The short answer: Gen Z applicants respond to messages that are simple, respectful, and student-centered. They’re adults who already know you’re the one with the scholarship, so you don’t need to prove authority or lecture them. Talk to them as equals, offer guidance instead of warnings, and reach them by text and email together, not one or the other.
These takeaways come from a session on Gen Z communication at the 2026 NSPA conference. Here’s what scholarship providers can change in their outreach this cycle to get more finished applications.
How do you write messages Gen Z applicants respond to?
1. Keep it simple, and make it make sense
Short messages with one clear point work. If an applicant has to reread a message to figure out what you want, you’ve lost them. Lead with the action, the deadline, and the link.
2. Put the student at the center
Write about what the applicant gets and what they need to do, not about your organization’s process. “Your application is almost done” lands better than “Our committee requires all materials by Friday.”
3. Let peers carry the message
Messages from other students feel more authentic and relatable than messages from an institution. Past recipients are your best messengers. Feature their words in emails, social posts, and on your application page.
4. Don’t lecture
Gen Z applicants don’t want to be talked down to or belittled. Skip the warnings, the all-caps, and the long lists of rules. Meet them in the middle: explain what’s needed and why, then trust them to act.
5. Remember they’re adults
Your authority is already understood. You’re offering money, so you don’t need to restate who’s in charge. Write the way you’d write to a colleague: direct, respectful, and clear.
6. Offer guidance, not pressure
A reminder should feel like help, not a scolding. “Here’s what’s left” beats “You haven’t completed.” Guidance gets applications finished. Pressure gets messages ignored.
What does a Gen Z-friendly scholarship reminder look like?
Here’s a typical reminder email, and the same message rewritten with the principles above.
Before
IMPORTANT REMINDER: The Scholarship Committee requires that ALL application materials be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on March 1. Incomplete applications will NOT be considered. Please review the eligibility requirements and application guidelines carefully before submitting. Late submissions will not be accepted under any circumstances.
After
Hi Jordan, you’re two steps away from finishing your application: your essay and one recommendation letter. Both are due March 1. Pick up where you left off here: [link]. Questions? Just reply to this email.
What changed:
- One point, up front. What’s left, when it’s due, and where to go.
- Written to them. Their name and their progress, not the committee’s rules.
- No authority flex. No capitals, no warnings, no “under any circumstances.”
- An easy next step. A direct link and a real way to ask for help.
Should you text or email Gen Z scholarship applicants?
Both. Gen Z applicants don’t live in one channel. Use text and email as a pair, each doing the job it’s best at.
| Text | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Details, instructions, links to documents | Quick nudges and deadlines |
| Length | A short paragraph or two | One or two sentences |
| When to send | Application opens, major milestones | Days before a deadline, when a draft stalls |
| Example | “Your application is open. Here’s what you’ll need and how long it takes.” | “Your essay is the last step. Due Friday: [link]” |
A simple sequence for one cycle:
- Email when the application opens, with what to expect.
- Text a week before the deadline to anyone with an unfinished draft.
- Email three days out with exactly what’s left.
- Text the day before as a final nudge.
Get consent before texting, and give applicants an easy way to opt out.
Some providers go a step further with a messaging and community app like Flare. It gives applicants one place to get updates, ask questions, and connect with each other and with past recipients, which also puts the peer messaging from principle 3 to work.
FAQs about Reaching Gen Z
Use short, student-centered messages and send them by text and email together. Write to applicants as adults, offer guidance instead of warnings, and let past recipients speak for your program where you can.
Yes, for short reminders, as long as applicants have opted in. Keep email for details and instructions, and use text for quick nudges near a deadline.
Messages from other students feel more authentic and relatable than institutional messages. A past recipient saying “this was worth it” carries more weight than the same line from your organization.
Professional but plain. Skip all-caps warnings and long lists of rules. A clear, friendly message with one next step gets more applications finished than a formal notice.
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