applicable for reserved categories) |
| Income proof | Disability certificate (applicable for disabled students) |
| Academic mark-sheets/certificates/degrees | Domicile certificate (applicable for state-specific scholarships) |
| Bank account proof | Driving licence or vehicle RC (applicable for scholarships which are meant for the Driver/Transport community) |
| Current academic year fee receipt | |
| Photograph of the applicant |
4. DO Proofread the application before submission
Once you are done filling out the scholarship application, you must make sure you check every detail entered before final submission. This is important because in many cases, the students are not allowed to make any changes after the final submission of the application. Also, there are chances of your scholarship application getting rejected due to incorrect information. So, make sure to proofread your application thoroughly.
5. DO Keep Track of Submitted Application
Once you have submitted your scholarship application, you must also keep track of its status. Make sure that your email id and mobile number filled in the application form are active/working as the provider may contact you for the further selection process or for confirmation. In many cases, students do not receive a scholarship even after being shortlisted for it, just because they do not respond to a call or email by the scholarship provider. Also, if there is a provision for checking your application status available, you must check it from time to time to get the real-time status of your application.
Don’ts for a Scholarship Application
Now that you are aware of what you should do while applying for a scholarship, you must also know what you should not do. Here are the five key things that you DON’T have to do while making a scholarship application.
1. DON’T Wait for the Last Application Date
It is always better to apply for a scholarship well before its deadline to avoid any last-minute hustle. Often students have an impression that they have a lot of time to apply for any scholarship, which at times, leads them to miss out on that opportunity. Also, there are times when the application portals become non-functional due to heavy traffic during the last few days of application submission.
2. DON’T Fill Misleading Information
Any information that you enter in the scholarship application form is considered correct by the provider. However, if it is found incorrect/misleading at the time of verification, there are chances that your scholarship application may get rejected. Thus, you are advised to enter each and every detail with precision.
3. DON’T Share your Login Details with Everyone
Once you have registered for a scholarship online, you will have your application ID/user ID and password for further processes. It is important that you do not share these credentials with anyone (not trustworthy), as it may hamper your chances of getting the scholarship. However, you can involve your near and dear ones in the application form filling process, if you face any difficulty. Also, prefer filling out the application by yourself as this will reduce the chances of filling wrong information.
4. DON’T Fall into the Trap of Misleading Information Sources
The internet is full of information for students. While some providers offer authentic information, some try to mislead the students. Thus, you are advised to ensure that you are applying for a scholarship through its official website only. You may refer to different websites for information purposes, but do not fall into the trap of websites that ask you to pay application fees. With Buddy4Study bridging the gap between scholarship seekers and providers for years, you can completely rely on the information it serves.
5. DON’T Submit Incomplete Application
Thanks to technological advancements, no one is allowed to submit an incomplete application online. However, it is the responsibility of students to ensure that they have entered each and every mandatory detail in the scholarship application form. In case, you submit an incomplete scholarship application, it may get rejected.
Although the application process varies from provider to provider, here are a few examples of application processes for you to understand.
QnA
What information should you never provide in the scholarship application?
If you are applying for any scholarship, either government or private, you must make sure that you provide all the relevant details which are marked with an asterisk (*) in the application. Furthermore, information related to your personal or financial data should not be provided such as banking information, social security numbers, banking OTPs, credit card or debit card numbers, etc.
If a scholarship application requires a scholarship essay, how should it be written?
Many scholarship providers, especially private providers, ask students to write a short essay on why they deserve to get the scholarship. In this scenario, the students should make sure that they are honest in their answers. Besides this, they can use compelling sub-headings to make their essay stand out from others.
What is the best website to apply for scholarships?
Scholarship providers like MOMA, UGC, AICTE, etc., host their scholarships on the National Scholarship Portal. Similarly, various state governments run their own portals for scholarship applications. Besides this, there are various other websites that list the information about the scholarships. Students are always advised to make sure that they apply through the official websites only. Furthermore, various corporate organisations host their scholarships on portals like Buddy4Study where students need to apply through Buddy4Study portal.
How many scholarships can a student get?
If you do not hold any scholarship, you can apply for as many scholarships as you want. However, you may only avail one of the scholarships, as specified in the official scholarship guidelines.
Who gets a scholarship?
Just the fact that you have applied for the scholarship does not guarantee that you will receive the scholarship. To receive a scholarship, you are required to fit in the eligibility and selection criteria set by the provider. At times, you may have to appear for written tests or interviews to avail the scholarships.
| 1. | Explore Scholarships for Class 12 Passed Students |
| 2. | Check Out Scholarships for Class 10 passed Students |
| 3. | Know About Scholarships for Engineering Students |
| 4. | Explore Scholarships for Graduation Students |
| 5. | Know About Scholarships for Postgraduation Students |
| 6. | Check Out Live Scholarships |