Are you wondering how to promote a scholarship effectively? If you are ready to launch your scholarship or are currently running one, the next step is to let potential scholarship applicants know your award is available. Your scholarship promotion may target a specific demographic, such as online coding bootcamp students. They may help reach many scholarship applicants who may not have the financial means. 

Anyone may establish a scholarship such as businesses, individuals, and nonprofits. In 2018 to 2019, the average scholarship for 4 year schools was $13,700, according to the NCES. The average scholarship amount was $5,580 for 2 year schools for all income levels. Here are different ways to on how to promote a scholarship in order to gain more scholarship applications.

1. Launch an Email Campaign

Email campaigns could help announce the launch of your scholarship. You may also use them to help students in their scholarship search. You may also craft emails with this information to send to existing contacts. Your email newsletter may encourage the contacts to send the information to friends and family.

Emails may assist students with the application process. They may have links to resources and application forms. An email could remind students to finish an application. It could also inform the student that you received their application. When your scholarship is coming to an end, you may send emails to remind eligible applicants to submit before the deadline. Your email campaign also tends to let students know who won the scholarships. 

2. Use Social Media and Targeted Social Ads to Promote Your Scholarship

Social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter could promote a scholarship. These sites have ad campaign services that usually promote sponsored ads. You may need to spend some money on these services. The sponsored ads target specific groups of people. 

For example, Facebook ads typically have effective tools to target many eligible applicants. You may create ads for people in the age group of 18-22 and have certain interests or like certain Facebook pages. You may experiment with various Facebook ad creatives. You could promote your scholarship as a paid video or story post on Instagram or Facebook.

TikTok videos and Instagram reels also provide visual ads that appeal to younger students. They offer scholarship details and feature educators who are entertaining. It breaks down the information into digestible bites as students remember the details.

3. Do PR and Media Outreach for Your Scholarship

Press releases, news stories, and media reports are great ways to get more attention. You could tell an interesting story about why you wanted to start the scholarship. To perform media outreach, you may hire a media or PR agency. You could also speak with your local newspaper, radio station and TV network. 

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) offers a database filled with sources for upcoming stories. You may send out a query about your scholarship. HARO connects you with various journalists. These journalists could write up an inspiring story about your scholarship. 

4. Create Blog Posts and Link Building to Help Promote Scholarships

Create blog posts which provide important details about the scholarships. You may offer details about eligibility and requirements. Use targeted keywords with URL links to the scholarships and the colleges. Focus on creating quality link placement and anchor text that makes sense. You want terms that college students may search for.

Engage in link building to increase visibility for the scholarship. Send outreach emails to high schools or colleges. They may post the scholarship details on the school’s newsletters, websites or emails. With the scholarship in the school’s database, eligible students could easily access it. 

5. Reach Out to Schools

Promote your scholarships at high schools by contacting the school districts. They may provide a list of guidance counselors who could promote the scholarship. Provide eligibility details about the scholarship to the guidance counselor. Make sure you reach out to schools that have eligible applicants who qualify for your award. 

You may reach college students through the school’s financial aid and admission offices. The counselors could list your scholarship on their website. They may also provide details when offering financial aid advice. They could also send out emails about the scholarship program with your company’s contact info.

6. Build a Website for Your Scholarship

When searching for how to advertise a scholarship, consider creating a landing page or website. It’s where you give all the vital details and build interest in the scholarship. You could build your own website on platforms such as WordPress, Drupal, Wix, and GoDaddy. You  may have a full fledged website or even a custom landing page on an existing business website.

7. List Your Award on Scholarship Websites

You could also list scholarships on scholarship websites such as Unigo.com. These websites categorize scholarships based on type, state, major, and other qualifiers. Eligible students are constantly searching these websites all year round. Check the scholarship website on how to list the scholarship. They may also provide promotional tips and techniques on how to promote a scholarship in order to reach more qualified students.

How to Promote a Scholarship Effectively?

The  best way to run an effective scholarship promotion is to inform as many  people as possible. Use word of mouth to share the details about the  promotion. You may share your scholarship to channels where students may usually engage with like social media. Talk about the scholarship with family, friends, coworkers, and at local community events. It could be as simple as pulling up the URL on your phone or telling people to share your Facebook post or page.

An effective scholarship promotion campaign also helps to form positive community bonds. It also promotes colleges to students who may not of heard about them. This scholarship promotion could also help to enroll more students in local colleges. Promoting your scholarship also allows companies to invest more in local communities. The companies may match scholarship funding. They may also provide guaranteed job  positions to students who complete their courses.

Why It’s Beneficial to Promote Your Scholarship?

New scholarships may become lost among the thousands of existing scholarship programs. By promoting your scholarship, you may reach more qualified and quality applicants. These students may need some financial aid to attend college or pay for other expenses.

The scholarships may help students connect with mentoring faculty members. The scholarship may also connect college students with companies who need their knowledge. Also, companies may have employees who need extra training or career development. Your scholarship promotion within the company could also help make college affordable for employees who need it the most.