The scholarship definition can be used in two different ways. The first is the prize money given to students to help pay for school. The second is the type of research done by a student or teacher based on what is already known. In a university, the scholarship definition is typically the money given to students that does not need to be paid back as long as certain conditions are met. This is also the research that professors do, their papers, and the sum total of their research. This distinction is important as a letter from a university, the IRS, or the faculty handbook or a syllabus may use the word differently.
In This Article
- What Is Scholarship? A Plain Scholarship Definition
- Where The Word Scholarship Comes From
- Scholarship In College Vocabulary
- Scholarship As Academic Work
- Examples Of Scholarship In Sentences
- Scholarship In Vocabulary Lists And Reading Contexts
- Reliable References For Scholarship Articles
- Frequently Confused Meanings Of Scholarship
- Quick Answers About Scholarship
- Key takeaways
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
What Is Scholarship? A Plain Scholarship Definition
A proper definition of “scholarship” must account for two popular definitions. In one sense, a scholarship is a grant of money for educational purposes, awarded by a university, a private organization, a business, a charity, or a government program. The grant can be applied to tuition, fees, textbooks, room and board, and other educational costs.
In another sense, the word means an academic research, study, or achievement. A monograph, a peer-reviewed article, or even a tenure file can all be described as scholarship. So, if you are asking “what does scholarship mean at my school,” be sure to consider the context: on financial aid websites, the word likely refers to money; on faculty or student writing, the word likely refers to research.
Where The Word Scholarship Comes From
The word is from the word scholar, which is a person involved in learning, study, or education. That’s why the original, more academic meaning of the word is about knowledge, education, and intellectual achievement instead of money. The sense of scholarship that most people look for on the internet is the meaning created by schools and private donors when they began to use the word scholarship for the financial aid they gave to students.
Here’s the interesting part: both meanings still share a common thread, which is that education is important. One definition refers to the financial reward or assistance for education, and the other definition refers to education, especially the education that enables someone to write or do research and produce knowledge that other people can study, verify, debate, or build upon.
How To Spell Scholarship And Scholarships
The correct spelling of scholarship is s-c-h-o-l-a-r-s-h-i-p. The plural form is scholarships, which is the word scholarship with an s at the end. If you are looking for “how do you spell scholarships,” then you are looking for the plural form because you are looking for more than one award, or more than one body of knowledge.
A search for scholarship definition college will usually return the singular first, then examples of plural awards. Use scholarship for a single award, and scholarships for multiple.
Scholarship In College Vocabulary
In the college vocabulary, the college scholarships definition is a little more narrow than the general dictionary definition. It normally means money that you don’t have to pay back. A grant is another kind of award, but typically colleges use the word “grant” when they’re talking about need-based awards, and the word “scholarship” when they’re talking about merit-, talent-, identity-, service-, or field-based awards.
The catch, however, is that these labels aren’t always used consistently, so you need to read the award letter, the FAFSA aid letter, and the renewal conditions before assuming how the award will work. For example, some merit awards will require you to maintain a minimum GPA in order to keep them. Need-based awards may change in value if your family’s financial situation changes.
What A Scholarship Means For Students
In the college student’s world, the scholarship meaning college comes down to a very practical question: what does this scholarship pay for, and what am I required to do to keep it? Some scholarships only pay for tuition. Some pay for fees, books, housing, or some combination of educational expenses.
Will the award renew automatically each year? Will I need to be a full-time student? Is it based on my grades? Does it expire after X number of semesters?
Can I Get A Scholarship?
Yes, you can get one if you fit the criteria for the particular scholarship. The most common types of college scholarships fall into these categories: merit, need, athletic or artistic talent, community service, identity, intended major, career goal, local residency.
This is where most people go wrong. Scholarship articles tend to talk about general categories, but every scholarship has its own specific requirements. Before applying, make sure your GPA, FAFSA info, application deadline, essay questions, and documentation all match what the scholarship listing asks for.
Scholarship As Academic Work
The term scholarship may refer to the sort of academic work that generates, synthesizes, evaluates, or theorizes about information. Universities often use this work when evaluating faculty for tenure, promotions, seniority or professional status. It may comprise journal articles, books, talks at conferences, public engagement, research in practice or other forms of creative activity suitable to the field.
The Journal Impact Factor may play a role in these conversations, particularly if a department considers the venue in which the work was published. Yet they are not comprehensive and their utility depends upon the conventions of the field. While ‘publish or perish’ accurately captures the intensity of many faculty members’ experience, scholarship may also mean mentoring, synthesis of information or contributions to one’s community.
Scholarship Vs Research
Research is a form of scholarship but the term ‘scholarship’ refers to activities other than scholarly research. This could include experimental laboratory work, research conducted in archives, or conducting field studies. It could be a journal article within your field reviewing the literature, a short essay commenting on a judicial opinion, or an art exhibit displaying original works.
How does this affect you? Make sure to check the definition at your institution before you assume a certain activity is a scholarship.
Scholarship Definition In Economics And Other Fields
The definition of Scholarship Definition in the Economics And Other Fields is discipline-dependent. In economics, for instance, scholarship may involve model building, empirical analysis, theoretical exploration, policy assessment or an exchange of opinions in a peer-reviewed journal. In art, it may involve creating something new along with a thoughtful reflection on that creation.
Even at the university level, language matters. For example, the Biology Division of the University of Chicago established its own divisional policy specifying what constitutes scholarship in its particular academic culture. This will not be identical to a dictionary definition.
Examples Of Scholarship In Sentences
Remember to use the term in the appropriate context, not just the definition.
- He received a scholarship that reduced his tuition for the fall semester.
- His scholarship on early modern commerce changed the conversation in class about trading ports.
- The department recognized peer-reviewed publications, teaching materials, and public lectures as scholarly activities.
- She researched three community scholarships before submitting her financial aid application to the college.
- The committee praised the professor’s scholarship but wanted to see more evidence of her work in the classroom.
- The letter stated the scholarship would be renewed as long as the student remained enrolled full-time.
Scholarship In Vocabulary Lists And Reading Contexts
In many cases, scholarship is used alongside vocabulary that helps give a hint about the intended meaning.
- When discussing college scholarships, we might see other related words like “tuition”, “aid”, “award”, “FAFSA”, “renewal”, “eligibility”, or “unmet need.”
- If reading literature, we might see terms like “criticism”, “interpretation”, “evidence”, “authorship” and “close reading.”
- If writing an academic paper, we might see “citation”, “peer review”, “methodology”, “argument”, “contribution”, and “disciplinary standards.”
Reliable References For Scholarship Articles
If you’re writing in a more formal style, check a dictionary to see how the word is typically used and make sure that the definition is appropriate for the way that you are using it.
- Merriam-Webster is good for concise dictionary-style wordings and examples of how the word is used. – Cambridge Dictionary lets you compare British and American phrasing, which may be useful for an international audience. – Dictionary.com has sample sentences that show you how the word is used. – For information about awards, how to renew them, or whether you have to pay them back, see a college financial-aid office rather than a dictionary. – For academic uses, see a faculty handbook or promotion policy rather than a dictionary.
Frequently Confused Meanings Of Scholarship
Another common error is assuming all scholarships are full-rides. Some scholarships pay for all your costs of attendance, some pay for only a portion of your tuition, some pay for only a specific amount, and some pay for only a specific type of expense. The award letter spells out how much money you get, how long, and under what conditions.
Let’s stop for a moment. In the world of financial aid, scholarships do not mean the same thing as they do in the world of scholarly work during a faculty review. When we are talking about scholarships in the context of admissions or financial aid, we mean money. When we are talking about scholarships in the context of scholarly writing, we mean knowledge and evidence. When we are talking about scholarships in the context of tax law or legal language, we are talking about the regulations of the IRS and the rules written by the school.
Quick Answers About Scholarship
These answers can help as a good starting point for a more concrete response when needed.
- What’s a scholarship? Well, at the simplest level, it’s any type of monetary award or other academic recognition, and the exact definition changes based on the context.
- Scholarships are legally defined differently depending on the specific law, policy, or tax matter being addressed, so please look at both the scholarship and the language of the institution.
- If there’s ever a question of how a scholarship might be treated for tax purposes, reach out to the Internal Revenue Service for an answer, as it depends on where the money goes.
- A scholarship might or might not actually involve receiving a check, and it could just be a credit on your student bill.
- Because many things are time-dependent, including FAFSA eligibility, tax consequences, renewal criteria, deadlines, and school policies, make sure to verify any applicable details.
Key takeaways
A scholarship has two key meanings: (1) an award for education and (2) serious academic study. In college, scholarships are typically awards for education that don’t need to be paid back. Scholarships may be merit-, need-, talent-, identity-, service-, or discipline-based. Academic scholarship may include research, teaching, publication, and disciplinary contribution. Dictionary definitions of scholarships should always be accompanied by college examples since students search for practical meaning.
Frequently asked questions
What is the full meaning of scholarship?
Scholarship generally means money for school, or the knowledge learned by a scholar in a particular discipline. In financial aid for college, it means money for school. In academic writing, it means a well-informed work that is based on evidence, knowledge and research.
What is the other meaning of scholarship?
Another meaning of scholarship is scholarly work: research, interpretation, publication, teaching or study that contributes to knowledge. This meaning is used mostly in universities, faculty reviews, and academic writing. This does not mean money, but the meaning is related to education.
What are scholarships in simple terms?
Scholarships are awards that help you pay for school, and generally do not need to be paid back as long as you follow the terms of the award. They may be based on grades, financial need, talent, service, identity, major, or other factors. Always read the terms of the award.
What is the legal definition of a scholarship?
The legal definition of a scholarship is different depending on what law, tax code, contract or policy you are talking about, not just one definition. For tax purposes, read the guidance of the Internal Revenue Service and the way your school reports the scholarship. For college rules, read the award agreement.
How is a scholarship different from a grant?
A scholarship and a grant are both educational aid that generally do not need to be paid back, but colleges often use the terms in different ways. Grants are generally based on financial need, while scholarships are often based on merit, talent, identity, service, or field of study. The terms of the award are what matters.
Conclusion
A scholarship can mean financial aid to fund a student’s education or the work of scholarship, the learning and knowledge scholars create. Within the college setting, the term is most often used to mean money given to a student to pay for tuition, fees, books, room and board, etc., that does not need to be repaid. It can also mean the scholarly work, the research, writing, publishing, teaching, and other contributions a scholar makes to his or her discipline.
For safety, use the scholarship definition for the document you are looking at. If you are looking at a financial aid award, you want to know the award amount, if it will renew each year, how it works with your FAFSA, and how it can be used. If you are looking at an academic policy, you want to know how the college defines scholarly contribution. The context will make clear the meaning of the word.
