Managing Your Scholarships
Congratulations, you have successfully earned a scholarship, or multiple scholarships.  
Follow these next steps:
First, it is important that you have all the details  
of your scholarship. Is it a one time award,  
or is it renewable? Are there grade point average  
requirements to maintain the scholarship?  
Next, you need to know when the scholarship funds 
will be dispersed. Will the scholarship be sent directly 
to you, or will it be sent directly to the college?  
Follow up with your college’s financial aid office  
to ensure that the scholarship is applied to the  
appropriate semester and costs that it is meant  
to defray.
Finally, you want to do an assessment of your  
financial aid package relative to your scholarship 
award. In order to avoid scholarship displacement 
(when receipt of a private scholarship leads to  
a reduction in other forms of financial aid), make  
sure that you speak to your college’s financial aid  
office to discuss how earning the scholarship  
will impact your overall aid package. If you have  
concerns about scholarship displacement,  
you can also speak with the scholarship provider  
to discuss your options.
Thank You Letters
Send thank you letters to the organizations from  
which you receive scholarships. The letters should 
demonstrate an appreciation for the time and  
consideration of your application and include  
a mention of how the scholarship will positively  
impact your college experience. You can find example 
scholarship thank you letters at media.illinois.edu/
scholarship-thank-you-letters. Remember to also 
send a thank you note to anyone who wrote  
a letter of recommendation for your scholarship  
applications. All letters should feel personal.
Paying for College
57
 
Apply for More Scholarships During Your College Years 
As your college career progresses, you may qualify for more specific scholarships, such as ones pertaining to your major. As you 
earn more college credits, you may be eligible for new and different scholarships than those you applied to during high school.
Pathways  
 to  Prosperity
Holy Family University

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.