How often do we assume people on campus just “get it” when it comes to scholarships? If you’ve ever been frustrated by how scholarships are perceived or discussed, you’re not alone. But the truth is, we’ve been looking at the wrong culprit.
A recent opinion piece claimed that “scholarship money is going to waste,” but what’s really happening is a communication breakdown. We haven’t been telling the full story—what scholarships are, how they work, and why they matter—to the people who need to hear it most.
And here’s the kicker: The audience for scholarship communication is not just our donors. Students are a key audience, too, and they need the same amount of scholarship education as we give our donors and campus partners.
Perception Is Truth, and We’ve Got It Wrong
In life, perception is reality—and right now, the perception of scholarships is muddled at best. Many students don’t understand how scholarships fit in their financial aid packages, let alone why they’re asked to write a thank-you note for a scholarship they weren’t even aware of. And that is on us.
Historically, scholarship education has been heavily donor-focused, which makes sense—donors fund scholarships. However, our students experience them. If they don’t understand donor-funded scholarships' role in their education, their appreciation will feel forced at best and non-existent at worst.
We need to take responsibility for bridging that gap.
It’s Not Just What We Say—It’s How We Say It
At DRG, we talk all the time about why requiring thank-you notes is not the best practice—and this is a perfect example of why.
Scholarships are meant to support students, but when our messaging isn’t clear, we create confusion instead of gratitude. Many institutions, including the one in the opinion piece, use a replacement or swap process for scholarships. In this model, students receive a complete financial aid package upfront, and later, a portion of their aid is quietly swapped for donor-funded dollars.
Here’s the problem: the students don’t apply for these scholarships.
The words we use shape how students experience scholarships. Being “selected” for something feels very different from having funding allocated behind the scenes. That disconnect creates frustration, leading to disengagement from students and, ultimately, missed opportunities to foster a culture of gratitude and awareness. Many students don’t even realize they qualify for a scholarship, let alone what it covers.
And when confusion turns into frustration, we see uninspired thank-you notes that lead to donor frustration—and the cycle repeats.
The good news? We can fix this.
Four Ways to Improve the Scholarship Experience
1. Be Smart About Our Word Choices
Language matters. Students who do not actively apply for a scholarship shouldn’t be told they “won” it. Instead, we should be saying something like:
“As part of your financial aid package, donor-funded scholarships have been used to help support your education.”
This subtle shift in wording ensures that students understand how their aid was assembled without the misleading implication that they earned a scholarship in a competitive process.
2. Educate Before We Ask
Before we even think about asking for a thank-you note, we need to educate students on what donor-funded scholarships actually do. Institutions should send messages that explain how donor funding contributes to their aid.
Better yet, let’s use multi-channel communication—videos, social media, even on-campus events—to create authentic moments of gratitude.
3. Test the Process—Like, Really Test It
One of the most eye-opening exercises we can do is walk through the process as if we were students and donors:
How does a student find out about their scholarship?
When and how are they asked to acknowledge it?
If you were a donor, how would it feel to receive a thank-you note from a student who was forced to write it?
If we don’t test it, we’ll never see the friction points we need to fix.
Take your testing one step further: Have someone not connected to scholarships review your communications. I promise you’ll learn something.
4. Build Relationships with Both Donors AND Students
Scholarships aren’t just transactions—they’re opportunities to create connection and understanding. Instead of treating scholarships like a simple financial exchange, we need to ensure students understand the role donor funding plays in their education, and give donors insight into the impact of their support.
We should prioritize proactive education and storytelling. Students should receive clear, accessible information about how donor funding supports their financial aid. In contrast, donors should see the broader impact of their generosity—not just through individual thank-you notes but through meaningful updates, reports, and storytelling that reinforce the value of their investment.
The Bottom Line: Let’s Stop Setting Students (and Donors) Up for Frustration
Scholarship money isn’t going to waste—it’s simply misunderstood. And that misunderstanding starts with how we communicate.
When we use the right words, educate before we ask, test the process, and focus on relationships, we can create a scholarship experience that works for everyone—students, donors, and institutions alike.
Let’s do better.
Written by Liz Menne
