Scholarship Recommendation Letters: Rules for LPDP, Chevening, Fulbright, and AAS
How scholarship recommendation letters work for LPDP, Chevening, Fulbright, and AAS: who to ask, official rules, timelines, and an email template for referees.
Why Recommendation Letters Deserve More Attention
Most scholarship applicants spend weeks on their essays and their English test score, then ask for recommendation letters at the last minute. That is a mistake. A reference letter is the only part of your application written by someone else, so selection panels use it to check whether the person in your essay actually exists.
The problem is that every scholarship has different rules: how many letters, who can write them, when they are due, what language they must be in, and who uploads them. Get one rule wrong and a strong application can be disqualified before anyone reads it.
This guide covers the official rules for four scholarships that Indonesian and international students apply to most, LPDP, Chevening, Fulbright, and Australia Awards (AAS), then shows you how to choose referees and ask them in a way that gets you a specific, useful letter.
Rules change every cycle. Everything below is based on the official pages linked in each section. Always reread the guidebook for your exact program and intake before you apply.
Quick Comparison: Reference Rules at a Glance
| Scholarship | How many | Who can write it | When it is needed | Who submits it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LPDP (Indonesia) | Usually 1, check your program | An academic if you are not working, your supervisor if you are working (varies by program) | At registration | You (upload) or the referee (online form) |
| Chevening (UK) | 2 | Professional or academic referees, not friends or relatives | Names in the application, letters only if you advance | You upload both letters |
| Fulbright master's (USA, via AMINEF) | 3 | Employers or university lecturers | Referees are emailed after you submit | Referees, through the online system |
| Australia Awards Indonesia (master's by coursework) | At least 2 | One academic referee plus at least one other, e.g. a work supervisor | With the application | You upload scanned reports |
Now the details for each one.
LPDP: Read Your Program's Rules Carefully
LPDP runs many scholarship schemes, and the recommendation letter rules are not identical across them. For the Regular Scholarship (Beasiswa Reguler), the official page asks for a recommendation letter from an academic if you are not yet working, or from your supervisor if you are already working (LPDP Regular Scholarship). Other schemes, such as affirmation or partnership programs, can ask for a letter from a community figure or a specific institution instead.
Two rules from LPDP's 2026 program pages are worth knowing (example: LPDP UIII 2026 page):
- Validity window: the letter must be issued no more than one year before registration, counted to the same month you register. A letter signed in March 2025 is still valid for a March 2026 application, but one signed in February 2025 is not.
- Two submission options:
- Online form: you enter your referee's name, institution, position, active email, and phone number in the application system. LPDP then emails the referee, who fills in and submits the recommendation directly.
- Offline form (upload): your referee signs a letter, you upload it, and you enter the month and year it was issued or signed.
Practical tips for LPDP:
- If you choose the online form, tell your referee before you enter their email so the LPDP message does not land in spam or get ignored.
- If you upload a signed letter, check the date first. An old letter from a previous application is the most common way to fail this rule.
- Civil servant (PNS/CPNS) applicants usually also need a nomination letter (surat usulan) from their institution. Check the requirements for your specific scheme.
Chevening: Two Referees, and You Collect the Letters
Chevening's rules are clear and strict (Chevening references guidance):
- You must give the names and contact details of two referees in your application. They can be two professional referees, two academic referees, or one of each.
- Referees should not be friends or relatives.
- You do not upload the letters at the start. If you are invited to interview, you must upload both letters no later than seven working days before your interview. Miss that deadline and your application is no longer considered.
- Chevening does not contact your referees for you. You collect the letters and upload them yourself.
- Letters must be in English. If a letter is in another language, upload the original and a notarised English translation in one file.
Chevening also asks that each letter be addressed to the British embassy or high commission in your country and include the referee's contact details, how long and in what capacity they have known you, and when you last had regular contact. The content should briefly endorse your leadership and networking skills, your personal and interpersonal qualities, and your ability to complete a demanding academic programme in the UK.
Practical tips for Chevening:
- Ask your referees when you apply, not when you are invited to interview. The interview invitation can leave you with little time.
- Share Chevening's own list of what the letter must cover. Most referees have never written a Chevening reference and do not know about the leadership and networking focus.
- If a referee becomes unavailable after you are invited to interview, Chevening's guidance allows alternatives who meet the same criteria, as long as the letters arrive before the interview. Be ready to explain the change.
Fulbright Master's (Indonesia): Three Letters, Submitted by Referees
For Indonesian applicants, the Fulbright Master's Degree Scholarship is managed by AMINEF. Its program page asks for three letters of reference from an employer or university lecturer (AMINEF Fulbright Master's). The program page and the AMINEF FAQ add several important points (AMINEF FAQ):
- Ask people who have supervised you in work relevant to your proposed study.
- You enter your referees' email addresses in the online system. The system sends them the reference link only after you click "Submit", so check the addresses carefully.
- Recommenders can submit their letters up to two weeks after the application deadline.
- Application documents that are not in English, including recommendation letters, must be translated into English.
Practical tips for Fulbright:
- Three letters means you need three people who know your work well. Plan this early, because the third referee is usually the hardest to find.
- Do not wait until the deadline day to submit. Your referees only receive the link after you submit, and a two-week window passes quickly for a busy professor.
- Give each referee a different angle (for example research ability, work impact, and community involvement) so the three letters do not repeat each other.
Australia Awards Indonesia: Referee Reports in English
Australia Awards Indonesia calls them referee reports rather than letters. According to its supporting documents page (Australia Awards in Indonesia):
- Master's by coursework applicants provide one academic referee report plus at least one other referee report, for example from a work or organisation supervisor.
- Master's by research applicants provide two academic referee reports.
- Referee reports must be in English and submitted as scanned originals.
- The site offers a template for the preferred report format. Give that template to your referees instead of asking them to write a free-form letter.
How to Choose the Right Referees
The best referee is not the most senior person you know. It is the person who can describe specific things you did. Use this checklist for every name on your list:
- They have supervised, taught, or worked closely with you, ideally within the last few years
- They can give at least two concrete examples of your work or leadership
- Their role matches what the scholarship asks for (academic, employer, supervisor)
- They are not a friend or relative
- They can write in English, or you have planned for a certified or notarised translation if the scholarship allows it
- They respond to email reliably and can meet the deadline
| Referee type | What they can prove | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis supervisor | Research ability, academic writing, independence | Research-focused programs, Fulbright, AAS academic reports |
| Lecturer from a key course | Subject knowledge, class performance | Fresh graduates, LPDP for non-working applicants |
| Direct manager | Work impact, responsibility, growth | Working applicants, Chevening, LPDP for employed applicants |
| Organisation or project lead | Leadership, teamwork, initiative | Chevening leadership focus, AAS second referee |
How to Ask (and Get a Specific Letter)
A vague request produces a vague letter. Make it easy for your referee to write something strong:
- Ask early: at least four to six weeks before you need the letter.
- Ask in person or by call first, then follow up by email with everything in writing.
- Send a referee pack: your CV, your essay or study plan draft, the scholarship's official instructions, the deadline, and how the letter will be submitted.
- Suggest two or three stories they could mention, with dates and results. Do not write the letter for them unless they ask, and never sign or submit a letter on their behalf.
- Remind politely one week and two days before the deadline.
- Thank them, and tell them the result later.
Email template you can adapt
Subject: Request for a reference letter for the [Scholarship Name] application
Dear [Title and Name],
I hope you are well. I am applying for the [Scholarship Name] to study [Program] at [University], and I would be very grateful if you could act as one of my referees.
I am asking you because [one sentence about how you worked together, e.g. you supervised my final project on ...]. If you agree, it would be especially helpful if the letter could mention [example 1] and [example 2].
The letter needs to be [in English / addressed to ... / submitted through the online system], and the deadline is [date]. I have attached my CV, my draft essay, and the official instructions.
Thank you very much for considering this.
Kind regards, [Your Name]
Common Mistakes That Cost Applicants
| Mistake | Why it hurts | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Reusing an old letter | LPDP, for example, rejects letters outside its validity window | Check the issue date against the current rules |
| Wrong language | Chevening and AAS require English, Fulbright requires an English translation | Confirm the language rule before your referee starts writing |
| Typo in the referee's email | The Fulbright link only goes to the address you entered | Copy addresses from the referee's own email signature |
| A famous name who barely knows you | Generic praise adds nothing | Choose people with specific examples |
| Asking after the interview invitation | Chevening's upload deadline is short | Line up both referees when you apply |
| Three letters saying the same thing | Wastes the panel's attention | Give each referee a different focus |
Do Not Forget the Other Required Document: Your English Score
References tell the panel who you are, but most scholarships also need proof of English proficiency, and some accept the Duolingo English Test (DET). Requirements differ by scholarship and university, so check the current list for your program. If you are using the DET, the photo tasks (Write About the Photo and Speak About the Photo) are a good place to build quick gains, and Wono DET lets you practice them under the real timer with AI feedback on every answer. Wono DET is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with Duolingo.
Conclusion
A strong recommendation letter is mostly about planning and following the rules:
- Read the reference rules for your exact scholarship and intake
- Choose referees who can give specific examples, not just big titles
- Ask four to six weeks early, with a complete referee pack
- Double-check the language, the date, the email address, and who submits the letter
- Thank your referees and keep them updated
Do this once, carefully, and your references will support your essays instead of becoming the weakest part of your application.
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