Receiving a Scholarship
Receiving a named scholarship or award is an honor to celebrate and for which to be thankful. After accepting your scholarship or award, it is vital to quickly follow-up with a personalized Thank You letter to your donor. Not only does thanking your donor demonstrate genuine appreciation, but donors enjoy receiving thank you notes from their scholars.
This page will walk you through two easy steps to thank your donor for their gift.
Thank You Letter
Craft a thoughtful and heartfelt thank you letter for your scholarship or award donor and, email it to dspicer@nmhu.edu for mailing to your donor.
A thank you letter simply says “thank you” for your generous support, for your confidence, or reaffirming my dreams.
Begin your letter by saying “thank you,” and then tell your donor about how this scholarship has helped support your academic plans, your school and community activities, and your career goals. Describe what the scholarship or award means to you.
Previous scholarship and award recipients have also included other personal information such as:
- The reasons you chose New Mexico Highlands University
- Obstacles you overcame/or continue to overcome to attend college
- Your expected graduation date
- Your initial reaction to receiving the scholarship
General Guidelines
Type your letter as a Word document.
Address your donor as Dr., Mr., Mrs., or Ms. as they were listed in your award notification.
Questions, reach out to the Financial Aid Office 505-454-3318 or NMHU Foundation Office dspicer@nmhu.edu
Mention the scholarship by name in your introduction.
Write clearly and concisely. Double-check for typos and grammatical errors. Be sincere.
Type your signature or sign your letter.
Sample Thank You Letter 1
Dear [Mr./Mrs. Donor Last Name or Donor Organization Name],
First paragraph: State the purpose of your letter.
I am writing to thank you for your generous [Name of scholarship] scholarship. I was very happy and appreciative to learn that I was selected as the recipient of your scholarship.
Second paragraph: Share a little about yourself and indicate why the scholarship is important.
I am a business major with an emphasis on marketing. I plan to pursue a career in business communications upon graduating from NMHU. I am currently a sophomore and I plan to graduate in the fall of 20xx. After graduation, I will attend hope to attend graduate school to earn my MBA. Thanks to you, I am one step closer to that goal.
Third paragraph: Close by thanking the person again and make a commitment to do well with the donor’s investment.
By awarding me this scholarship, you have lightened my financial burden, which allows me to focus more on the most important aspect of school: learning. Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me.
Sincerely,
[Sign your name here] [Type your name]
Sample Thank You Letter 2
Dear [Mr./Mrs. Last Name Donor Name or Donor Organization Name],
First paragraph: State the purpose of your letter.
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to you for making the [Name of Scholarship] possible. I was thrilled to learn of my selection for this honor, and I am deeply appreciative of your support.
Second paragraph: Share a little about yourself and indicate why the scholarship is important.
I am a sophomore with an education major; I hope to become an elementary school teacher upon graduating from NMHU. The financial assistance you provided will be of great help to me in paying my educational expenses, and it will allow me to concentrate more of my time on studying.
Third paragraph: Close by thanking the person again and make a commitment to do well with the donor’s investment.
Thank you again for your generosity and support. I promise you I will work very hard and eventually give back to others, both as teacher and possibly a scholarship to future students like myself.
Sincerely,
[Sign your name here] [Type your name]
Past Student Letter Samples
Student Letter Sample 1
Dear Mr. Barnes,
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to you for supporting me with the Barnes Campus Scholarship. This scholarship will help me stay in school. I was considering being a part-time student this year due to financial challenges before I received scholarship and I could not be more thrilled. I now can continue as a full-time student and get one step closer to achieving my academic goals. I am deeply appreciative of your support and all the good that you do
I am currently majoring in Criminal Justice and hope to go into the field of law. There were times when my dream of pursuing a higher education seemed impossible, but the financial assistance you have provided me has helped me tremendously and kept me going. Because of what you have done for me, I can follow my dream and graduate with my undergraduate degree in 2024. Upon my graduation from NMHU, I am hoping to proceed to graduate school as soon as possible.
Thank you again for your very important financial assistance.
Sincerely,
John Smith
Student Letter Sample 2
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Green,
It is a great honor to receive your generous Green Scholarship that will help fund the expenses of my education at NMHU. I am most grateful for your belief in and support of me.
I am a Junior studying Elementary and Early Childhood Education with a minor in Writing. My love for teaching and the liberal arts has molded me into an individual who would thrive in a career as a preschool teacher while writing sci-fi novels at night. Although my academic journey as a first-generation college student has not been an easy one, I am proud to admit that my perseverance has led me to pursue many opportunities offered at NMHU.
For the past year, I have been completing ACURA research, and studying the effects of different teaching methods on young children. Although my research is still ongoing, I am excited to see where it will take me. During this fall semester, I will also be completing a writing internship; I am thrilled to have the opportunity to publish work before I graduate. At the same time, I am taking a class that will certify me as a writing tutor, and in the springtime, I look forward to working in the Center for Student Achievement at NMHU. At my elementary school, I will be volunteering as a classroom aid. In my free time, I enjoy hiking with my puppy, oil painting, photography, kayaking, gardening, and watching movies.
Receiving this scholarship will allow me to continue chasing my dreams. Your earnest investment in my future goals will not be forgotten. Thank you again for your generous and thoughtful gift.
Sincerely,
Sarah Smith