How to Write a Scholarship Resume: Examples and Template

One of the best ways to impress any scholarship selection committee is by putting together a scholarship resume that highlights your achievements in and outside the classroom.

We’ll teach you how to write a great scholarship resume and provide a helpful scholarship resume example and customizable template.

What is a scholarship resume?

A scholarship resume is a document you use to apply for scholarships. A good scholarship resume displays your academic background, awards, achievements, and activities, while also including your key skills and any professional or volunteer work experience you have.

Scholarship resumes are typically meant for high school students preparing to enter their freshman year at university, but they can be used anytime you’re applying for a scholarship during your academic career.

Scholarship resume example

Here’s an example of a scholarship resume used by a high school senior to support their pursuit of a bachelor of music degree:

Download This Scholarship Resume Example

How to write a scholarship resume

Now that you have a better idea of what a scholarship resume looks like, let’s learn how to write one by breaking down each section and detailing exactly what you’ll want to include.

1. List your contact information

To start with, list the following contact details at the top of your college scholarship resume:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address
• Address (city & state is fine)
• LinkedIn profile (if you have one)

Remember to only include contact information that you check and monitor regularly. Nothing would be worse than finding out you were considered for a scholarship but ultimately didn’t receive it because you couldn’t be reached.

2. Open with a great scholarship resume objective

The best way to get the attention of any scholarship selection committee is to start your scholarship resume with a convincing, tailored resume objective (also sometimes called an objective statement).

Your objective is a short introduction that summarizes your goals, accomplishments, and passions at the top of the page.

In your scholarship resume objective, you should highlight your strong academic background and record, extracurricular activities, your career goals, and (most importantly) how they align with your reasons for pursuing additional education.

Here’s an example of how to write a great scholarship resume objective:

Recent BA History graduate awarded Dean’s list 3 consecutive years, with internship experience at New York Historical Society helping preserve historical articles and manuscripts, and a study abroad experience in Rome. Seeking the Rottsworth Scholarship to pursue an MA in History. Planning to continue research into the rise of democracy in classical-era Greece

3. Showcase your academic experience

Your academic experience is arguably the most important section of your scholarship resume.

Besides getting to know your academic goals, scholarship selection committees will want a detailed and in-depth look at your academic career thus far to understand why you’re an ideal candidate for the scholarship.

In your academic experience section, you should highlight the following information for each school you’ve attended, where applicable:

• Institution name
• Academic major
• Academic minor (if applicable)
• Graduation date (or expected if you haven’t finished)
• GPA
• Favorite fields of study (relevant coursework)
• Extracurricular activities

Additionally, scholarship committee members favor driven and motivated individuals – so try to highlight your academic success and why you’re enthusiastic about pursuing higher learning in your academic career.

Here’s an example of how to list your academic experience on a scholarship resume:

4. Include your work experience

Scholarship committee members like to see that candidates are well-rounded and have active lives both in and outside the classroom. That’s why you should always list your work experience on your resume (even if it’s just part-time work).

However, if you’re like the majority of students applying for scholarships, you might not have much (or any) work experience yet.

If that’s the case, remember that your work experience section doesn’t have to be limited to income-based work. You can also include volunteer work, internships, or even club activities.

Here’s an example of work experience on a scholarship resume:

5. Display your awards and honors

Listing awards and honors on your scholarship resume provides you a chance to show off any noteworthy achievements in your academic career to the scholarship selection committee.

On your scholarship resume, you should include these seven types of awards or honors:

• Scholarships (previously awarded)
• Dean’s lists
• Academic awards (subject-related, science fair, etc.)
• Publications in a student journal
• Non-academic awards
• Volunteer awards
• Academic/professional societal memberships

Scholarship resume template

Here’s a scholarship resume template that you can copy and paste into Microsoft Word or Google Docs:

Your path to funding starts here

From academics to extracurriculars, our AI-powered resume builder helps you showcase your accomplishments in a way that impresses selection committees.

Build my resume

More resources for students

If you need more help, don’t worry – we have lots of resources for students. Check out some of our most popular below:

• 15 Student Resume Examples, Template, & Writing Guide
• 4+ High School Resume Examples & Templates
• Resume Examples for Teens
• College Resume Examples & Writing Tips
• CV Examples for Students (With Fill-In Template)
• How to Write an Academic CV (With Examples & Template)
• College Student Cover Letter Example
• Resume Templates for 2025

Frequently asked questions

Want to know more? Check out these answers to some common questions about scholarship resumes:

What is the difference between a scholarship resume and a resume?

A scholarship resume is written specifically for scholarship applications. The main goal of a scholarship resume is to showcase your academic potential to scholarship selection committees.

Unlike a traditional resume (used to apply for a job), which focuses heavily on professional work experience and skills, a scholarship resume emphasizes academic achievements, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, honors, and awards.

What is the objective statement of a scholarship resume?

The objective statement on a scholarship resume is a brief introduction at the top of your resume that summarizes your academic goals, relevant achievements, and career aspirations.

An objective statement quickly shows the scholarship committee who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and how the scholarship will help you achieve your academic and professional goals.

What skills should I put on my scholarship resume?

Include a combination of hard and soft skills that are relevant to your field of study and show scholarship committees how you’re equipped to achieve your goals.

Hard skills include, for example, your technical abilities, language proficiency, software knowledge, research skills, or subject matter expertise.

Soft skills such as leadership, adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and time management are equally valuable, especially if you have limited work experience but can demonstrate these skills through your extracurricular or volunteer activities.

Can a scholarship resume be 2 pages?

If you’re a high school or undergraduate student with limited experience, your scholarship resume should fit on one page.

However, if you have extensive academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, publications, or relevant experience, a second page is acceptable. Just make sure all the information included is relevant and supports your application.

How do you write a good scholarship letter?

A good scholarship letter (often called a scholarship application letter or personal statement) should:

• Clearly explain why you’re applying for the scholarship
• Highlight your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and future goals
• Demonstrate how the scholarship will help you achieve your goals
• Be well-organized, sincere, and tailored to the specific scholarship you’re applying for

How do you put scholarships on a resume?

You can list any scholarships you’ve previously been awarded either in your education section or in an awards section on your resume. If you have more than one scholarship to list, consider creating a dedicated awards section.

Include the name of the scholarship, the organization that awarded it, and the date you received it. If applicable, you can also briefly mention the criteria or competitive nature of the scholarship to highlight its significance.

Here’s an example of an awards section with scholarships on a resume:

Awards & Honors

• National Merit Scholarship, National Merit Scholarship Corporation — Awarded 20XX
• John Smith Memorial Scholarship, University of California — Awarded 20XX