Answers to frequently asked questions.
What should I write about?
This is your chance to thank the supporter(s) of your scholarship and tell them all about your experiences at university. Your update should bring your time at Leeds to life. For example, you can use your letter to:
- Thank your supporter(s)
- Describe how your scholarship has helped you, eg by covering essential costs or enabling you to afford additional activities
- Report back on how your course is progressing – challenges you’ve overcome, achievements you’re proud of, favourite modules or projects
- Share news about extracurricular activities you’ve been involved with eg sports, societies, volunteering, research, travel, work experience
- If you’re graduating in 2022, reflect on how you’ve changed and what you’ve learnt during your time at Leeds, your hopes for the future and how your scholarship has helped you pursue these ambitions.
Who am I writing to and who reads my update?
Your letter should be addressed to the donor(s) who have supported your scholarship by giving money to fund scholarships at Leeds. The scholarship contract you signed when you were awarded your scholarship provides more information about your donor; if you are not sure how to address them, please write, "Dear Supporter". Many scholarship donors are alumni – former Leeds students who want to help others benefit from the opportunities and experiences they enjoyed at university. Some scholarships are supported by a business or charitable organisation.
Your letter will also be read by internal University staff.
When you submit your letter you will be asked whether you are willing for your letter (or quotes from it) to be shared in University communications with alumni and supporters. The aims of these communications include raising awareness of how scholarships can transform students’ lives, celebrating the achievements of scholarship students and helping us raise funds to provide more scholarships for future Leeds students.
Here are a few examples of how we share scholarship stories:
- As a short article on the University website
- As a video on the Leeds alumni YouTube channel
- In brochures and magazines, both digital and print.
It’s up to you whether you are happy to share your scholarship story in this way – if you prefer not to, you can opt out within the Typeform by selecting the statement that limits sharing to internal University staff and the direct supporters of your scholarship. If you have any questions about this, please email the Stewardship team at stewardship@leeds.ac.uk.
I’m on a Year Abroad / Year in Industry – do I need to complete the survey?
Yes. Supporters love to hear about how this year away from Leeds has enriched your university degree with new and different experiences.
How long should my answers be?
Your update should fill roughly one side of A4 in a Word document. We may ask you to rewrite or expand your update if it is too short, or if you’ve copied text from our example letter.
I’ve actually found this year really difficult and I’m not sure what to write
Please don’t worry. We understand that students can face many challenges whilst at university. If things haven’t gone as well as you hoped this year, you can be honest about that - but there is also no pressure to write about anything you feel uncomfortable sharing.
If you’ve had a difficult year, you might feel you don’t have anything very impressive or exciting to write about, but remember that making it to university, persevering through challenges and seeking help when you need it are all achievements in themselves. If you feel able to write about any ways that your scholarship has helped you through the tough times, your donor will really appreciate this and will be especially glad that they were able to support you when you needed it.
If you still have concerns about writing your update, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help.
Get in touch
If you have any further questions please email the Stewardship team at stewardship@leeds.ac.uk.