College Resume Templates and Examples
20 Best Scholarship Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
By Andrew Stoner
, Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner
Read More
Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Last Updated:
September 5, 2025
For an effective scholarship resume, focus on your traits and experience required by the gifting organization. This guide provides expert tips to help you create a resume showing your best scholarship qualifications.
Key takeaways:
- Present yourself effectively by combining a brief introductory section with detailed education and experience sections.
- Brainstorm details about your background on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, identify the most relevant ones to feature on your resume – this helps you give your document the right focus.
- Use bullet points to display your achievements. Start each bullet point with a strong verb like “Created” or “Enhanced.”
Most Popular Scholarship Resumes
Academic Resume for Scholarship
Why this academic resume for scholarship is strong:
Sophia’s resume emphasizes her strong academic record and research experience, both of which are critical for the scholarship she’s pursuing. Highlighting her published work adds significant value. Learn more about listing academic achievements at How to List Education on a Resume.
Awarded Scholarship Resume Example
Why this awarded scholarship resume is strong:
James effectively highlights his leadership and fundraising achievements while showcasing his academic success. The inclusion of specific metrics, like funds raised, adds credibility.
Read more: Action Verbs, Power Words, and Strong Synonyms to Use on Your Resume
College Scholarship Resume Example
Why this college scholarship resume is strong:
Emily’s resume emphasizes her academic excellence, technical expertise, and research experience, making her a strong candidate for competitive scholarships. Including achievements like conference presentations strengthens her application.
Read more: Best Extracurricular Activities in a Resume With Examples, Tips, and Guide
Companion Scholarship Resume Example
Why this resume companion scholarship resume is strong:
Liam’s resume effectively highlights his scholarship win while showcasing leadership and organizational skills. His ability to quantify his impact adds weight to his achievements. For tips on resume structure, check out Best Resume Formats.
Genius Scholarship Resume Example
Why this resume genius scholarship resume is strong:
Olivia’s resume highlights her creative achievements, including her scholarship win and contributions to client success in her internship.
Read more: Core Competencies on a Resume With Examples, Tips, and Guide
Scholarship Recipient Resume Example
Why this scholarship recipient on resume is strong:
Ethan’s resume showcases his scholarship win alongside technical expertise and leadership roles. The inclusion of research contributions strengthens his application.
Read more: Headline Examples for Your Resume
Undergraduate Research Scholarship Resume Example
Why this undergraduate research scholarship resume is strong:
Sophia’s resume effectively combines her scholarship recognition with impactful research experience and community engagement.
Read more: How Far Back Should a Resume Go? How Many Jobs/Years to List?
Leadership Scholarship Resume Example
Why this leadership scholarship resume is strong:
Michael’s resume emphasizes leadership roles and measurable accomplishments, which align with the scholarship’s focus on community impact. For insights on structuring leadership experience, visit Leadership Skills for Resume.
Graduate Scholarship Resume Example
Why this graduate scholarship resume is strong:
Emma’s resume highlights her academic and professional accomplishments, with measurable impacts in healthcare research. Learn how to list graduate-level achievements at Graduate School Resume Examples.
Financial Need Scholarship Resume Example
Why this financial need scholarship resume is strong:
Olivia’s resume emphasizes her resourcefulness and dedication, making her a strong candidate for financial-based scholarships. For advice on presenting community involvement, visit How to List Volunteer Work Experience on a Resume.
Merit-Based Scholarship Resume Example
Why this merit-based scholarship resume is strong:
Sophia’s resume highlights her leadership skills and measurable contributions to academic initiatives. Including her 4.0 GPA reinforces her eligibility for merit-based scholarships.
Read more: How Long Should a Resume Be?
STEM Scholarship Resume Example
Why this STEM scholarship resume is strong:
Ethan’s resume highlights his technical expertise, measurable achievements, and dedication to mentoring others in STEM fields. See more tips at How to Write a Convincing Resume Profile.
Volunteer Scholarship Resume Example
Why this volunteer scholarship resume is strong:
Lily’s resume highlights her leadership in volunteer initiatives and her ability to deliver measurable impact. Including metrics like increased participation strengthens her application. Learn how to highlight volunteer work at How to List Volunteer Work on a Resume.
Diversity Scholarship Resume Example
Why this diversity scholarship resume is strong:
James’s resume emphasizes his ability to create meaningful change through diversity initiatives and leadership. Including metrics like increased participation demonstrates his impact.
Read more: Transferable Skills: Definition and Examples for a Resume
Athletic Scholarship Resume Example
Why this athletic scholarship resume is strong:
Olivia’s resume showcases her leadership and athletic accomplishments, while also emphasizing her ability to mentor others. Metrics like championship wins reinforce her impact. See more at Resume Keywords.
Music Scholarship Resume Example
Why this music scholarship resume is strong:
Emily’s resume combines her academic achievements with her practical experience in teaching and performance. Highlighting her recital organization skills adds a unique element. Learn how to build creative resumes at Best Looking Resumes.
Journalism Scholarship Resume Example
Why this journalism scholarship resume is strong:
Michael’s resume emphasizes leadership in editorial work and his ability to meet deadlines while producing impactful stories. His measurable success in increasing readership strengthens his profile. Learn how to tailor writing-focused resumes at Resume Keywords.
Fine Arts Scholarship Resume Example
Why this fine arts scholarship resume is strong:
Sophia’s resume highlights her scholarship win, technical skills, and real-world exhibition experience. Quantifying her contributions to events adds impact. For advice on creative resumes, visit What to Put on a Resume.
Business Scholarship Resume Example
Why this business scholarship resume is strong:
Ethan’s resume combines leadership, market research, and measurable business impacts, making him a strong candidate for scholarships in business. Learn more about showcasing business skills at Core Competencies Resume.
Health Care Scholarship Resume Example
Why this healthcare scholarship resume is strong:
Olivia’s resume emphasizes her health care experience and ability to improve patient care. Including measurable outcomes, like workflow efficiency, makes her achievements clear. Learn how to structure health care resumes at How to Build a Professional Resume.
Scholarship Text-Only Resume Examples and Templates
How To Write a Scholarship Resume
Your scholarship resume should usually include these sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Experience
- Education and credentials
Below are tips and samples to help you organize each resume section.
1. Share your contact information
At the top of your resume, give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and links to any relevant online profiles.
Example:
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 | [email protected] | City, ST 09876 | LinkedIn
2. Summarize your scholarship qualifications in a dynamic profile
Right below your contact details, introduce yourself in a brief paragraph naming your three to five most relevant qualities or achievements. These will always depend on the scholarship program in question, but may include your:
- Grade point average (GPA)
- School honors or awards
- Extracurricular activities
- Work or volunteer experience
- Important traits or characteristics
(Note: Most people find it easier to write their profile section last.)
Example:
Motivated student with a strong commitment to community leadership. Recognized for achieving a 4.0 GPA and contributing to multiple student-led initiatives. Passionate about environmental science and aspiring to advance sustainability efforts through research and advocacy.
3. Add your pertinent experience with compelling examples
Scholarship committees look for well-rounded candidates. Include specific achievements such as awards, scholarships, research projects, or recognition for academic performance. Pair these with extracurricular involvement to demonstrate leadership, teamwork, and initiative.
Example:
Academic Achievements
- Recipient of the President’s Academic Excellence Scholarship
- Science Olympiad Regional Champion, 1st Place in Biology
Extracurricular Activities
- President, Environmental Action Club: Organized three campus-wide clean-up drives, increasing participation by 50% annually
- Volunteer, Local Food Bank: Contributed over 100 hours to distribute food to underserved communities
Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience
When possible, use relevant performance data to measure the results you’ve achieved. Hard numbers like percentages and dollar amounts put your experience in context and give a better sense of your impact.
Do
- “Increased participation in Environmental Action Club initiatives by 50% over two years”
Don’t
- “Organized events for the Environmental Action Club”
Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume to each application
Before sending your resume, review it carefully against the information you have about the scholarship. Delete any details that don’t speak to the program requirements, and consider using that space for more information about your relevant experience. This process takes extra time, obviously. But it can give you an edge over applicants who send a more general, less convincing resume.
4. Include relevant education and credentials
The following are templates to help you organize this information on your resume.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, ST] | [Graduation Year]
[Relevant honors, coursework, or activities]
Example:
Diploma, Riverside High School, Riverside, CA | 2024
If you’re still in school, refer to yourself as a candidate and give your expected graduation date if possible, as in:
Candidate: Diploma, Riverside High School, Riverside, CA | expected June 2026
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Year]
[Description if the credential is lesser-known but relevant]
Example:
Microsoft Office Specialist, Microsoft | 2023
5. Include a list of your pertinent skills
The skills section helps you emphasize the different ways you’re a good fit for the scholarship program. Below, you’ll find some key terms and skills to consider for this section:
| Key skills: | |
|---|---|
| Community engagement | Cross-team collaboration |
| Data gathering and analysis | Independent research |
| Public speaking and presentations | Team leadership |
| Time management | Writing and editing |
Resume writer’s tip: Use specific action verbs
Start each bullet point with a strong action verb. Dynamic verbs help you keep the reader’s attention and tell a compelling story about your experience.
The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your scholarship resume:
| Action verbs | |
|---|---|
| Clarified | Coordinated |
| Created | Decreased |
| Enhanced | Fostered |
| Generated | Grew |
| Improved | Increased |
| Introduced | Lowered |
| Managed | Organized |
| Performed | Presented |
| Ranked | Reduced |
| Researched | Streamlined |
| Studied | Uncovered |
| Updated | Won |
| Wrote | |
How To Pick the Best Scholarship Resume Template
Choose a template that’s clear and straightforward, and avoid any template with elaborate graphics or various colors and font styles. Simple design helps the recipient of your resume scan for important details. It also helps you tailor the document to each application and make updates to your information going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions: Scholarship Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with a scholarship posting?
Focus on editing your skills section. With just a few quick changes to this section, you can further hone your resume and help it get past screenings by applicant tracking systems (ATS).
First, take a close look at the scholarship description and highlight any skills required. Then, compare those highlighted terms against your resume's existing skills section. Delete any skills from your list that don't appear in the description, and add any missing skills of yours that do.
What is the best scholarship resume format?
The combination or hybrid format, which merges a functional resume's profile section with a chronological resume's experience section. Most modern resumes (including the ones on this page) follow the combination format because it gives readers the clearest view of an applicant's strengths and background.
Expert advice:
Include a cover letter with your resume
A good cover letter sharpens your application by saying directly why you’re interested in the scholarship program. When possible, quote or paraphrase text from the program description and explain why it caught your attention.
Check Out Related Examples
Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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