financial need essay

• Applying For Scholarships

Financial Need Scholarship Essay Examples (2023)

Jennifer Finetti Oct 2, 2022

Get our best scholarship practices, insights & tips delivered to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Many scholarships are awarded based on financial need. In order to win these scholarships, you must explain the nature of your financial need. In the guide below, we’ll explain how to write these types of essays to increase your chances of winning. Check out these scholarship essay examples for financial need scholarships.

How to write financial need scholarship essays

Here are some tips for writing financial need scholarship essays:

• Maintain a positive tone throughout the essay . You do not want to come across as self-pitying. Focus on ways you learned and grew from past experiences – how they made you stronger.
• Do not diminish other people’s suffering. This is a competition, but that doesn’t mean you should belittle your competitors. In fact, it would be better to say “I know there are many worthy candidates for this scholarship, but…” than to say “I have suffered far more than…” Show respect in everything you write.
• Frame your essay around a specific event. You may add other details if you have space to, but use one experience as the thesis for your essay.
• Avoid controversial statements and opinions. When discussing events from your past, do not belittle someone else or talk negatively about a group of people. You never know who will be reading your essay.
• Tell your story with honesty. Do not fabricate any details to make yourself sound needy. Your past and present circumstances will speak for themselves.
• Don’t try to sound philosophical. Some students will do this because they think it makes them seem smarter, but it rarely has that effect. Focus on proofreading and writing solid content. That is enough intelligence on its own.
• Discuss your career goals, if possible. You may not have room for this if the essay is short. If you do have room though, discussing your career goals will indicate a plan for the future. Review boards reward determination.

You know why you need financial aid. Tap into the key elements of your circumstances and use them to craft the perfect essay.

Many scholarships are awarded based on financial need. In order to win these scholarships, you must explain the nature of your financial need. In the guide below, we’ve provided examples of scholarship essays for financial need scholarships, along with some tips to help you write your own essay.

The fastest path to earning scholarships

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships.

Example 1: “Provide a statement of financial need”

Some scholarships will simply ask for a statement of financial need. There are no parameters to follow. You’re left to write whatever you want. Typically, a statement of financial need is two or three small paragraphs. This will come out to roughly 150-200 words, but it could be slightly longer. Think of this as a cover letter for your scholarship application, highlighting the key elements of your financial need. Don’t build up to the thesis. Get directly to the point.

I am the first person in my family to graduate high school, and thus the first to attend college. Both of my parents dropped out of school when they were teenagers. Because of their limited education, they have always worked in entry-level positions, earning barely enough to put food on the table. My first job I got was at the age of 12 delivering papers, and I have worked hard ever since to relieve pressure from my family. I enrolled in Mississippi’s HELP program during my senior year, which covers tuition and fees at select colleges in the state. I also have a Federal Pell Grant to cover my housing. However, I still need funding for books, supplies, and transportation to campus as needed. I am an engineering student, and our classes come with high fees. My parents cannot contribute to my college expenses, and I cannot work much while I’m in school. This scholarship would help me avoid costly student loans that could take years to repay.  

Example 2: “Describe your financial need in 100 words”

This essay is even shorter than the financial need statement. It may be one of several short answer questions you need to fill out. Working with 100 words is tricky. That only leaves room for about 7-10 sentences, depending on length. Make compelling statements using the fewest words possible.

Also note that grammar errors and misspellings will be much more noticeable in this short essay. Carefully proofread your writing before submitting the scholarship application.

I got pregnant and dropped out of high school when I was 15. By the age of 20, I had two more children, and we all shared a one-bedroom apartment. I worked three jobs to pay the bills, but I never earned much. When my oldest started high school, I did the same. I got my GED at 29 and enrolled in nursing school. My financial status has improved now with a GED, but I’m still a single mom with three kids. I want to become a registered nurse to give my children a stable future. I appreciate your consideration.

Word Count: 100

Example 3: “Explain your financial need in 500 or more words”

This scholarship essay prompt is the opposite of the one above. You have much more room to discuss your circumstances. Talk about your family life, your income, and other restraints that contribute to your financial aid . Try not to throw too much in the essay though. You want the information to flow together seamlessly. Edit carefully, and give the readers a full view of your situation.

My name is Brandon Noviello. I am a sophomore on track to earn my Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. I need financial aid because I do not have a family to contribute to my education. I was in foster care for two years before I aged out of the system, and now I am pursuing a degree completely on my own. I was raised by a wonderful woman who didn’t always have a wonderful life. My mother got pregnant after a sexual assault, but she was determined to raise a smart, successful man. She went through an accelerated program to graduate high school before I was born. She devoted the rest of her life to supporting me, both financially and emotionally. My mother’s family cut ties with her the moment she became pregnant. Life wasn’t easy for us, but I never wanted for anything. She always found a way to keep me fed, dressed, and in school. Unfortunately, she lost a long-term battle with depression when I was 16, and I was put into the foster system until I reached adulthood. I did not have a positive experience with foster care, but I admit, I had no desire to. My mother’s passing weighed heavily on my mind, and I felt an overwhelming sense of anger, regret, and frustration. There was one gleam of hope in my experience though. I had a great social worker. I fought her decisions every step of the way, and she still managed to find a family to get me through high school. My social worker was the only person I invited to my graduation ceremony.  She helped me realize how much one person’s efforts can make a difference in the lives of others. I was only one of countless children she had helped over the years. I researched how to become a social worker so I could help other children like me. My plan is to work with the Department of Human Services in the foster care and adoption division after I graduate. In order to make my dreams a reality, I need financial aid. I am working as a server to pay for food, utilities, and basic necessities, but I do not earn enough to pay for college as well. I go to school during the day and work at night. Furthermore, I have a maximum Pell Grant to cover most of my tuition, but I still need help with other expenses. I did not do well in high school as a result of my mom’s passing, but I have done well in college. I have a 3.25 cumulative GPA, and I have never made less than an A in a degree-related course. As such, I am committed to being successful despite my circumstances, and I want to help young people find that motivation within themselves. I look forward to working with children and teens in the foster system, so I can be the hope that someone else was for me.

Word Count: 498

YOU SHOULD ALSO READ

How to Write a Great 250-Word Essay

How to Write a Great 500 Word Essay

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Introduction (With Example)

How to End a Scholarship Essay

Who Should I Ask to Write My Letter of Recommendation?

• Scholarship Essay

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

Related Stories View All

Future/Sound for Future Experts: A Fresh New Scholarship With an Accompanying Cool Soundtrack

How to Find and Apply For Scholarships Step by Step

Medical School Scholarships

Get started with scholarshipowl.

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships

How to write a financial need statement for your scholarship application (with examples!)

So you’re applying for a scholarship that asks you about your financial need. What do you say? How honest or specific should you be? What is TMI? In this article, we break down how to pen an awesome financial need scholarship essay or statement.

What to include in a financial need scholarship essay

Template to structure your financial need scholarship essay, introduction: your basic profile, body: your financial situation and hardships, conclusion: how you would benefit from this scholarship, was this financial need essay for a college financial aid application , now, reuse that same essay to apply for more scholarships, additional resources to help you write your financial need scholarship essay.

Many scholarships and college financial aid awards are “need-based,” given to students whose financial situation requires additional support. That’s why one of the most common college scholarship essays is a statement of financial need. This might be very explicit (“Explain your financial need”), somewhat explicit (“Describe your financial situation”), or quite open-ended (“Explain why you need this scholarship”).

In all cases, scholarship providers want to get a sense of your family’s financial picture: what your family income is, if you personally contribute to it (do you have a job?), and how much additional money you need to attend your target college (your “financial gap”).

If the essay prompt is a bit more open-ended (“Explain how this scholarship would help you”), your essay should probably be a combination of a financial need statement and a career goals / academic goals essay.  That’s because you want to show how the award will help you financially and in your academic or career goals.

Usually this statement of financial need is a pretty short scholarship essay (150-300 words), so unlike a college essay or personal statement where you have ample word count to tell anecdotes, you’ll likely need to get right to the point. 

Be sure to include: 

• If you are an underrepresented group at college, for instance, part of an ethnic minority or the first in your family to go to college
• Any relevant family circumstances, like if your parents are immigrants or refugees, as well as your parents’ occupation and how many children/family members they support financially
• How you are currently paying for college, including what you personally are doing to contribute financially (like working student jobs)
• What financial challenges/difficulties your family is facing, for instance, if a parent recently lost their job
• How you would benefit from the scholarship–including your academic and career goals (if word count allows)

Also remember to write in an optimistic tone. Writing about your financial situation or hardships might not be the most positive thing to share. But you can turn it around with an optimistic tone by writing about how these challenges have taught you resiliency and grit.

Give a short introduction to who you are, highlighting any family characteristics that might make you part of an underrepresented group at college. 

“I am a first-generation American and the first in my family to go to college. My family moved from El Salvador to New York when I was seven years old, to escape the violence there.”

Example 2: 

“I am from a working-class family in Minnesota. My family never had a lot, but we pooled our efforts together to make ends meet. My parents both worked full-time (my father as a mechanic, my mother as a receptionist at the local gym), while my siblings and I all worked weekend jobs to contribute to the family income.”

Dive into the details. How are you currently planning to pay for college? The idea here is to show that you and your family have made a good-faith effort to earn enough money to pay your tuition, but that it has simply not been enough. 

Make sure you describe your parents’ occupation, any savings (like a 529 College Savings Account), and any student jobs. You might also discuss any sudden changes in fortune (e.g. parent fell ill or lost their job) that have ruined your original financial plans. 

Example 

As immigrants with limited English, my parents have had to accept low-paying jobs. My father is an Uber driver, and my mother is a housekeeper. They earn just enough to pay our rent and put food on the table, so I’ve always known they could not help me pay for college.  So I’ve been proactive about earning and saving my own money. Since age 11, I’ve worked odd jobs (like mowing my neighbors’ lawns). At age 16, I started working at the mall after school and on weekends. Through all these jobs, I’ve saved about $3000. But even with my financial aid grants, I need to pay $8000 more per year to go to college. 

Bring it home by wrapping up your story.  Explain how you plan to use the financial aid if you’re awarded this scholarship. How will you benefit from this award? What will you put the money toward, and how will it help you achieve your academic and/or career goals?

Scholarship review boards want to know that their money will be put to good use, supporting a student who has clear plans for the future, and the motivation and determination to make those plans a reality. This is like a shortened, one-paragraph version of the “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay . 

Winning $5000 would help me close the financial gap and take less in student loans. This is particularly important for me because I plan to study social work and eventually work in a role to support my community. However, since these jobs are not well paid, repaying significant student loans would be difficult. Your scholarship would allow me to continue down this path, to eventually support my community, without incurring debt I can’t afford.

My plan is to study human biology at UC San Diego, where I have been admitted, and eventually pursue a career as a Nurse-Practitioner. I know that being pre-med will be a real academic challenge, and this scholarship would help me focus on those tough classes, rather than worrying about how to pay for them. The $2000 award would be equivalent to about 150 hours of working at a student job. That’s 150 hours I can instead focus on studying, graduating, and achieving my goals. 

Sometimes this financial need statement isn’t for an external scholarship. Instead, it’s for your college financial aid office.

In that case, you’re usually writing this statement for one of two reasons:

• You’re writing an appeal letter , to request additional financial aid, after your original financial aid offer wasn’t enough. In this case, you’ll want to make sure you’re being extra specific about your finances.
• You’re applying for a specific endowed scholarship that considers financial need. In this case, your financial need essay can be quite similar to what we’ve outlined above.

Now that you’ve written a killer financial need scholarship essay, you have one of the most common scholarship essays ready on hand, to submit to other scholarships too.

You can sign up for a free Going Merry account today to get a personalized list of hundreds of scholarships matched to your profile. You can even save essays (like this one!) to reuse in more than one application.  

You might also be interested in these other blog posts related to essay writing:

• What’s the right scholarship essay format and structure?
• How to write a winning scholarship essay about your academic goals
• How to write an awesome essay about your career goals
• Recent Posts

• Scholarships for Students in Pennsylvania for 2024 - November 11, 2020
• Counselor Starter Guide: How to Use Going Merry’s Scholarship Platform - September 9, 2020
• How to write a financial need statement for your scholarship application (with examples!) - August 13, 2020

Ready to find scholarships that are a match for you?

• Search All Scholarships
• Exclusive Scholarships
• Easy Scholarships to Apply For
• No Essay Scholarships
• Scholarships for HS Juniors
• Scholarships for HS Seniors
• Scholarships for College Students
• Scholarships for Grad Students
• Scholarships for Women
• Scholarships for Black Students
• Scholarships
• Student Loans
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• Scholarship Winners
• Scholarship Providers

Student-centric advice and objective recommendations

Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. We may receive commission from links on our website, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our marketing partners don’t review, approve or endorse our editorial content. It’s accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted. You can find a complete list of our partners here .

How to Write a Statement of Financial Need

Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a content editor and writer at Scholarships360. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.

Learn about our editorial policies

Prior to coming to Scholarships360 for her first internship in 2022, Savannah utilized her campus publications by joining various fashion publications that are offered at Ohio University. One of those publications is Thread Magazine, where Savannah has had the opportunity to work on articles related to world-wide related fashion news and events, as well as articles closer to home, such as a fashion piece on Athens hometown-hero Joe Burrow. This year, Savannah also had the opportunity to be a content writing intern for Aiken House, as well as a section editor for Southeast Ohio Magazine. In 2023, Savannah served as the Chapter President of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. These collective experiences, as well as her experience currently working for Ohio University’s Undergraduate Admissions, has led her to Scholarships360 and aided in her passion for helping students better understand the college admissions process and financial aid. In her free time, Savannah enjoys horseback riding, watching Formula One races, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family. Savannah will graduate from Ohio University in May 2024 with a degree in Journalism News and Information and a certificate in Italian Studies.

Caitlyn Cole is a college access professional with a decade of experience in non-profit program and project management for college readiness and access organizations.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Many students want to know how to write a statement of financial need since it is a challenge. Deciding what is appropriate to include or omit can make all the difference, so it’s also especially important that you use your words economically and effectively.

What is a Statement of Financial Need?

College is an investment, but for many students financial aid may not be enough to cover the cost. Because of this, students may find themselves needing to write a statement of financial need, which is a brief statement explaining your financial situation. Generally, the statement of financial need will go beyond what is captured by the FAFSA or CSS profile.

In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide to show you how to write a statement of financial need.

Apply to these scholarships due soon

$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship

$40,000 Build a College List Scholarship

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

Niche $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship

$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship

How we organized this article.

We’ll start with a “Do’s and Don’ts” list. This list will answer questions you may have about which details to include in your statement. Once you’ve got an idea of what should be included, we’ll show you a general template for writing these statements, including some examples. This will help you illustrate your points thoroughly while staying under the word limit. We also included some relevant FAQs just in case you had a few more questions. 

Related: Top need based scholarships

What to include in your statement

• A quick rundown of your family’s employment situation. This includes who in the family is working, what type of job they hold, and if you are working to help support your education or to help support your family
• Whether you are a first-generation college student
• If you or your parents are immigrants or refugees
• Whether you or your parents speak English as a second language, or do not speak English at all
• If you were raised by a single parent, or in a foster home
• Any extenuating circumstances that could be affecting your family’s finances, such as medical issues or job loss. Any recent shortfall in your family’s financial situation is worth mentioning
• If you are a member of any minority group (for many colleges, recruiting underrepresented students is an institutional priority as they seek to create a diverse community).
• Opportunities that you would be able to accept if the scholarship helped meet your financial need. An example would be if you are pursuing an unpaid or low-paying internship over the summer, but needed to earn money to help pay for next semester’s tuition

What to avoid in your statement

• Try to avoid a negative or dramatic tone. Even if your financial situation is stressful, try not to communicate that stress in your statement. It’s best to let the facts speak for themselves
• Avoid comparing your situation with the situations of others. Remember, this essay is about you, and why someone in your situation could benefit from the scholarship
• Avoid focusing too much on tangential details. Try to only include the details that are immediately relevant to your ability to further your education. For example, if your family has experienced a financial shortfall because your father lost his job, you don’t need to go into details of your father’s business or his chance of being re-hired. You need only to mention that it has led to your family receiving less than their projected income for the year, and that this impacts your ability to pay for college

Related: What’s the best scholarship essay format?

Now that you know what to include in your essay, you’re ready to start writing your statement of financial need. This can be done by following a step-by-step process:

Create an outline

Write your introduction.

• Format your essay with body paragraphs

Finish with a strong conclusion

Let’s get started with the first step…

To get started with your outline, try writing out a bullet-point list of the details you’d like to include in your essay. Include all of the details that emphasize your financial need. This includes demographic information, your parents’ employment, and any extenuating circumstances your family is experiencing. Once you have that list, use it as a guide to help format the statement of financial need.

See also: How to write a 250 word essay

In your first sentence, introduce yourself by touching on some key demographic points about yourself. For example, you could write:

“As a first-generation college student who was raised by a single parent, I have worked as a cashier throughout high school to help pay the bills.”

These are all points that do not require too much elaboration. They can be brought up together in the first sentence to give the reader an idea of what they will be reading. Use the rest of the introduction to quickly lay out the discussion points, saving the detail for later.

Related: How to start a scholarship essay

Formatting your essay with body paragraphs

Body paragraphs are your opportunity to dive into the relevant details. Elaborate on the points that you mentioned in the introduction to give a more vivid picture of why you are having trouble paying for your education. These include extenuating circumstances, parents’ employment status, and your employment status.

In addition, you can use these paragraphs to help illustrate your sense of financial responsibility. If you have a college savings account or have taken initiatives to help yourself secure the funds for college, mention them here. Emphasize that there is still a gap between what you are expected to pay and what you are able to pay.

Also see: How to write a financial aid appeal letter

Now is the time to discuss how the increased funding would create opportunities for you. You can mention the internship that you would take if you didn’t have to work all summer to pay your tuition, or describe how one of your other financial hardships would be lightened by receiving this scholarship.

The conclusion is where you make the scholarship committee realize what they could do for you by granting you the scholarship; once you’ve established your need, use the conclusion to illustrate how important this opportunity is to you. We hope that you now know how to write a statement of financial need. Best of luck!

Submitting your statement of financial need is not a guarantee of more aid

We should also mention that submitting your statement of financial need is no guarantee that you will receive more financial aid. While students can be hopeful that they will receive an adjusted aid package, they should be prepared for their situation not changing. 

In this case, students can turn to options like scholarships , student loans , or choosing a more affordable college option. 

See also: What to do if financial aid is not enough?

Key Takeaways

• A Statement of Financial Need can be beneficial for students who know they may not be able to afford college
• Always try to be positive when writing your Statement of Financial Need
• Structure your statement in an easy to read, concise way

Frequently asked questions about how to write a statement of financial need

How is financial need determined, what is proof of need, what documents can be used in a statement of financial need, how long should a statement of financial need be, scholarships360 recommended.

When is the 2024-2025 FAFSA Deadline?

Pell Grant Eligibility: Do You Qualify?

How to Pay for College (A Step-by-Step Guide)

Trending now.

What Does My FAFSA EFC Number Mean?

3 reasons to join scholarships360.

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
• Quick apply for scholarships exclusive to our platform

By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

Financial Need Essay: Examples & Writing Guide

Unfortunately, not everyone striving for education can afford it. Some courses are so expensive that even well-to-do citizens need financial assistance. They can write a scholarship application letter or refuse the undertaking. In such a case, students are supposed to submit a financial need essay.  

Funding authorities cannot assist each student. That is why you need to assure them in your statement of financial need that you deserve the scholarship more than anyone else. This article by Custom-Writing experts provides you with a clear structure. Besides, you will see an accurate statement of financial need essay sample.

• ✅ What to Include
• 🚫 Mistakes to Avoid
• 👀 Essay Sample

🔗 References

✅ statement of financial need: what to include.

This type of writing is a statement of a student’s life circumstances . But there is a limited number of aspects that you need to include. Otherwise, the committee will reject your request for financial aid as it will not look persuasive enough. Follow the next five steps to write a scholarship-winning essay. If you will still be unsure of how to write this kind of paper, explore the example in the next section.

• Introduce yourself. Your readers learn about you for the first time. It is polite to tell them who you are . Stress that you are the first person in your family who will attend a college. If you pertain to an ethnic group that may be underrepresented at the college, mention it.
• Explain how you’re now paying for college. Are you working to pay for your studies? Does this work take the time you could spend learning?
• Justify your financial need. Explain why you need assistance and the difficulties you meet in paying for your studies.
• Describe how you would benefit from the scholarship. Will you have to drop out if you are not given the scholarship? What will happen when you receive it? Explain that you will be able to study more if there is no need to work after classes.
• Make a closing statement . Do not beg and avoid being too emotional. Your essay should sound professional. Thank your readers for taking the time to consider your request.

Here, you can read about other secrets of scholarship essay writing .

🚫 Financial Need Essay: Mistakes to Avoid

There are several big mistakes that students can make in their scholarship essays.

👀 Statement of Financial Need: Essay Sample

We hope that this short, but comprehensive guide will get your essay going! Good luck and be sure to check out our blog for more writing tips.

✏️ Financial Need Essay FAQ

There is no universal way to justify why you need money. Every situation is unique. Every person might have their life circumstances. Typically, students apply for scholarships because they can’t work full-time yet. Thus, they cannot afford the desired program.

Two key strategies to ask for scholarship money are those below.

1. Write an impressive motivation letter mentioning your tight budget,

2. Write an application letter describing your tough life circumstances (especially if you have incomplete family, etc.).

For additional details, check examples of such papers online and in books.

Applying for a scholarship implies proving why you deserve this assistance. Demonstrate your strong motivation, your real passion for learning, describe your educational background. If you want to be chosen for the program, take a look at examples and templates available online. You need to highlight your strengths and motivation .

It’s probably a bad idea to begin with the statement of financial need itself. Instead, demonstrate your strong motivation and even passion first. Briefly describe your background and highlight relevant educational and work experience. Acknowledge that financial assistance would help you to develop further.

• Writing a Winning College Scholarship Essay | The Princeton Review
• 5 Ways to Make Your Scholarship Essay Stand Out – U.S. News
• How to Write a Scholarship Essay – Maryville University Online
• How Aid Is Calculated | Federal Student Aid
• Definition of need | Student Financial Aid | University of Missouri
• How need is determined | Student Financial Aid (UWashington)
• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to LinkedIn
• Share to email

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a cycle of self-doubt and criticism, constantly feeling as though you’re not good enough? Since social rejection poses a genuine threat to our existence, our self-criticism steps in to protect us by shaming us before others can. It makes us feel inadequate to...

Have you ever struggled to remember the lecture you’ve just listened to while effortlessly recalling a catchy song from your childhood? Ever wonder why is it so? The information processing theory offers a glimpse into these processes. By delving into it, you can grasp how our brains tackle information and...

Disclaimer: Since we are true proponents of experiential learning, our introduction starts with an example, and the theory will come later. Pretty much everyone likes a chamomile plant. If you are one of the few who don’t, feel free to think of any other plant while you consider these two...

Do you ever find yourself procrastinating, struggling to stay motivated and pursue your goals? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, what we know as laziness, it is often a fear of failure, the pressure of high expectations, or a simple need for relaxation. These issues are so common today...

Academic probation is a period of academic evaluation where a student’s performance falls below the expected educational standard. Going through academic probation is not the apocalypse, even though it may initially feel like it. Academic probation serves as a wake-up call, prompting us to reevaluate our approach to studying and...

Did you know that top smartphone manufacturers continue to make those seemingly outdated push-button cell phones? They’re often dubbed ‘granny phones.’ While we strive to combat ageism in society, it persists. Individuals in their later years often resist changing their customary practices. But does our brain truly diminish with age,...

Learning styles are one of the most debatable concepts in American education. They represent a pillar that supports the educational industry. Moreover: Many teachers and caregivers believe that learning styles are inborn and define how successful the child will be in their future career and personal life. What’s the use...

Non scholae sed vitae discimus – We don’t learn for school, but for life While for some people, lifelong learning is a buzzword from yet another New York Times bestseller, for others, it is a lifestyle. Learning throughout life means continuously seeking knowledge and expanding your horizons, regardless of your...

You might think it’s impossible to invest as a student. When we’re young, we have lots of time and not much money. As we get older, we often have more money and responsibilities and less time. But thanks to modern technologies, investing in 2024 is multifaceted and more accessible. You...

Students in today’s classrooms reflect a vibrant tapestry of ethnic backgrounds and cultural identities. It’s no surprise: in recent years, racial diversity in US public schools has increased dramatically. According to research led by the National Center for Education Statistics, more than half of all students are representatives of ethnic...

Are you looking for effective ways to retain information? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, many students find that traditional learning methods, such as lectures and textbooks, aren’t enough to help them actually remember new facts and concepts. But did you know that discussing topics and teaching others can...

Wise people say that living without a goal is like running a race without a finish line. No matter how hard you try, your journey leads you nowhere, and your immediate successes don’t give you a sense of accomplishment. This type of lifestyle can be frustrating, especially because paying the...

Thank you for the financial need essay writing tips you have posted. They are very helpful! I’ll return to this blog for more useful guidelines for writing papers!

Ha, fully posting! How to ask for money? Yeah, it is a great idea to write a financial need essay in a humorous manner.

How to Express Financial Need in Scholarship Essays

How to Write a Scholarship Letter

The scholarship essay is a portrait of you and your unique situation. All of your positive attributes should shine in your scholarship essay that expresses your need for financial aid.

An emotionally moving letter that speaks to a financial aid officer features a personalized story in a positive way. Familiarize yourself with the writing process and construct a few sample scholarship essays based on a financial need to create a touching and successful essay.

The work you put into completing your financial aid letter can lead to a lucrative and life-changing college career.

How to Frame a Personal Story

Frame your story in a positive light. To do this, you may need to dig deep into difficult situations. Turn any adversity you have experienced into an opportunity.

Don’t be afraid to state your accomplishments. Discuss how you overcame obstacles or found ways to turn difficulties into victories. Edit out any negative language that brings the tone down or puts your reaction to a situation in a bad light.

Begin with a brief introduction and finish with a confident flourish. The main body of your concise letter should contain why you deserve to earn the financial aid.

Sample Scholarship Essays Based on Financial Need

Look online and you will find a slew of scholarship essay examples of financial need. While these can be helpful, they shouldn’t be copied verbatim.

Use a sample scholarship application letter for financial need as a template. Infuse it with your personal story. Be honest and insightful about why you need financial aid to attend a higher education institution.

Statement of Financial Need Example

A statement of financial need example will typically be shorter than an essay. The scholarship committee is looking for short and sweet essays. To create a moving statement, keep your sentences short and get to the most poignant part of your story quickly. Keep the statement of financial aid to less than 200 words with paragraphs of no more than thee or four sentences.

On the bright side, this concise statement of your financial need situation can serve double duty. If done correctly, then you should be able to use the statement of financial need as a cover letter for other, lengthier and more intensive scholarship application packets. It should express all of your best attributes, concisely define your goals and move the reader to understand you and your financial needs.

Write and Rewrite a Sample Letter

Admissions officials at colleges are flooded with scholarship requests. Use your specific situation to your advantage. Considering that most scholarships are based on the student’s financial need, your explanation of why you need assistance to pursue your goals can help you stand out.

Briefly describe your financial need for this scholarship sample before you give it to someone else to read over. By creating sample scholarship essays based on a financial need for each scholarship you are applying for, you take the pressure off of yourself.

It may take a few samples, or rough drafts, before you hit the correct tone you are looking for to get the attention of the financial institution offering the aid.

Before Sending in a Scholarship Essay

You’ve done all the hard work, explored ways to introduce your situation in a positive and unique light and feel good about the structure of your scholarship letter. Now comes the polish. Pass the letter on to a trusted teacher or someone with a background in grammar and editing.

Make sure every comma, period and hyphen are perfectly in place. Let as many people see it who you feel can offer beneficial feedback. Don’t rush the process in finalizing a crisp, concise and correct scholarship letter. This will ensure you put your best financial foot forward in your quest to pay for a quality education at the school of your choice.

Related Articles

How Does One Write a Hardship Letter for Scholarships?

How to Write a Scholarship Form

How to Write a Biography to Win a Scholarship

Proper Format for a Thank You Letter for a Scholarship

How to Write a Request for a Scholarship

How to Write a Letter to Receive a Grant or Scholarship for College

How to Write a Scholarship Essay About the Reason You Are Applying

How to End a Scholarship Letter

• Princeton Review: The College Essay
• Communications Network: Framing Stories for Change
• Psychology Today: Create a Narrative to Better Yourself
• Scholarships: Top 10 Tips for Writing Effective Scholarship Essays

Kimberley McGee is an award-winning journalist with 20+ years of experience writing about education, jobs, business trends and more for The New York Times, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Today’s Parent and other publications. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from UNLV. Her full bio and clips can be seen at www.vegaswriter.com.

Scholarship Essay Examples

With college tuition costs rising each year, many students apply for merit scholarships to help make college more affordable. However, merit scholarships can be competitive—and that’s where our scholarship essay examples come in. By reading our scholarship essay examples, you can learn what it takes to write an award-winning essay. 

Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for students to lessen their college tuition costs. Most merit scholarships require a brief application, usually including one or more essays. Below, we’ve rounded up our best scholarship essay examples.

Reading winning scholarship essay examples, especially scholarship essay examples about yourself, can help you begin the scholarship essay process. By reviewing essay examples, you can learn how to craft a strong essay. You’ll also get a better sense of what scholarship committees look for when they review applications.

In this guide to Scholarship Essay Examples, you’ll find tips on how to write the best scholarship essay, as well as:

• Various scholarship essay examples about yourself
• A strong scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship
• Scholarship essay examples about financial need, and more!

We’ve included scholarship essay examples specific to schools, including UC Berkeley, as well as specific programs, like the SHPE scholarship. We’ll also discuss the different types of scholarships you’ll find on your scholarship search. 

Now, before we jump into our essay examples, let’s learn more about getting scholarship money for college.

What is a scholarship essay?

A scholarship essay is an essay you’ll include in your merit scholarship applications. In many ways, your scholarship essays might resemble your college essays. So, the scholarship essay format should seem familiar. 

The best scholarship essays will highlight who you are and why you deserve money for college. Scholarship essay prompts will ask you to include various information, from details about your background to explanations of why you deserve a scholarship.

Crafting a compelling, well-written essay can help you win substantial financial awards to help cover your college tuition costs. However, not all scholarship essays are the same. Later on, we’ll review different winning scholarship essay examples to show you what kind of essays you’ll write in your application process.

Types of Scholarships

There are many different types of scholarships available to students. You can find a variety of scholarship opportunities on scholarships websites. The earlier you start your scholarship search, the more scholarships you’ll find. 

While some scholarship applications accept applicants of all backgrounds and abilities, some have very specific eligibility guidelines. So, you may not be eligible for every scholarship. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re eligible, you can find eligibility information on most scholarships websites. 

Here are a few different scholarship types you may come across in your scholarship search:

• Academic scholarships
• Merit scholarships
• Essay competitions
• Community service scholarships
• Military scholarships

Scholarship essay prompts will differ across programs. As you’ll see in our winning scholarship essay examples, the prompts can vary in word count and complexity. We’ll provide you with descriptive essay examples to help you get an idea of what to expect.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Most scholarships we’ll highlight in this article are merit-based scholarships . A merit-based scholarship is money awarded by a college or community organization based on your academic achievements. 

In contrast, a need-based scholarship is awarded based on a student’s financial need. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check out our scholarship essay examples about financial need. You’ll find both merit- and need-based scholarships on your scholarship search.     

To qualify for a merit-based scholarship, you generally must meet specific criteria. Scholarship committees look at your grades, academic achievements, extracurriculars, and even test scores. Need-based scholarships can have similar requirements, but they’re primarily concerned with your family’s financial status.

There are many merit-based scholarships available to help students afford college, including:

• National merit scholarships
• Gates Scholarship
• Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
• Robertson Scholarship

Check out our guides on these popular merit-based scholarships for more details. There, you’ll find tips on how to write a winning essay. Our descriptive essay examples can also help prepare you to apply to these programs After all, while prompts vary, the scholarship essay format remains fairly standard. 

Finding scholarships

In this guide, we’ll highlight some scholarships you may be eligible for. However, make sure to check out the rest of our resources to help you approach the scholarship search. 

Some scholarships we’ll discuss include:

• QuestBridge scholarship : helps low-income students attend elite colleges
• Park scholarships : for students attending NC State University
• SHPE scholarship : offers financial assistance for Hispanic students interested in STEM degrees. 

Scholarship essay examples about financial need will help you prepare for your scholarship applications. For instance, if you apply for the SHPE scholarship, you’ll include a lot of details about your background. 

You can also use scholarship search portals or scholarships websites to find other scholarships you may be eligible for. 

How do you write a scholarship essay?

While scholarship essay prompts may differ, you’ll usually stick to the same general scholarship essay format. 

One resource that can help you write the best scholarship essays and find money for college is Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is a private lender offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional student loans. They also grant scholarships and provide aspiring college students with a scholarship search portal on their scholarships websites. Here’s what they have to say about having a winning scholarship essay format.

Organization

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s best to start with a scholarship essay format that organizes your thoughts. This will allow you to follow a plan that clearly and concisely gets your points across. You should begin your essay with a solid introduction. Then, introduce your supporting arguments and add an appropriate conclusion. 

A good scholarship essay clearly states why you deserve to win money for college with evidence to back up your argument. You’ll see how to do this in our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The best scholarship essays will be original and honest. It should be written in an inspirational and positive tone, highlighting your strengths and capabilities. 

When you feel like you have put your best foot forward, you should ask others for their feedback. This can be from a teacher, counselor, or one of our advisors here at CollegeAdvisor! Proofread your final essay and make sure you’ve caught any spelling and grammatical errors before submitting your application.

Up next, we’ll get into our descriptive essay examples and the different scholarship essay prompts they responded to. 

By looking at scholarship essay examples, you can learn what exactly makes a good essay. So, let’s look at some descriptive essay examples written by students looking to secure money for college. 

First, we will walk you through scholarship essay examples about yourself. Then, we’ll look at a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. Lastly, we will provide you with scholarship essay examples about financial need. Remember to keep these scholarship essay examples in mind when writing essays of your own!

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Let’s take a closer look at some scholarship essay examples about yourself.

Scholarship essay prompts vary quite a bit, so make sure you understand what the prompt really asks of you. That way, you can answer the question or address the prompt in its entirety.

Some scholarship essay prompts may ask how the scholarship will make a difference for you. They may also ask about any contributions you have made to your community. 

Ready to look at some winning scholarship essay examples? Check out these scholarship essay examples below.

The first of our scholarship essays is for Phi Sigma Rho. Here’s the prompt: 

How do you promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM on your campus or in your community? (300 words Max)

Phi sigma rho scholarship essay.

In my campus and community, I strive to promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM by promoting Phi Rho’s values and sharing my experiences and passion for Phi Rho.

My involvement in the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has allowed me the opportunity to promote Phi Rho and STEM. These activities have given me insight into how to successfully create a network that will support and encourage women in engineering to continue their careers. 

Within WEP, I served as a sophomore orientation leader (Envoy), mentoring first-year women and assisting with program logistics. As an envoy, I was able to promote Phi Rho ideals of friendship and encouragement. I was also able to informally recruit for Phi Rho by sharing my experiences and passion for the sorority.

Within SWE, I was the Internal Relations Chair my freshmen year and am the Director of Member Engagement this year. Both roles are related to member engagement, allowing me to promote friendship within engineering. Member engagement is important for creating a community among female engineers. Similar to my envoy position, my leadership within SWE has allowed me to share my love for Phi Rho.

Additionally, my volunteer experience with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a STEM outreach group, has allowed me to promote STEM in the community. In EA, I give presentations on engineering, speak on panels, and lead hands-on activities for K-12 students. EA has taught me strategies to promote STEM to children and teenagers.

Because of Phi Sigma Rho, I have the confidence to inspire and encourage the next generation of female engineers. I hold the values of scholarship, friendship, and encouragement in the highest regard and strive to embody those in every leadership position and volunteer role. Through SWE, WEP, and EA, I have promoted Phi Sigma Rho, its values, and STEM as a whole in both my campus and community.

This is, in many ways, a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The writer clearly highlights how they’ve engaged with Phi Sigma Rho and how their values align with those of the organization. The writer also provides specific examples of their leadership positions, skills, and accolades. 

The next two of our scholarship essay examples about yourself are for the SHPE scholarship. Here they are: 

SHPE Scholarship essay example #1

Essay prompt:.

Summarize your life experiences and any challenges that have impacted your path to higher education. (250 Words) 

Essay Example:

I vividly remember the first day of First Grade because I didn’t know the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of my classmates. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I had never learned what the pledge was. This was the beginning of several years of disconnect. 

From receiving weird looks when I told classmates my family opened Christmas gifts at midnight, to my parents’ confusion when I didn’t want them to speak Spanish in public, both sides of my life never understood the other. As a result, I always felt out of place in school, like I was behind in some way because I didn’t share the same upbringing as my classmates. In contrast, academics felt like a level playing field, something we were all learning together in the same way.

While I couldn’t tell you who won the super bowl, I could do mathematics or read just as well, if not better, than my classmates. Socially, I always felt out of place, but academically I was always comfortable, and as a result, I tried to excel in that area of my life. That desire to succeed created the relentless work ethic I have today and the appreciation I have for education.

Despite the lack of emphasis from my parents on schoolwork, I developed this sense of responsibility and persistence to pursue an education. Although my family’s Hispanic culture made my life difficult when I was younger, it made me a more resilient person.

More scholarship essay examples

Shpe scholarship essay example #2.

Discuss your educational and career aspirations as well as your ability to complete and achieve these goals. (250 words)

Using a degree in engineering, I hope to work on improving sustainability and efficiency in the aerospace industry by creating cheaper, safer, and more environmentally-conscious options.

Recently, Pratt and Whitney designed an engine that is 16% more efficient and will release 3600 less metric tons per airplane per year. Excitingly, it also greatly reduces the noise footprint of an airplane. Innovations like these will allow the aerospace industry to evolve and improve while reducing negative environmental impact. I hope to work at the forefront of this innovation, pushing the boundaries of improved engine performance and efficiency. 

Last semester, I started working in the Experimental and Computational Convection Laboratory on campus to learn more about turbines. Some current projects in the lab involve new turbine cooling techniques and additive manufactured heat exchangers. Throughout the course of my undergraduate career, I hope to learn more about the barriers facing improved engine and turbine efficiency. Following undergraduate, I plan to attend graduate school to gain a deeper knowledge of these topics. Following graduate school, I may go into industry working on turbines and jet engines. Due to beginning research early, I believe graduate school is an attainable educational goal.

The potential ability to make a difference in the environmental impact of the aerospace industry is exciting. To accomplish this, I know studying Mechanical Engineering will give me the skills necessary to fulfill my career goals.

Both of these scholarship essay examples use specific details to highlight the writer’s strengths, experiences, and accolades. In reading these winning scholarship essay examples, we get a sense of who the writer is both as a person and as a student. 

Scholarship Essay Sample about “Why I deserve the scholarship”

Another scholarship essay prompt you may come across is “why I deserve this scholarship.” A good scholarship essay clearly highlights why you deserve to win the scholarship and provides evidence to support your argument. 

Below, you’ll find scholarship essay samples about why I deserve the scholarship. You can use these as a guide to help you tackle your own scholarship essays. 

Here’s the first of our scholarship essay examples, which was used for the Park Scholarship: 

The Park Scholarship is an investment in the potential of young people. It prepares scholars to make lifelong contributions to communities, states, nations, and the world. Tell us a story that illustrates your potential to make these lifelong contributions. (What have you done that should compel us to invest in you?) (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.)

Park scholarship essay example.

Coming from a Venezuelan family, I have always been able to connect with total strangers through Spanish. Whether I’m eating at a restaurant or volunteering, I am constantly stumbling upon other Spanish speakers. The ability to converse in their language allows me to bond with them in a way I couldn’t in English, something I do not take for granted. 

Because of my experience, I believe that learning a foreign language is an incredibly important skill. Being able to speak in a second language allows a person to understand another community and reach out to people within that community. Additionally, speaking a second language assists in appreciating other cultures. This appreciation is important for fostering open-mindedness, something America as a whole struggles with today. 

In my school district, foreign language classes are not offered until late middle school. Once in high school, many students drop the class. In addition, those who stay in the class often find that the classes provide little more than a basic understanding of the language and then become discouraged in their learning. On a larger scale, this issue affects America as a whole. Second language programs often come second in terms of funding and planning and are not encouraged as rigorously as other academic courses. As a result, many Americans are ignorant to the benefits of bilingualism and are unable to understand the viewpoint of those who are multilingual.

After my freshman year of high school, my frustration with my community’s lack of priority for second language learning culminated in my desire to take some sort of action to promote foreign language education. In my sophomore year, a classmate and I created and ran an introductory Spanish program, Spanish in the Spring, at my local library for young children in the district. I spent hours at home creating lesson plans, activities, themes, and advertisements for the program. I placed heavy emphasis on cultural aspects and the importance of the Spanish language in America and the world as a whole.

My purpose for this program was to introduce children at a young age to learning a foreign language, so their desire to learn would continue throughout their life. Through the program, I was also able to share my belief of the importance of learning a second language with the children, as well as their parents. After the final day of the program, I was thrilled when one parent mentioned their desire to learn a foreign language program themself. I felt that if I made an impact on one person or family, the entire program was worthwhile. 

Unfortunately, this past spring I was unable to continue the Spanish in the Spring program due to library scheduling restraints. However, I hopefully plan to offer the program again this spring with some changes that will improve and expand the experience. One of these changes will include the immersion of parents into the experience to encourage foreign language education as a family activity.

While this program was only offered once, the impact was immeasurable, for the children, for the cause of foreign language education, and for me.

This is another scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. In it, the writer clearly and directly answers the prompt—that is, they highlight their potential to make a lifelong impact on members of their community. 

Ready for another scholarship essay example? Here’s the next one: 

How will a ScholarSHPE impact your life and education? (200 Words)

Shpe scholarship essay example.

Receiving a ScholarSHPE will give me the gift of time and opportunities. My parents are unable to support me financially throughout college due to large amounts of accrued debt. A ScholarSHPE will reduce my financial stress and allow me to improve my overall health as a result. It will also prevent the need to work several hours a week at a part-time job to pay for tuition, books, and living expenses, which will limit what I can do academically and outside of class. A ScholarSHPE will allow me to spend more time on research pursuits, engineering extracurriculars, volunteer work, and school work, instead of long hours at a part-time job. 

This essay sample is fairly straightforward. In it, the writer follows a clear scholarship essay format, explicitly answering the prompt. 

UC Berkeley Scholarships essay examples

Let’s look at some school-specific merit scholarship essay examples. 

At the University of California – Berkeley , students can apply for a variety of merit scholarships. These scholarships can help offset the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. 

Below, we’ve included various scholarship essay examples for the UC Berkeley scholarships. These UC Berkeley scholarships can help students cover their college tuition costs. This can make the UC Berkeley tuition less of a barrier for students hoping to attend. 

You’ll find a variety of UC Berkeley scholarships that can help you afford UC Berkeley tuition. Available UC Berkeley scholarships include: 

• Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship
• Fiat Lux Scholarship
• Middle Class Scholarship
• Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship

These are just a few ways to cover the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. UC Berkeley students also receive more than $10 million per year in outside scholarships to cover college tuition costs. If you are interested in exploring non-UC Berkeley scholarships, check out this list of outside scholarship resources . 

To help you get started, check out our winning UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples. The authors of these scholarship essay examples about financial need all won money to help cover their UC Berkeley tuition.

UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples

I am grateful to realize how fortunate I am today. All the loved ones around me and their acts of kindness have given me such a great life. I also realize the sacrifices that those around me have had to give up in order for me to succeed. It is because of this that I have realized what “paying it forward” truly means. I have been given the opportunity to make an impact in my community and I have fully taken advantage of this opportunity. I have been a volunteer for the Buddyball Sports Organization, which is a non-profit sports organization dedicated to providing the opportunity for children with developmental disabilities to play sports.

Growing up, watching and playing sports has been one of my greatest pleasures of life, so teaching these less fortunate kids has been something I have enjoyed doing every single weekend. On top of this, I am also both a volunteer at the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps and the Nyack Hospital. With the desire to pursue a career in the medical field, volunteering at these places has given me a great idea of what my career could look like in the near future. While all of these volunteer activities have had a significant impact on me, little did I know that this summer would truly make a lasting difference in my life. 

This past summer, my family decided to go on a vacation to India to visit my relatives. This was the first time in my life that I was going to India and this was only because my grandmother came down with Parkinson’s disease and was extremely sick. Little did I know at that time that my visit to India would be a life-changing experience. Never could have I imagined such a filthy village. Everywhere I looked, there was garbage and to make matters worse, no one seemed to do anything to try to ameliorate the repugnant image of my home country.

While I realized on my flight home that I was not going to be able to make a difference and help my community back in India, there was nothing stopping me from doing so right here in Rockland County, New York. When I was told that I would have the opportunity to help organize and direct “Make a Difference Rockland,” I joyfully accepted! Make a Difference Rockland is a free public meet and greet for all local non-profits and other government agencies in an attempt to promote different community service opportunities within the public. By gathering all the local non-profit organizations and giving them a chance to present themselves, people learn more about all of the local community service opportunities that are available to them. This way, the community will be able to recruit volunteers and will not have to suffer through calamitous conditions.

As one of the people in charge of organizing, it was my responsibility to adequately contact, invite and help prepare for hundreds of people. Once I gathered their contact information, I had to ask each one of these places if they would be interested in joining the fair. If interested, I had to also prepare a table for them to present themselves at the fair. The feeling of bringing all of these community service groups together brought me a feeling of happiness that I will never forget. 

The best scholarship essays will teach the reader about who the writer is, what they care about, and why they deserve a scholarship. The essay above does just that—it highlights the writer’s background and describes how they give back to their community. 

Next, let’s dig into a few more scholarship essay examples. 

If you’re interested in more descriptive essay examples, keep reading. 

Reading a ton of winning scholarship essay examples is a great way to pick up on what makes them winners. Over time, you’ll start to notice how the details, tone, and flow all work together to tell a story.

Below, you’ll find a few more scholarship essay examples. Our first one is from the NC Parks Scholarship. Here’s the prompt:

What do you do to serve your community? Why do you do the service that you do? What impact have you made? What challenges or insights have your service contributions given you? (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.) 

Community-focused scholarship essay example #1.

“What are the boys like in high school?” “Is it easy to get a boyfriend?” Sighing, the other frustrated leaders and I look at each other as we read the questions posed by the younger girls. Every year at Girls’ Night Out (GNO), a program that introduces and prepares eighth-grade girls for high school, the girls question the leaders about relationships and dating ad nauseum, irritating other leaders to the point of ignoring the questions. 

Giving each question a careful and deliberate answer is often difficult, but instead of disregarding the issue, I try to offer my most sincere and honest advice. Originally, when I began as a group leader in the program I would give the same response, “You shouldn’t worry about boys. Instead, enjoy your friends, and do things you enjoy.” While that advice is true, it is often not the answer that will satisfy the girls. Through many years in the program, I have learned that advice is not “one size fits all”; it must be individualized to the person’s needs. Now, when faced with a question about dating, I respond with more questions before giving “words of wisdom”.

Many times I am able to understand the perspective of the middle school student, allowing me to give advice accordingly. Supplying proper advice about sensitive topics is one of the most impactful parts of GNO. As a role model and positive influence for the girls, I largely impact their ideas and perception of the environment when entering high school. In addition to teaching the students valuable lessons, volunteering at GNO has taught me that various perspectives may present themselves identically. To better understand those around me, it is important that I look beyond the surface for the other person’s viewpoint.

Beyond understanding other viewpoints from GNO, I have learned from other service that understanding a person’s situation is essential for providing exceptional assistance. Through Key Club, I volunteer many times a year at the local food pantry. As a volunteer, I help the recipients “shop” at the small grocery store using a point system. The process takes up a lot of time because shoppers do not always know what they want. Originally I  thought this was a poor design. I believed it would be much more efficient to just hand out the food rather than giving out points and shopping with the food pantry recipients.

Upon expressing my opinion to one of the adult food pantry staff, he explained to me that the grocery store aspect of the store taught the recipients life skills. Additionally, by giving them autonomy over what food they “bought”, they retained a sort of independence, an important skill to have if they find themselves above the income level required to use the food pantry.

The next time I volunteered I took note of the skills presented. Budgeting of points, deciding whether or not they needed something, determining the quality of the fruit, and decision-making of choosing extra food or toiletries, were all skills that those above the poverty line have ingrained. For those who have been using food pantries and other assistance for prolonged periods of time, these skills are not so natural. As a result, teaching the people means after they no longer need the services of the food pantry, they have valuable skills necessary for their independence.

From this experience, I learned an important lesson: helping people is not just giving them what they need at the moment, but understanding what they will need in the future and providing that as well. After realizing this, I emphasize the abilities that the food pantry teaches whenever I dedicate my time. By doing that, I am positively affecting the development of those skills. 

When reflecting on the various ways I have served my community, one thing stands out to me: I always understand another viewpoint or gain a new perspective afterwards. For me, the ability to look at something from different angles is an unparalleled talent, and one of the most important skills a person can have.

Describe your volunteer or community experience with SHPE or other organizations and any internships you have held.  (250 Words)

Community-focused scholarship essay example #2.

In SHPE, I have been involved in planning the Penn State College of Engineering STEP-UP (Student Transition Engineering Program at University Park) Program as a chair. The STEP-UP program helps students from Penn State branch campuses smoothly transition to the University Park campus through a 3-day program in the spring. The program introduces them to engineering resources, other engineering students, and provides professional development. Due to COVID-19, this year it was held virtually. 

Within the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program, I have volunteered at different STEM events in the community for elementary school students. I am also currently serving as an Envoy (a mentorship and logistical position) for the Women in Engineering Program Orientation. Additionally, I participate in many of SWE’s service events, such as donating and collecting donations, cleaning up areas on and around campus, and visiting nursing homes.

On campus, I am also involved with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a group that does STEM outreach around Pennsylvania from the elementary school to high school level. EA goes virtually or in person to schools, does engineering presentations and activities, and answers questions.

Prior to COVID-19, I had secured an internship with Pratt and Whitney, however, they had to cancel their internship program. As a result, I was fortunate enough to obtain a Process Quality Engineering internship at Brentwood Industries for summer 2020.

Both of these scholarship essay examples highlight how the writers have given back to their communities. These winning scholarship essay examples highlight the writers’ strengths. In doing so, they highlight why these writers deserve help with college tuition costs. 

Reflecting on scholarship essay format

As important as the content of your essay is, your scholarship essay format is equally important. As you write, be sure to adhere to the scholarship essay format guidelines provided to you. 

However, there are some things all of the best scholarship essays have in common. Here are some general tips, tricks, and outlines to help you in your own writing process.

Three scholarship essay writing tips:

• Word counts are hard to adhere to, but the other applicants must adhere to them, too. Make sure every word counts. 
• When you write a solid essay, you can repurpose some of your key points, including specific anecdotes and details, in other scholarship applications.
• Writing a good essay helps you solidify who you are and what you want. This sets you up for success in the scholarship application process and beyond. 

Three essential elements to include in your essay:

• State your goals. Scholarship committees are investing in your future and your potential. To take a chance on you, they need to know your plan and what you want to do with your award. 
• Establish an implicit or explicit link between your goals and the scholarship you are applying for. Describe to the committee how the specific scholarship will help you attain your goals. Give them a tangible reason as to why you deserve their investment. 
• Share your story. Use personal details about your experiences that highlight your identity and objectives. How have you pursued your goals and prepared for your future? How will the scholarship help you going forward? Get personal and be honest.

Storytelling in your essay

Some of the best scholarship essays utilize good storytelling strategies. You should share the details of your personal story in a narrative, using a logical order. Remember, telling personal details about yourself and your goals does not mean simply restating your resume!

By the end of the essay, the scholarship committee should have an in-depth sense of why you applied. You should reveal:

• When and how you arrived at your future goals
• Your motivations to accomplish these objectives
• What traits or skills you have developed along the way
• The meaningful experiences that drive you to your goals
• Any personal challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them
• What has shaped you and your worldview

These details humanize you and show your complexity as a person and an applicant. It’s helpful to use anecdotes and personal experiences to give life to facts and details about yourself. Sharing real-life experiences will help make your essay more interesting and more fun to read.

Creating your scholarship essay format

Once you have thought about what you want to say, start thinking about your scholarship essay format. You may start by making a list of what your reader may be interested in:

• How you spend your time
• Your accomplishments
• What your passions are, etc.

Start by brainstorming everything you may want to include in your essay. Then, think about whether the stories you include support your arguments. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” or “How did this get me closer to my goals?”. These reflections help the reader connect to your purpose for writing. 

Make sure to organize your thoughts in a narrative order. However, there isn’t just one way to write an essay. So, don’t limit yourself to one version of your story. You may find yourself writing multiple drafts before you get to your final scholarship essay format.

Editing and proofreading your essay

When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit to ensure it’s ready to be submitted. Check that you’ve adhered to all the scholarship essay format guidelines (like the word count). 

Reviewing also includes getting input from others! An outside reader’s opinion can help you confirm your essay effectively communicates your ideas.

Tips for scholarship essays

You may notice some similarities between the scholarship essay examples about yourself we’ve provided. That’s because the authors of the best scholarship essays all use similar strategies to make their essays great. 

Here are 5 tips from U.S. News to help you make all of your scholarship essays stand out:

Tips for writing stand-out scholarship essays

1. get personal and be specific.

The best scholarship essays will share an authentic story with impactful details. The key is to be yourself and not shy away from personal details. The more the committee gets to know about you, the more likely they are to invest in your future. You want your essay to offer a genuine, in-depth look into who you are as a person.

2. Tell a story

Your essay should be more than a collection of facts—it should tell a story. That means having a solid introduction that grabs the reader’s attention from the very start. Then, you should include a logical flow of experiences or details. By the end of your essay, you want your reader to have learned something valuable about you.  

3. Tailor the scholarship essay to the prompt

Some of your scholarship essay prompts may be similar across different scholarship applications. However, it’s important that your essay is specific to each prompt and answers the question entirely. While you can repurpose an essay you’ve already written as inspiration or a starting point, be extra attentive when doing so.

4. Don’t tailor yourself to the reader

Many students fall into the trap of telling a story they think scholarship foundation committees want to hear. Instead, stay true to yourself as you craft your scholarship application essays. Don’t tell your reader what you think they want to hear—just tell them who you are. 

5. Follow directions

This final tip may arguably be the most important. Above all else, students should follow instructions. This means adhering to the scholarship essay format guidelines and word count. It also means answering the essay prompt in its entirety. Application readers can be easily frustrated by a student’s failure to follow directions. This could reflect poorly on you and your essay in the long run. 

Use these tips to guide you as you approach the scholarship essay format. 

Scholarship Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

We hope our roundup of scholarship essay examples has shown you how to approach your scholarship applications. With rising college costs, scholarships should be a part of your college financial planning process. Take the time to do your own scholarship search based on your specific interests. You can find plenty of scholarships to apply to on scholarships websites and college financial aid pages. There are many different scholarships websites to help you with your search. 

Save this guide

Feel free to save this guide and review our scholarship essay examples about yourself and about financial need. You can always look back on our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship when writing your own essay. 

Start with an outline that organizes your thoughts. Then, make sure your essay is clear and concise. Be original and honest, and include personal details and anecdotes when appropriate. State why you deserve to win the scholarship. Then, support your claim in a way that makes a scholarship committee invested in your future. 

We’re here to help

Don’t forget to proofread your essay and ask others for their feedback. When in doubt, reach out to our advisors at CollegeAdvisor. Our team is always here to help support you find and apply for scholarships!

This article was written by Bailey Bennet. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes, generate your apa citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• College essay
• How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

Published on October 11, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

A good scholarship essay demonstrates the scholarship organization’s values while directly addressing the prompt. If you plan ahead , you can save time by writing one essay for multiple prompts with similar questions.

Table of contents

Apply for a wide variety of scholarships, make a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, tailor your essay to the organization and the prompt, write a focused and relevant personal story, scholarship essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Scholarships are a type of student financial aid that don’t require repayment. They are awarded based on various factors, including academic merit, financial need, intended major, personal background, or activities and interests.

Like college applications, scholarship applications often require students to submit their grades, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and an essay.

A scholarship essay shares your values and qualities in the context of a specific question, such as “How does technology affect your daily life?” or “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?”

Be wary of scholarship scams

While some applications may not require an essay, be wary of scholarship scams that do the following:

• Guarantee you scholarship money for a fee
• Claim scholarship information is exclusive to their company
• Ask for your bank or credit card information to hold the scholarship

Some legitimate companies do charge for releasing comprehensive scholarship lists or creating a tailored list of scholarship opportunities based on your profile.

However, you can always discover scholarship opportunities for free through your school counselor, community network, or an online search.

Many students focus on well-known, large scholarship opportunities, which are usually very competitive. To maximize your chance of success, invest time in applying for a wide variety of scholarships: national and local, as well as big and small award amounts. There are also scholarships for international students .

In addition to charitable foundation and corporate scholarships, you should consider applying for institutional scholarships at your prospective universities, which can award money based on your application’s strength, your financial situation, and your demonstrated interest in the school.

Check with your guidance counselor, local organizations, community network, or prospective schools’ financial aid offices for scholarship opportunities. It’s a good idea to start applying as early as your junior year and continue throughout your senior year.

Choose the right scholarships for you

Choose scholarships with missions and essay topics that match your background, experiences, and interests. If the scholarship topic is meaningful to you, it will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay.

Don’t shy away from applying for local scholarships with small dollar amounts. Even a few hundred dollars can help you pay for books.

Local scholarships may be more tailored to your community, background, and activities, so they’re likely more relevant to you. Fewer students apply for these scholarships, so you have less competition and a higher chance of success.

Some places to look for local scholarships include

• Civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.
• Your church, mosque, synagogue, or place of worship
• Community groups, such as the YMCA
• Ethnicity-based organizations
• Your local library or local small businesses
• Organizations related to your intended major
• Your city or town
• Your school district
• Unions, such as SEIU, the Teamsters, CWA, etc.
• Your employer or your parents’ employers
• Banks, credit unions, and local financial institutions

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

While researching scholarship opportunities, create a scholarship tracker spreadsheet to keep track of the following:

• Scholarship amounts
• Required application materials

You can use our free Google Sheets template to track your scholarship applications.

Scholarship application tracker template

You can also include scholarship essay prompts in your college essay tracker sheet . By grouping or color-code overlapping essay prompts, you can plan to write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can also reuse or adapt your main college essay .

Even if you’re adapting another essay, it’s important to make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, stays within the word count limit , and demonstrates the organization’s values. The scholarship committee will be able to tell if you reuse an essay that doesn’t quite respond to the prompt, so be sure to tailor it to the questions asked.

Research each organization

Before writing, research the scholarship organization’s mission and reason for awarding the scholarship. Learning more about the organization can help you select an appropriate topic and relevant story.

While you should tailor your essay to the organization’s values, maintain your authentic voice. Never use false or exaggerated stories. If the organization’s values don’t align with yours or you can’t brainstorm a relevant story for the scholarship, continue searching for other scholarship opportunities to find a more appropriate one for you.

After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student.

Choose a story with the following criteria:

• Responds to the prompt
• Demonstrates the organization’s values
• Includes an authentic story
• Focuses on you and your experience, not someone else’s

A good scholarship essay is not

• A resume of your achievements
• A lengthy opinion piece about the essay topic
• An essay featuring a negative tone that puts down others

If appropriate, you can briefly address how the scholarship money will help you achieve your educational goals. You should also end with a brief thank-you.

Take a look at the full essay example below. Hover over the underlined parts to read explanations of why they work.

Prompt: Describe how working for Chelsea’s Chicken restaurant has developed leadership skills that will help you succeed in college. Give specific examples of leadership characteristics that you have exhibited during your employment with us.

As a nervous 16-year-old, I walked into Chelsea’s Chicken for my first day of work determined to make enough money to put gas in my car and buy pizza on the weekends. My only previous job was mowing my neighbors’ lawns when they were on vacation, so I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit intimidated by my new responsibilities, especially handling money and helping disgruntled customers.

However, it didn’t take me long to learn my way around the cash register and successfully address customer complaints. One day, Roger, the store manager, asked me if I wanted to join Chelsea’s Chicken Leadership Training Initiative. He said he saw leadership potential in me because of my attitude with the customers and my enthusiasm for learning new job responsibilities. It surprised me because I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I quickly agreed, and Roger handed me a three-ring binder that was thicker than my math and science textbooks put together! He told me to take it home and read over it during the following week.

In that binder, I discovered that being a leader means taking the initiative, especially when the job is undesirable. One week later, I got to practice that idea when a little kid threw up in the bathroom and missed the toilet. It smelled terrible, but I stepped forward and told Roger that I would clean it up. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but I started to believe in my leadership potential.

That night as we closed the store, Roger pulled me aside in the parking lot and told me that he could tell that I had been studying the manual. He wanted to give me more responsibility, along with a dollar-per-hour pay raise. I was surprised because I had been working there for only a couple of months, but his encouragement helped me make a connection: good leadership helps other people, and it often is rewarded. I was determined to experience more of both.

Within a month, I was ready to take the Team Leader exam, which mattered because I would receive a promotion and a much bigger raise if I passed. But, when I got to work, two of the scheduled team members had called in sick. We were noticeably short-handed, and our customers weren’t happy about it.

I walked back to the lockers, put on my vest and hat, and took my place behind an open register. Customers immediately moved into my line to place their orders. Roger looked at me with surprise and asked, “Did you forget that you’re testing tonight?” I responded, “No, sir—but what’s the use of taking a leadership test if you aren’t going to lead in real life?” Roger smiled at me and nodded.

He stayed late that night after we closed so that I could leave early and still take the test. I noticed that Roger was always staying late, helping employees learn new skills. His example taught me that leaders take the initiative to develop other leaders. He gave me a clear picture of what shared leadership looks like, making room for others to grow and excel. When I asked him where he learned to do that, he said, “From the same leadership manual I gave you!”

Chelsea’s Chicken has offered me so much more than a paycheck. Because of Roger’s example, I have learned to take the initiative to care for my family and friends, such as being the first to do the dishes without my mom asking or volunteering to pick up my friend for our SAT prep course. Now, as I prepare to enter college, I have confidence in my leadership ability. I know I’m signing up for a challenging major—Biology, Pre-Med—yet I also know that Chelsea’s Chicken has helped me to develop the perseverance required to complete my studies successfully.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Courault, K. (2023, May 31). How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/college-essay/scholarship-essay/

Is this article helpful?

Kirsten Courault

Other students also liked, how to apply for college | timeline, templates & checklist, how to research and write a "why this college" essay, us college essay tips for international students, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• About Us
• About DMIT
• HR Consultancy
• Contact Us

5 Best Financial Need Scholarship Essay Examples

Many students face the challenge of financing their studies when pursuing higher education. Scholarships can be a lifeline, providing financial support to deserving individuals. However, students must submit a compelling essay explaining their financial need to secure these scholarships.

In this blog post, we will explore what makes a good statement of financial need, how to describe your financial need effectively, tips for writing a strong financial need essay, and provide five outstanding financial need scholarship essay examples. By the end, you’ll have valuable insights to help you stand out in scholarship applications .

What is a Good Statement of Financial Need?

A good statement of financial need is a clear and compelling narrative that effectively conveys your financial situation and explains why you require financial assistance for your education. When writing a statement of financial need, it’s important to create a well-structured and honest document that resonates with scholarship committees or financial aid providers. Here are the key elements that make a statement of financial need effective:

• Honesty and Transparency: Be open and honest about your financial circumstances. Scholarship committees appreciate genuine narratives. Provide accurate and verifiable information about your financial situation, including details about your family’s income, expenses, assets, and any outstanding debts.
• Clarity: Use clear and concise language to explain your financial need. Avoid jargon or overly complex terms that may confuse the reader. Make your statement easy to understand.
• Relevance: Ensure that your statement directly relates to the scholarship or financial aid program you are applying for . Tailor your statement to address the scholarship provider’s specific goals, values, or criteria.
• Specific Figures: Use specific figures and examples to illustrate your financial need. Include numbers representing your financial situation, such as annual income, expected educational expenses, and outstanding debts. This helps scholarship committees understand the magnitude of your need.
• Explain Changes: If your financial situation has recently changed due to unexpected circumstances (e.g., job loss, medical expenses, family changes), explain these changes and how they have affected your ability to pay for education.
• Financial Independence: If you are financially independent from your parents or guardians, clarify this in your statement. Mention any responsibilities or financial obligations you have that affect your ability to pay for college .
• Impact on Education: Explain how your financial need directly impacts your pursuit of education. Describe the challenges or obstacles you face in financing your education, such as tuition costs, textbooks, housing, or other educational expenses.
• Efforts to Cover Costs: If you are taking steps to cover educational costs, such as working part-time, applying for other scholarships, or seeking financial aid options, mention these efforts to show your commitment to funding your education.
• Personal Impact: Discuss how receiving financial assistance or a scholarship positively impacts your life and academic or career goals. Explain how it would alleviate the financial burden and enable you to focus on your studies.
• Gratitude and Determination: Express gratitude for the opportunity to apply for the scholarship or financial aid program. Convey your determination to succeed in your educational pursuits despite financial challenges.

Remember that scholarship committees or financial aid providers want to support students who genuinely need assistance and are committed to their educational goals. Craft your statement of financial need with sincerity and clarity, ensuring that it aligns with the specific requirements and objectives of the scholarship or financial aid program you are applying to.

How to Describe Your Financial Need for a Scholarship

Describing your financial need for a scholarship effectively requires clear and concise communication of your financial situation and challenges. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to describe your financial need in a scholarship application:

• Before you start writing, gather all relevant financial information, including details about your family’s income, expenses, assets, and any outstanding debts. Having concrete figures will help you provide accurate information.
• Honesty is key. Provide truthful and transparent information about your financial situation. Scholarship committees value authenticity.
• Use specific numbers to illustrate your financial need. Include annual income, expected educational expenses (tuition, books, housing), and outstanding loans or debts. Specific figures add credibility to your statement.
• If there have been recent changes in your financial situation, such as a job loss, medical expenses, or other unexpected events, explain them. Describe how these changes have affected your ability to pay for education.
• If you depend on your parents or guardians, clarify their financial situation and any limitations they face in supporting your education. If you’re financially independent, explain your circumstances and responsibilities.
• Describe the specific educational expenses you face, including tuition costs, textbooks, supplies, housing, transportation, and other relevant costs. Highlight the financial burden these expenses place on you and your family.
• If you are taking steps to cover educational costs , mention them. For example, explain these efforts if you are working part-time, applying for part-time jobs, seeking other scholarships, or exploring financial aid options. It shows your commitment to funding your education.
• Articulate how your financial need directly affects your pursuit of education. Discuss the challenges or obstacles you face in financing your education and how they may impact your ability to focus on your studies.
• Express gratitude for the opportunity to apply for the scholarship. Convey your determination to succeed in your academic or career goals despite financial challenges. Emphasize how receiving financial assistance would positively impact your life.
• While providing detailed information is important, avoid including irrelevant or excessive details. Keep your statement focused on the specific financial need related to your education.
• After writing your financial need statement, ask trusted individuals, such as teachers, mentors, or counselors, to review and provide feedback. They can help ensure clarity and effectiveness.
• Carefully proofread your statement for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Ensure that your statement is clear and well-organized.

Remember that scholarship committees are looking for deserving candidates who genuinely need financial assistance and are committed to their educational goals. By effectively describing your financial need clearly, honestly, and well-structured, you increase your chances of standing out and securing the scholarship you’re applying for.

How to Write a Financial Need Essay

Writing a compelling financial need essay requires a combination of honesty, transparency, and a clear understanding of the scholarship’s criteria. Here’s a step-by-step guide to crafting an effective financial need essay:

• Gather Information and Understand the Prompt: Before you start writing, gather all relevant financial documents, such as income tax returns, pay stubs, and scholarship or grant records. Carefully read the scholarship essay prompt or guidelines to understand the specific criteria they are looking for.
• Create an Outline: Develop an outline that structures your essay logically and is organized. Consider the following points:
• Introduction: Briefly introduce yourself and state your financial need.
• Body Paragraphs: Elaborate on your financial situation, providing specific examples and quantifiable figures.
• Impact of Financial Need: Describe how your financial constraints have affected your education and life.
• Efforts to Reduce Burden: Highlight any steps you have taken to manage your finances or reduce reliance on external support.
• Connection to Goals: Explain how overcoming financial challenges has motivated you and how the scholarship would enable you to achieve your goals.
• Conclusion: Restate your financial need and emphasize your potential to impact positively.
• Narrate Your Financial Situation: Instead of simply listing financial limitations, weave your story around your financial need. Share personal anecdotes that illustrate how your financial constraints have affected your educational pursuits, but also emphasize how you have managed to persevere despite these obstacles.
• Quantify Your Financial Need: Provide concrete figures to support your claims. Mention your family’s income, tuition and living expenses, and any outstanding debts or financial obligations.
• Highlight Efforts to Reduce Burden: Demonstrate that you have taken proactive steps to manage your finances and reduce reliance on external support. Mention any part-time jobs you hold, scholarships you have applied for, or cost-saving measures you have implemented.
• Emphasize the Impact on Your Education: Explain how your financial constraints have impacted your ability to participate in your education fully. Describe any missed opportunities, sacrifices, or limitations you have faced due to your financial situation.
• Connect Your Financial Need to Your Goals: Frame your financial hardship as a motivator rather than a barrier. Explain how overcoming financial challenges has strengthened your resolve to succeed and how the scholarship would enable you to achieve your educational and career aspirations.
• Maintain a Positive and Optimistic Tone: Avoid dwelling on negative aspects or portraying yourself as a victim of circumstances. Instead, focus on your resilience, determination, and the positive impact you plan to make with the support of the scholarship .
• Proofread and Seek Feedback: Ask a trusted friend, mentor, or teacher to review your essay and provide constructive feedback. Ensure your essay is well-organized, grammatically correct, and free of any errors that could detract from your message.

Now, let’s explore five exceptional financial need scholarship essay examples:

Example 1: Overcoming Financial Hardship

Growing up in a low-income household, I witnessed firsthand the struggles of making ends meet. My parents worked multiple jobs to provide for our family, but it was never enough. We often had to choose between buying groceries or paying rent. Despite these challenges, my parents never gave up on their dreams for me. They instilled the importance of education and encouraged me to pursue my goals, no matter the obstacles.

My financial hardship has shaped me into the determined and resilient individual I am today. I have always been a hard worker, taking on part-time jobs and maintaining a high GPA despite the distractions and limitations of my environment. I have also actively participated in extracurricular activities, such as the debate team and the community service club, where I developed my leadership skills and dedication to serving others.

My financial situation has not only impacted my personal life but also my academic pursuits. Due to financial constraints, I often had to forgo purchasing textbooks or attending essential conferences. However, I have never let these limitations hinder my desire to learn. I have sought alternative resources, such as online libraries and public lectures, to expand my knowledge and enhance my learning experience.

Receiving this scholarship would alleviate the financial burden of pursuing my education and be a powerful affirmation of my potential and aspirations. It would provide me with the resources and opportunities to fully immerse myself in my studies, engage in cutting-edge research, and prepare myself to make a meaningful contribution to society.

Example 2: The Impact of Limited Resources

The limited financial resources available to my family have had a profound impact on my educational opportunities. Growing up, I often had to choose between buying textbooks or paying for essential school supplies. Due to the associated costs, I have also had to forgo extracurricular activities and social events. Despite these constraints, I have always been determined to maximize my education.

I have consistently maintained a high GPA, taking challenging courses and excelling in my studies. I have also sought out opportunities to expand my knowledge beyond the classroom, participating in research projects and attending seminars on topics that interest me. My passion for learning has driven me to overcome the limitations imposed by my financial situation.

My financial need has shaped my academic journey and influenced my personal growth. I have learned to be resourceful, find creative ways to manage my finances, and maximize my limited resources. I have also developed a strong sense of empathy and compassion, understanding the challenges faced by others who struggle with financial hardship.

Receiving this scholarship would give me the financial support I need to realize my academic and personal potential fully. It would allow me to purchase the necessary resources for my studies, participate in extracurricular activities, and pursue research opportunities to enhance my learning experience.

Example 3: Finding Creative Solutions

Despite facing significant financial challenges, I have found creative solutions to overcome my limitations and advance my education. I have secured scholarships and grants through hard work and academic dedication. I have also worked part-time to supplement my income and contribute to my educational expenses. I have also sought affordable educational options, such as attending community college for the first two years of my undergraduate studies.

My financial need has motivated me to be resourceful and proactive in managing my finances. I have developed a strict budget and have learned to prioritize my spending. I have also explored cost-saving measures, such as utilizing public transportation, cooking meals at home, and seeking out secondhand textbooks.

My financial situation has shaped my financial habits and influenced my academic choices. I have carefully considered the financial implications of each academic decision, such as selecting in-state schools and pursuing majors with strong career prospects. I have also sought out mentorship from individuals who have faced similar financial challenges and have learned valuable strategies for success.

Receiving this scholarship would provide me with the financial freedom to focus on my studies and pursue my academic passions without the constant burden of financial worries. It would allow me to engage fully in my academic journey, participate in research opportunities, and explore potential career paths.

Example 4: A Vision for a Brighter Future

Despite financial hardship, I have always clearly envisioned a brighter future. I am driven by a strong desire to succeed and make a positive impact on the world. I aspire to pursue a career in [your field of interest], where I can contribute to groundbreaking research, develop innovative solutions, and make a tangible impact on the lives of others.

My financial situation has not diminished my ambition or determination. It has instead fueled my desire to achieve my goals and overcome any obstacles that may arise. I have learned to be adaptable and resilient, facing challenges head-on and finding creative ways to overcome them.

I believe that education is the key to unlocking my potential and achieving my dreams. Receiving this scholarship would provide me with the financial support I need to pursue my educational aspirations fully and significantly contribute to society. It would allow me to attend a top-tier institution, engage in cutting-edge research, and prepare myself to become a leader in my field.

I am confident that my academic achievements, research experience, and demonstrated leadership skills make me a strong candidate for this scholarship. I am eager to continue my education and dedicate myself to pursuing my passion in [your field of interest]. I envision a future where I can utilize my expertise to [describe how you plan to make a positive impact]. I am committed to collaborating with others, sharing my knowledge, and contributing to the collective pursuit of a better future.

Example 5: Making a Difference Despite Limitations

Despite my financial limitations, I have always been driven by a strong desire to impact my community positively. I believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference, regardless of their circumstances. I have actively participated in community service throughout my life, volunteering my time and skills to organizations that support underserved communities.

I have volunteered at the local homeless shelter, providing meals and assistance to those in need. I have also participated in tutoring programs, helping children from low-income families succeed in their studies. These experiences have instilled a deep sense of empathy and compassion and strengthened my commitment to social justice.

My financial need has not only shaped my personal values but also influenced my academic choices. I have chosen to pursue a major in [your field of interest] because of its potential to address pressing social and environmental challenges. I am particularly interested in [describe a specific area of interest within your field].

Receiving this scholarship would provide me with the financial support I need to pursue my educational goals and make a meaningful contribution to society. It would allow me to attend a university with a strong emphasis on social responsibility and engage in research that addresses real-world problems. I am committed to using my education and skills to make a positive impact on the lives of others.

Recommendations:

• SARAO Scholarship 2024 Application, Requirements, and Deadline
• SPU Scholarship 2024 | Online Application, Requirements, and Last Date
• Clinic Plus Scholarship 2024 | Application, Eligibility, And Last Date
• Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarship 2024 | Online Application, Eligibility and Last Date

When writing a financial need scholarship essay, these five essay examples demonstrate the importance of honesty, transparency, and a clear connection between financial need and personal goals. By effectively conveying your financial situation and its impact on your educational pursuits, you can increase your chances of receiving the support you need to achieve your academic and personal aspirations.

Crafting a compelling financial need scholarship essay requires honesty, clarity, and a persuasive narrative. Following the tips outlined in this blog post and drawing inspiration from the provided scholarship essay examples, you can create an essay that effectively communicates your financial need, aspirations, and determination to pursue higher education. Remember that scholarship committees appreciate authenticity, so share your story sincerely. Best of luck with your scholarship applications!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You cannot copy content of this page

How to Write a Statement of Financial Need: A Step-by-Step Guide

Crafting a Statement of Financial Need can pose a significant challenge for students. Determining the appropriate content to include or exclude is crucial, underscoring the importance of using your words judiciously and persuasively.

What is A Statement of Financial Need?

A Statement of Financial Need is essentially a concise narrative outlining your financial circumstances. While financial aid is indispensable for college, it often falls short of covering all expenses. Consequently, students may be required to draft a statement that delves deeper into their financial situation, surpassing the information provided in documents like the FAFSA or CSS profile.

In this article, we’ll offer a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process of crafting an effective Statement of Financial Need.

What to Include in Your Statement

• Brief overview of your family’s employment status, including who is employed, their occupation, and whether you contribute to family finances.
• Indication of whether you are a first-generation college student.
• Information on immigrant or refugee status for you or your parents, as well as language proficiency.
• Details about your upbringing, such as being raised by a single parent or in foster care.
• Any extenuating circumstances affecting your family’s finances, like medical issues or recent job loss.
• Membership in minority groups, as diversity is valued by many colleges.
• Opportunities you could pursue with financial assistance, like unpaid internships relevant to your field.

What to Avoid

• Negative or overly dramatic tone; focus on presenting facts calmly.
• Comparison of your situation to others; keep the essay centered on your needs and goals.
• Tangential details unrelated to your education; stick to information directly relevant to your financial need and academic pursuits.

Now that you’re equipped with the essential components for your essay, let’s dive into the process of crafting your statement of financial need. Follow these steps to ensure a well-structured and compelling essay:

• Create an outline: Organize your thoughts and key points into a structured outline to guide your writing process effectively.
• Write your introduction: Begin with a strong opening that grabs the reader’s attention and introduces the purpose of your essay – to convey your financial need for assistance.
• Format your essay with body paragraphs: Develop your essay with clear and concise body paragraphs that expand on the points outlined in your introduction. Provide relevant details and examples to support your financial need.
• Finish with a strong conclusion: Summarize your main points and reiterate your financial need in a compelling manner. End with a memorable closing statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Let’s Start on the first step of creating your impactful statement of financial need.

Create an outline

Start by listing the key details you want to include in your essay, such as demographic information, family circumstances, and financial challenges. Use this list to create a structured outline for your statement.

Write your introduction

Begin with a concise introduction that introduces yourself and highlights key demographic points. For example, you can mention if you’re a first-generation college student or if you’ve faced financial challenges growing up. Briefly outline the main discussion points you’ll address in the essay.

Format your essay with body paragraphs

Use the body paragraphs to provide more detail and context for the points mentioned in the introduction. Discuss any extenuating circumstances affecting your family’s financial situation, including employment status and any personal contributions you’ve made to fund your education.

Finish with a strong conclusion

Conclude your essay by emphasizing the impact receiving financial assistance would have on your academic and career goals. Highlight specific opportunities you would pursue if you were relieved of financial burdens, such as internships or additional coursework.

By following these steps, you can effectively communicate your financial need and make a compelling case for scholarship consideration. Best of luck with your statement of financial need!

In conclusion, writing a statement of financial need is a critical step in securing the financial assistance you need to pursue your educational goals. By following the step-by-step guide provided in this article, you can craft a well-structured and persuasive essay that effectively communicates your financial circumstances and demonstrates your determination to succeed despite challenges. Remember to highlight your unique experiences and aspirations, and emphasize how receiving the scholarship would make a significant difference in your academic journey. With careful planning and thoughtful writing, you can create a compelling statement that increases your chances of receiving the financial support you need. Best of luck!

Pro Tips for Writing a Financial Need Essay

Today, most scholarships are awarded to applicants depending on financial need. To win a scholarship, you are required to vividly demonstrate your current situation using a financial need essay. For many students, this is a mammoth task, not because the writing is in any way complex, but because the scholarship holds the keys to their careers, and success in life. So, how do you write a financial need scholarship essay?

In this guide, we will tell you the best way to hack the financial need essay to increase the chances of winning that scholarship. Make sure to also check our example, and answers to common questions on corruption.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay about Financial Need

The following are some useful tips to guide you when writing a why do you need financial aid essay.

• Ensure to strike a positive tone in the essay

Here, it is not useful to start depicting personal pity. Instead, focus on how you have learnt from previous experiences and ways they have strengthened you.

• Do not belittle competitors

Although the scholarship under consideration is a contest, you must not diminish others’ sufferings. Make sure to show respect to all.

• Try to tag your essay to a specific event

While it is true that you want to be as persuasive as possible, consider weaving the entire why I deserve financial aid essay to a thesis.

• Stay clear from controversial statements

When explaining events from your past, be honest and positive because you never know who will read the essay. What if he/she knows the story?

Do not try to fabricate any story, whether about your past or present. Instead, let circumstances speak on your behalf.

• Avoid writing fluff

You know what? The reader of the essay has read many others, approved some and declined others. So, any fluff will be easily detected, and the scholarship declined.

• It pays to read other examples that actually worked

Other examples can help you to understand how the essays are written to sharpen your skills. You could even adopt the format used in one of the best statement of financial need essay sample.

• Do not simply try to hit the number of words

Many applicants often focus on the number of words and end up forgetting about quality. If you were required to write 500 words but feel you have sufficiently and correctly demonstrated what is needed in just 420 words, you are good to go. Most instructors are interested in quality and not quantity.

• Always proofread your essay

No matter how good your essay is, it will depict you as a careless person if it comes with mistakes. Therefore, proofread the essay severally to ensure that sentences are flawless and all the points as clear as possible.

Statement of Financial Need Template

The basic structure of a financial need essay has three key parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Note that whether you are required to simply demonstrate your financial need in a scholarship essay or draft a more comprehensive piece, the format is the same. Here is a closer look at the details of each section of the template:

• Introduction

The introduction of the essay should be used to set the tone for the entire paper. Use the first sentence to grab the attention of the reader and making a broad statement. Then, use the second sentence to support it. The final sentence on the introduction should be your thesis, your main stand in the essay.

In the body, you need to go deeper into the details of the essay. Think of each paragraph in the body as a separate argument. But all the points should interweave together to demonstrate why you need the scholarship (use the body to support the thesis).

The last paragraph of the essay is the conclusion, and you should use it to summarize the entire essay. Once you summarize main points, use the last sentence on the conclusion to leave the reader more convinced you are the right candidate. Think of something like … “and for that, I am forever grateful.”

Financial Need Scholarship Essay Examples

To help you understand how to demonstrate financial need in a scholarship essay, here is a sample from our professional writers . Note that the requirements for various scholarship essays might differ depending on the financier or institution. In the sample below, the funding committed had asked every applicant to “write an essay describing your financial need.”

“In my family, I am the first one to graduate high school, and, therefore, to attend college. My mom and dad dropped from school years back when still teenagers. Their limited education level has always greatly limited their opportunities in society, earning barely enough to push us through. At 12, I got my first job of delivering papers, and since then, I have worked harder to supplement my family when I can. During my senior year, I got assistance from the Mississippi’s help program, which caters for tuition to select colleges in the state. Further, I get Federal Pell Grant that goes to my housing. But I still need more funds to meet my books, transport, and supplies. As an engineering student, the fee for my classes is high. My parents are unable to contribute to my college costs, and I am also unable to work much when in school. This scholarship would help me concentrate on my studies to achieve my dream of becoming a civil engineer. And for that, I will be forever grateful.”

Answers to Common Questions on why I Need Financial Aid Essay

• How do you write a fafsa essay?
• Write an introduction that tells the financial aid committee who you are.
• Demonstrate how you are currently managing to pay school fees. Then, interweave the info to your financial situation.
• Justify to the financial aid committee why you need aid.
• Show how you are going to benefit from the aid.
• Conclude the essay.
• How do you describe financial needs?
• Present your current financial situation to the scholarship committee.
• Demonstrate how you are paying school fees currently.
• Justify the need for getting the aid.
• Showcase how the aid will help you.
• Write the closing remark.
• What is a financial need statement?

This is a type of document written by a student when seeking financial assistance, such as a scholarship.

• What do you write in a scholarship essay?
• Go through the essay instructions.
• Brainstorm the topic to understand it deeply.
• Identify the main points and develop an outline.
• Write the essay clearly and concisely.
• Showcase your accomplishments so far.
• Proofread your essay, and if possible, have someone proofread again for you.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post Comment

Get it done risk-free

With top experts across the board, 10 days to request free revisions, and a 60-day money-back guarantee, sleep tight while we handle your.

Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need

Scholarship essay examples financial need are among the essential document examples that every student aspiring to obtain financial support should see. That is because the number of students aiming to get financial aid is much bigger than what scholarship providers can help, so they need to know what they should say and how open-and-shut, or specific they should be. 

In this article, we will not only provide you with several scholarship essay examples financial need , but will also explain how to write a fantastic financial need scholarship essay ( financial need scholarship statement ).

What is the Difference Between a Scholarship with Essay and a No Essay Scholarship?

What to mention in my financial need scholarship essay, scholarship essay examples financial need | introduction.

• Scholarship essay examples financial need | Body
• Scholarship essay examples financial need | Conclusion
• Tips to Make Your Financial Need Scholarship Statement Successful

Common Mistakes in Financial Need Scholarship Essay

Scholarship essay examples financial need | text.

• Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need | Images

Financial Need Scholarship Essay FAQ

Scholarships with essays are the most traditional and common form of scholarships available to students pursuing higher education.

No essay scholarships often take less work, but because there are more applicants than with scholarships with essays , your chances of winning are lower.

Many bursaries and college financial aid grants are “need-based,” meaning they are awarded to students whose financial circumstances call for extra assistance. A statement of financial need is one of the most popular essays for college scholarships because of this.

What to mention in your financial need scholarship essay basically depends on what you are asked to

The providers of scholarships with essays will always want to know about your family’s financial situation, including how much money your family makes overall if you individually contribute to it (do you have a job?, and how much more money you will need to attend your chosen institution (your “financial gap”).

If the topic of financial need scholarship essay is a little more open-ended, such as “Express how this scholarship might benefit you,” your essay should be a hybrid of a financial need statement and an essay about your academic and/or professional objectives. This is because you want to demonstrate how the award will benefit your financial situation as well as your academic or professional objectives. Anyway, you can read our scholarship essay examples financial need for a deeper understanding of this point.

When writing a scholarship essay for financial need make sure to mention the following:

• If you belong to a group that is underrepresented at college, such as an ethnic minority, or are the first person in your family to attend college,
• Any pertinent family circumstances, such as if your parents are refugees or immigrants, in addition to your parents’ work and the number of children/family members they financially support.
• How you are paying for your college, including any financial contributions you are making on your own (such as working student jobs).
• How much financial hardship your family is experiencing, for example, if a parent just lost their job?

If you still have some difficulties knowing what to include, don’t worry. Scholarship essay examples financial need will make it more clear.

Template to Structure Financial Need Scholarship Statement

A financial need scholarship essay contains the following parts:

1- Introduction

Briefly introduce yourself, emphasizing any familial characteristics that would cause you to belong to an underrepresented group in college.

• I am an American of the first generation and the 1st in my family to attend college. When I was six years old, my family fled the violence in El Salvador and moved to New York.
• My family is from the working class in Minnesota. We never had much, but we worked together to put food on the table. My brothers and I all had weekend jobs to help support the family while my parents both worked full-time (my father worked as a mechanic while my mother worked as a receptionist at a nearby gym).

The body of your financial need scholarship essay must include your financial constraints and difficulties

Here is the right place to dive into details. What current plans do you have to pay for college? The purpose of this is to demonstrate that, despite your best efforts and those of your family, you have been unable to make enough money to cover your tuition.

Provide information about your parents’ jobs, any savings (such as a 529 College Savings Account), as well as any student jobs. You could also talk about any unexpected circumstances that have derailed your initial financial objectives, such as a parent becoming extremely ill or losing their job.

Scholarship essay examples financial need | Body:

My parents had to take low-paying jobs because they are immigrants with poor English skills. My mother works as a housekeeper, while my father works as an Uber driver. They barely make enough money to cover our rent and buy food, so I’ve always known they couldn’t help me pay for my education.

I have thus made effort to earn and save my own money. I’ve done odd jobs (such as mowing my neighbors’ lawns) since I was 11 years old. I began working at a supermarket after school and on weekends when I was 15 years old. I’ve saved approximately $3000 throughout the duration of all these jobs. Yet even with my grants for financial assistance, I must spend an additional $8000 per year to attend college.

3- Conclusion

In this part of the financial need scholarship statement students usually mention how these scholarships with essays would help them in the long run.

Make it clearer by concluding your narrative. Explain how you intend to use the financial assistance if you win this scholarship. What advantages do you expect from this award? What will you spend the money on, and how will it aid you in achieving your academic and/or professional objectives?

Review boards for scholarships with essays want to ensure that their funds will be used wisely, supporting a student who has specific future goals and the will and tenacity to pursue those goals. This is comparable to a condensed, one-paragraph version of the essay “Why do you deserve this bursary?”

Scholarship essay examples financial need | conclusion

• I would take on less student debts and be able to cover the financial gap if I won the $5000 award. As I intend to study social work and eventually work in a position that supports my community, this is extremely important for me. Yet, paying off substantial college loans would be challenging due to how low-paying these jobs are. your bursary would enable me to continue on this road and eventually serve my community without incurring debt that I can’t afford.
• I want to study human biology at UC San Diego, where I’ve been accepted, and then I want to become a nurse practitioner. I am aware that becoming a pre-med student would be a significant academic challenge, and this award would allow me to concentrate on my coursework rather than my financial situation. The $2000 grant is equal to around 150 hours of student job working. I can now devote 150 of those hours to studying, obtaining my degree, and working toward my objectives.

Conclude in a short and Respectful Tone.

Be careful not to beg for money when writing a scholarship essay . Eliminate emotionalism. Maintain a formal and courteous tone. Financial assistance and bursaries are not inherent rights but privileges. However, the opportunities that they provide to students are priceless.

Example: Thank you for giving my application some consideration. Looking forward to talking with you about my opportunities with you. 

It is a great responsibility for institutions and funding sources to decide who should get prizes. One of the tools they use is a financial need scholarship essay . So, students must make it as “sharp” as possible.

There are a number of significant mistakes that you might make while writing a scholarship essay .

• Whining. Don’t talk about how poor you are, how much you need money, or how difficult it is to support your elderly parents or a brother who is disabled. Everyone can experience this, but complaining about it in a strong financial need scholarship essay is not appropriate. Demonstrate that you have instead learned how to go over the difficulties.
• Non-challenging challenge. Everyone has certain hardships and particular experiences. Ensure the reader will find your hardships interesting when you discuss them.
• Trying to sound philosophical. Avoid attempting to sound philosophical. Some students will engage in this behavior in an effort to appear more intelligent, although this seldom happens. When writing a scholarship essay, just concentrate on crafting great content and proofreading it. That alone demonstrates sufficient intelligence.
• Despising other candidates. Respect the suffering of others. Even if these are essay scholarship contests , you shouldn’t despise your opponents. Indeed, it would be preferable to say, “I realize there are many deserving applicants for this scholarship, but…” rather than, “I have endured far more than…” Be respectful in all of your writing.
• Very general essays. In certain circumstances, you need to submit many financial need essays to be considered for a variety of funding opportunities. That is OK, however, each program requires a different financial needs essay. Don’t create a general essay with several sponsoring organizations’ names on it.

Checking scholarship essay examples financial need can help you avoid making a lot of mistakes.

Tips to Make financial Need Scholarship Statement Successful

You need to follow these tips when writing a scholarship essay:

• Be organized . Provide a logical framework for your financial need scholarship essay Create an outline that allows you to organize your categories and ideas. Get advice from others on what to include. Ask for input from parents, teachers, as well as other people you trust. Avoid being wordy yet still including just enough information to be thorough and meaningful.
• Begin early . Don’t put off writing a scholarship essay until the last minute. It could be your ideal opportunity to explain why you should be eligible for financial help or a scholarship. It is a crucial document that distinguishes you from other applicants. Give it enough thought to perfectly reflect who you are, showcase your writing skills, and highlight your accomplishments.
• Be reflective and personal . Inform the readers of your financial need scholarship statement   about yourself. Provide them with the information you want them to know about you. Tell them about your family, your experiences in the past, and how those things inspired you to continue your education. Describe how your experiences in both your academic and professional life have helped you learn about your field. Explain the personal events that have aided in your goal-setting.
• Be genuine . Write about yourself and the things that truly matter to you. Avoid attempting to write what you believe the audience wants to read. If you’re not being truthful, the admissions committee will immediately notice. Since they have read so many scholarship essays, they are able to tell sincerity from lying. Be sincere about your financial condition. Your ability to get financial aid in the future may be impacted by any inaccurate or misleading information. Demonstrate your actual aspirations, achievements, and strengths.
• Steer clear of humor and cliches . Keep in mind that the readers of the financial need scholarship essay do not know you. It’s better to refrain from using humor in this essay since they might not get it. To make the application essay more convincing and specific, stay away from clichés. Give specific information about yourself and your experience rather than claiming to be a”jack of all trades” or a “people person”.
• Check scholarship essay examples financial need: Checking scholarship essay examples financial need can make writing an essay scholarship more professional, as it is a good opportunity to benefit from others’ expertise.
• Provide detailed examples . Provide concrete examples to support any broad claims you make about yourself. For example, if you say that you are at ease among individuals from various backgrounds, include details to Reinforce your claim. Maybe you’ve tutored English as a Second Language, or you grew up in a military household and moved around a lot. Provide specific examples of your leadership and motivation. Describe how you plan to use your education to achieve your goals.
• Allocate time for revisions . You need to keep in mind that a financial need scholarship statement should go through several drafts. Solicit the opinions of others. Show it, for instance, to campus people like professors, advisors, peers, as well as teaching assistants. Clarity and content should be revised. Double-check your punctuation, grammar, as well as spelling. Making scholarship essay examples about yourself can also be beneficial.
• Show enthusiasm: Remember to show optimism when writing a scholarship essay . Even though sharing your financial situation is not the most positive thing, writing about how these difficulties have given you grit and resilience enables you to turn it around in a positive way.

For the above-mentioned tips, we will give you scholarship essay examples financial need as a text and as an image.

Example of Financial Need Scholarship Essay | 1

[Heading (with date & address)]

September 2, 2023 Mr. Name Financial Aid Committee 9498 Name of the University, CA 90013

[Formal address (use “Sir” or “Madam” if unknown)]

Dear Mr. Smith.

[Who you are]

My name is Garry Adams. I’m a sophomore pursuing a psychology bachelor’s degree.

[Reasons you require financial assistance]

Since I have no family to help me pay for my education and am unable to work full-time while putting my academics first and keeping decent marks, I need financial assistance.

[Your background]

After my parents died in a catastrophic automobile accident when I was a little child, I spent my whole childhood in the foster care system. The foster parents I had over the years were loving and considerate, but they weren’t really supportive of higher education since they believed it made more sense to enter the profession straight immediately. Yet I had bigger goals for myself.

[Your academic record]

I graduated with a GPA of 3.8 with the goal of earning a degree rather than being limited to entry-level positions.

[Your current financial condition (and explanation of your need for financial assistance )]

I work as a waiter six evenings a week as a part-time job, but I just make enough to pay my bills. I am able to cover a small portion of the tuition for the following year, but I am unable to cover the entire cost by myself because of the additional expenses of books, supplies, and course fees.

[How getting financial aid will help you]

I am completely committed to my education, and getting financial aid would enable me to concentrate on my study in order to graduate with a strong GPA and submit an application to graduate school.

[Career objectives]

My career objective is to be a child psychologist in order to help youngsters who are going through challenging life situations that are similar to my own childhood.

[Closing statement]

I appreciate you taking this into account. I’m eager to talk about potential future educational opportunities. 

Sincerely, 

Example of Financial Need Scholarship Essay | 2

Since I was a little child, I have experienced the influence that education has on everyone. Due to their need to maintain themselves, my parents were unable to attend college. Their career was impacted, and they will feel the effects of their education deficit for the rest of their life. Although my parents tried their best to implant a love of study in me, our family has never been particularly rich.

Earlier, I had to work about 18 hours a week to sustain myself. I tried to minimize the financial burden on my parents, who covered the majority of the tuition costs. Their earnings were cut in half as a result of the lockdown. Therefore, I will have to work harder or leave college.

In addition, the curriculum for the next year will include more subjects. I won’t be able to work as much going forward for that reason. Although I could work late into the night, I worry it would just make my outcomes worse. I’ll do my best to complete all of the assignments, whatever.

If I get the scholarship, I’ll have plenty of time to focus on my academics. Actually, this grant will be the impetus for my academic achievement.

My main goals include completing my education, helping people, and getting an excellent profession.

 I will be very grateful for your kind consideration.

Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need | PDF/Images

The previous Scholarship Essay Examples of Financial Need demonstrates the generic structure of financial need scholarship essay. However, how detailed your financial need scholarship essay should be depends on what you are requested to write about. For example, if you are requested to describe your financial need for the scholarship in brief, you can say something similar to the following example:

Whereas, if you are reqested to tell about your need for the scholarship, you can write something similar to this scholarship essay example:

We will demonstrate another scholarship essay example at the end of the article.

How should I describe a financial need?

There is no one correct way to explain why you need funding. Every situation is distinct. Every person may have their own set of circumstances. Students typically seek scholarships with essays since they aren’t yet able to work full-time. As a result, they are unable to pay for the desired program.

How should I write a financial need scholarship essay?

When you apply for a scholarship, you must demonstrate your deservingness of the funding. Describe your academic background and show your eagerness and genuine enthusiasm for learning. Look at the examples and templates that are accessible online if you wish to get selected for the program. You must emphasize your motivation and strengths. Have a look at scholarship essay examples financial need to better understand what to include.

How to begin a financial need scholarship statement ?

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s probably not a good idea to start with the declaration of financial need itself. Instead, show your intense drive, even passion first. Describe your background in a few sentences, emphasizing your relevant education and professional experience. Acknowledge that financial support would enable you to succeed.

Checking Scholarship essay examples financial need can give you answers to most of your questions.

Scholarships with essays are among the best ways to make your first step toward your career excellence. So before writing a scholarship essay, you need to make sure that you are ready to make it stand out.

Reading essay scholarship examples financial need is an essential step in writing a scholarship essay because it can expand your horizons and help you to decide what to include in your scholarship essay. So, writing a scholarship essay can be much easier.

Another important step is to write scholarship essay examples about yourself and choose the best one.

Recommendations

We hope that you find everything you need about Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need in this article. Here are other beneficial articles you may need to

Recommendation Letter for Scholarships | Format, Template & Samples

Motivation Letter for Scholarship in simple words

Goals scholarship – How to get a scholarship by your goals?

Visit our Scholarships With Essays website in order to to get more information on how to get a scholarship.

Maria Sotti

Naughton scholarship 2023 with salary, ireland, fulbright scholarship for international students, related articles.

Cheapest Countries to Study Abroad (10 Top Options)

Write essay for scholarship Professionally | Tips & Sample

Strong Resume for Scholarship, How to Write? Template & Samples

Scholarship Book PDF 2023

Essay on Financial Need

Students are often asked to write an essay on Financial Need in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Financial Need

Understanding financial need.

Financial need is when a person or family does not have enough money to pay for important things like food, a home, or education. It means they need help to afford these basic needs.

Why People Have Financial Needs

Helping those in need.

There are ways to help people with financial needs. Governments can give money, food, or housing. Charities and kind people can also offer support through donations or volunteering.

Financial need is a serious issue. It is about not having enough money for essentials. Helping can make a big difference in people’s lives.

250 Words Essay on Financial Need

Why financial need matters.

When someone doesn’t have enough money, it can be very hard for them. Kids might not be able to get books or go on school trips. Adults might struggle to pay for their home or medicine. This is why understanding financial need is important. It helps us see how we can help others who don’t have as much.

How People Get Help

There are ways to help those with financial need. Governments can give money, called benefits, to help pay for food and homes. Charities also help by giving things like clothes and school supplies. Even small things, like giving a friend lunch money, can make a big difference.

Learning to Manage Money

It’s also good for people to learn how to manage their money. This means planning how to spend and save money wisely. Sometimes, schools and community centers teach classes on this. If people know how to handle money better, they might not have as much financial need in the future.

Financial need is a big challenge, but by understanding it and working together, we can help make sure everyone has what they need to live and grow.

500 Words Essay on Financial Need

Financial need is a term that explains why someone might require money to do something important. Imagine you want to buy a bicycle, but you don’t have enough money to pay for it. The money you lack to get that bicycle is your financial need. This term is often used when talking about paying for school or college, starting a business, or needing help because of an emergency.

The Importance of Financial Aid

Different types of financial needs.

Financial need can come in many shapes. For a student, it might be tuition fees. For a family, it might be the cost of fixing a broken roof before the rainy season starts. For a community, it could be money needed to build a park. Everyone’s financial need is different, and it depends on what they are lacking money for.

How to Measure Financial Need

To figure out someone’s financial need, you look at what they earn and what they need to spend money on. If what they need to spend is more than what they earn, they have a financial need. For example, if a student’s college fee is $10,000 a year, but they can only pay $5,000, their financial need is $5,000.

Finding Help for Financial Needs

There are many ways to get help if you have a financial need. Governments offer assistance, like food stamps for groceries or funds for education. Charities and non-profit organizations also help people who need money for things like medical bills or disaster recovery. For students, scholarships and grants are ways to get money for school that they don’t have to pay back.

Managing Financial Needs

Financial need is a simple idea. It’s about not having enough money to pay for something important. By understanding this concept, we can better manage our money and seek help when necessary. Whether it’s a student in need of tuition assistance or a family needing to repair their home, recognizing and addressing financial needs is crucial for a better life. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, and there are many resources out there to support those in need.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Scholarship Essays

Statement of Financial Need Scholarship Essay Example

Tell us about your need for this scholarship.

The value of education is something that I have understood since a very young age. Neither of my parents had an opportunity to attend college, and faced many struggles in their personal and professional lives because of this. They made a commitment early in my life to do everything within their power to instill in me a love of learning and an understanding of the importance of hard work and dedication.

Because of their love and sacrifice over the years, I have been able to devote the time and energy necessary to academic accomplishment even though money has always been tight. In my senior year at XYZ High School, I have a 3.9 grade-point average and have been named Salutatorian of my graduating class. In addition to focusing on my own studies, I also worked as a math and science tutor throughout my years in high school as a way of contributing to my family's budget.

Additionally, I have also been active in my school and community outside of the classroom, serving on the student council as Secretary Treasurer for two years, serving as an officer in the Future Engineers of America chapter at my school, and volunteering at a local Boys & Girls Clubs of America chapter during school breaks.

My family has made many sacrifices to allow me to focus on education throughout primary and secondary school. I now have an opportunity to become the first person in my family to attend college, though I'm in need of financial assistance to realize what has been a long-term goal for me and a dream for my parents.

If selected for this scholarship, I will continue to apply the same diligence to my collegiate studies as I have to this point, making education and service to others my top priority. I will represent your organization well during my years in college and beyond. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Original Source: College.Lovetoknow

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• College University and Postgraduate
• Student Finances

How to Write a Financial Aid Statement

Last Updated: February 1, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Michael R. Lewis . Michael R. Lewis is a retired corporate executive, entrepreneur, and investment advisor in Texas. He has over 40 years of experience in business and finance, including as a Vice President for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. He has a BBA in Industrial Management from the University of Texas at Austin. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 559,560 times.

The financial aid statement is a simple, short piece of writing that students may include on a financial aid letter, in an essay, or in other communications to a financial aid department. The financial aid statement may not be a full communication on its own, but rather an element of a more complex financial aid appeal. If you need to write such a statement in order to reach out to a university or college's financial aid office, follow some basic steps.

Sample Statements and Things to Include

Writing a Statement of Financial Need

• For example, you could write the following: “My parents moved to the United States from Albania in order to give us better opportunities. As their oldest child, I will be the first in our family to attend college.”

• For example, write something like this: “I have worked to help support my family since I was 16 years old. Currently, I work on the weekends as a waitress to support myself. My parents also give me what they can each month. Since my parents didn’t speak English when we moved here, it was very difficult for them to support our family. My mother worked many hours as a housekeeper in a hotel. They saved what they could, but we do not have enough savings to pay for my college education."

• For example: “My earnings from my weekend job cover my living expenses. I worked extra shifts over the summer and saved enough to pay for a portion of this year’s tuition. However, I am seeking aid for the portion of the tuition I cannot cover on my own.”

• For example: “Receiving financial aid will allow me to focus on my studies during the week without having to worry about earning extra money. I would continue to work on the weekends to cover my living expenses, but I would be able to keep the weekdays free to focus solely on my school work.”

• For example: “Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing my opportunities with you.”

Writing a Statement for a Scholarship

• For example: “I am applying for this scholarship in order to further my studies in education. My long-term goal is to work as an ESL teacher in an inner city environment. My academic, work and personal experiences have lead me to this career goal.”

• For example: “I graduated from my undergraduate institution with a 4.0 GPA. I had a double major of Elementary Education and Spanish, with a minor in Sociology. I applied for and received a prestigious internship working with the state government on developing educational policies.”

• For example: “My parents moved our family to this country from Albania when I was 12 years old. I did not speak any English when we arrived. The ESL teachers in my school helped me to be successful in school, and I want to do the same for other students in my circumstances.”

• For example: “Each summer, I volunteer for the Migrant Workers Education Association in Chester County, Pennsylvania. They service migrant workers who come here from Mexico to work on mushroom farms. We not only link families with community services, but we also tutor children in English and help them learn important school skills that will allow them to be successful in school.”

• For example: “My experiences as an ESL student and an English tutor have taught me the value of helping children to feel successful and empowered. I know the meaning of hard work, and I have learned how to overcome challenges in my own personal and academic life.”

Making Your Personal Statement Successful

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ http://www.bestvalueschools.com/faq/what-is-a-statement-of-financial-need/
• ↑ https://www.goingmerry.com/blog/how-to-write-a-scholarship-essay-or-statement-about-your-financial-need-with-examples/
• ↑ https://www.laguardia.edu/uploadedfiles/main_site/content/supporters_friends/docs/scholarship_personal_statement.pdf
• ↑ https://scholarships360.org/financial-aid/how-to-write-a-statement-of-financial-need/
• ↑ https://custom-writing.org/blog/financial-needs-essay
• ↑ http://financialaid.ucdavis.edu/scholarships/tips/personal.html

About This Article

If you’re writing a statement of financial need, make it personal by sharing information about yourself and what's motivating you to pursue your studies. Try to be authentic, to write honestly about what you've already accomplished and what you hope to do with your education. Use specific examples if you can to reinforce the points you're trying to make. Finally, be sure to start your first draft early enough to get feedback from teachers or advisers and make revisions before you submit it. For more advice from our reviewer, including how to write a statement for a scholarship, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Feb 6, 2017

Did this article help you?

Zarina Tokhtaeva

Apr 5, 2016

Mar 9, 2017

Mar 29, 2017

Mar 22, 2019

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life