Saying Thank You

Many of our College of Arts and Sciences scholarships are made possible by contributions from generous alumni and donors. Sending a thank you letter is a welcome gesture of appreciation.

Tips and ideas

Below are some suggestions to think about for your letter. Pick a few that resonate with you and fill in the details. But be concise: one page is sufficient.

Introduce yourself

Donors appreciate learning about the students receive the scholarship they helped fund—things such as where you are from or where you went to high school, or what experiences led you to choose to study at Washington State University.

Describe your present situation

What is your current class year and major at WSU?

Are you involved in student organizations or extracurricular activities?

What are you looking forward to in the coming academic year?

Are you planning on, or have you completed, an internship or research project?

Have you received any awards or honors for your academics or other interests?

Describe your goals or future plans

Donors love hearing about how the scholarship will help you in the coming year and beyond. What does receiving the scholarship mean to you? How will it make a difference in your life?

What do you want to accomplish while attending WSU?

What you hope to do after graduation?

Where do you see your career aspirations?

Important points to incorporate

Use phrases such as “thank you,” “I appreciate,” and “I am grateful.”

Be sure to use the full name of the scholarship at least once in your letter, and the academic year you will receive the scholarship.

Refrain from including the amount of the scholarship.

Formatting

  • For the salutation, refer to your fund background document attached to your offer email.
  • Proofread carefully! Spelling and grammar errors can give the impression of carelessness. Consider having someone else review your letter before sending.
  • Type your name at the bottom, but also sign by hand, or insert a digital signature.
  • Embed a photo of yourself or something that represents your student experience in the document.
  • Aim for a full page, but at a minimum the letter should be at least half a page in length.
  • Provide the letter to the scholarship coordinator in a Word document. Only .docx will be accepted.

Turning in your thank you letter

Email completed thank you letter(s) to cas.scholarships@wsu.edu. Pay attention to the formatting requirements below.


Questions?

Contact:
Lindsey Teele
CAS Scholarship Coordinator
cas.scholarships@wsu.edu
509-335-1096