Scholarship Acceptance, Decline and Deferral Email Samples

When to use this

Winning a scholarship is not the last email you send. You may need to accept it formally, turn down another offer, ask to start a year later, or chase a decision that is late. These emails are short, but they matter: a rude or careless message can cost you an offer, and a gracious decline keeps the door open for you and for other Pakistani applicants.

General rules:

• Reply from the same email address you used to apply, and keep the original subject line so your message stays in the same thread.
• Put your full name and application or student ID in every email.
• Reply within the deadline in the offer letter. If there is none, reply within a week.
• Never accept two fully funded scholarships for the same period. Most award terms forbid it, and you can lose both.

The samples

1. Accepting a scholarship

Subject: Acceptance of [Scholarship name], [Your name], ID [number]

Dear [Name of scholarship officer / Selection Committee],

Thank you for your email of [date] offering me the [Scholarship name] for the [MSc Environmental Engineering] programme at [University name], starting in [September 2027].

I am delighted to accept the scholarship and the conditions set out in the award letter. I have signed and attached the acceptance form as requested.

Please let me know if you need any further documents from me before [date]. I look forward to beginning my studies.

Yours sincerely, [Full name] [Application ID] | [Phone]

2. Declining a scholarship

Subject: [Scholarship name], decision from [Your name], ID [number]

Dear [Name],

Thank you very much for offering me the [Scholarship name]. I am grateful for the time the committee spent on my application.

After careful thought, I have decided to accept another offer that is closer to my research interests in [field], and I must therefore decline this scholarship. I am letting you know now so that the award can be offered to another candidate.

Thank you again for your support, and I hope to have the opportunity to work with [University or organisation] in the future.

Yours sincerely, [Full name]

3. Asking to defer your start date

Subject: Request to defer [Scholarship name] to [year], [Your name], ID [number]

Dear [Name],

Thank you for offering me the [Scholarship name] for [September 2027]. I am writing to ask whether it is possible to defer my place and scholarship to [September 2028].

[Give one clear reason with dates, for example: "My visa application was submitted on [date], but the embassy has advised that processing may take until [date], after the programme start date." / "My final degree transcript will not be issued by [University] until [month] because of delayed examinations." / "I have a family medical emergency; a supporting letter is attached."]

I remain fully committed to the programme. If deferral is not possible under the scholarship's rules, could you please let me know what options are available?

Yours sincerely, [Full name]

4. Following up when you have not heard back

Subject: Follow-up on application for [Scholarship name], [Your name], ID [number]

Dear [Name],

I submitted my application for the [Scholarship name] on [date]. The website mentioned that results would be shared by [date], and I have not yet received an update.

Could you please let me know whether a decision has been made, or when one is expected? I am asking because I must respond to another offer by [date].

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely, [Full name]

How to adapt this

• Keep each email under 150 words. Scholarship offices handle hundreds of messages.
• Attach exactly what was asked for, named clearly (for example, Signed_Acceptance_Form_Ayesha_Khan.pdf).
• When declining, you do not need to name the other scholarship, but it is polite to say you have chosen another offer.
• Deferral rules vary. Many government scholarships, including Chevening and most Erasmus Mundus awards, do not allow deferral, while some university awards do. Ask before you assume.
• Wait before following up. Allow at least a week after the published results date before sending a reminder, and send only one.
• Pakistani government scholarships (HEC, PEEF and others) often have formal procedures and fixed proformas for acceptance. Follow those instead of writing your own email.

Common mistakes

• Silence. Not replying can mean losing the offer, and it blocks the next candidate on the waiting list.
• Accepting an offer and then disappearing when a better one comes. Decline the first one properly.
• Asking for more money in the acceptance email. If you have a funding question, send it separately and politely.
• Writing "Dear Sir" to a named officer who is a woman. Use the name in the email signature.
• Following up every few days.

See also how to ask for a recommendation letter and the email to a potential supervisor.