Marshall Scholarships
Marshall Scholarships finance up to 50 young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom.
Award: The Two Year Marshall Scholarship is tenable for two academic years. The One Year Marshall Scholarship is tenable for one academic year (12 months) and cannot be extended. Almost all Marshal Scholarships are two-year awards, so an applicant should only apply to a one-year Marshall in extraordinary circumstances. The award covers university fees, cost of living expenses, annual book grant, thesis grant, research and daily travel grants, fares to and from the United States and, where applicable, a contribution towards the support of a dependent spouse.
Criteria: In appointing Scholars the selectors will look for candidates who have the potential to excel as scholars, as leaders and as contributors to improved UK-US understanding. Assessment will be based on academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential.
Applicants must be endorsed by UNC-Chapel Hill in order to apply for the Marshall Scholarship. To be eligible to apply for UNC-Chapel Hill endorsement, applicants must meet with ODS Executive Director Marc Howlett at least twice. Those meetings must occur in the current calendar year, be separated by at least a week, and occur before the endorsement deadline.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Marshall Scholarship, candidates must:
- be citizens of the United States of America (at the time they apply for a scholarship)
- hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States by the time they take up their scholarship in September of the following year
- have obtained a grade point average of not less than 3.7 on their undergraduate degree (Applicants must have a GPA of 3.7 at the time of application)
- Please note that while 3.7 is the minimum GPA to be eligible to apply, most applicants will have a much higher GPA. Applicants with GPAs below 3.8 will have an even more challenging time receiving UNC-Chapel Hill endorsement for the Marshall Scholarship
- Have graduated from their first undergraduate college or university after April 2023
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- not have studied for, or hold a degree or degree-equivalent qualification from a British University or GCSE or A Levels taken at school in the UK
*Note* please verify eligibility on the Marshall Scholarships website.
How to apply for UNC endorsement
- Please note: the UNC Marshall endorsement application process has changed for the 2025 cycle. The new process follows:
- Meet with ODS Executive Director at least twice. These meetings must occur in the current calendar year, be separated by at least a week, and occur before the endorsement deadline. You can make an appointment here
- After your second appointment, you’ll be emailed the official UNC Marshall endorsement application.
For the endorsement application, you will be primarily working outside of the Marshall Scholarship application portal, including letters of recommendation.
Marshall UNC endorsement application (except letters of recommendation).
- Complete the UNC Marshall endorsement application that you received via email. Note that the endorsement application is the exact same application as the one for the Marshall Scholarship. For endorsement, you’ll just be completing it outside of the portal.
- Follow the directions in the UNC Marshall endorsement application to create a combined and complete application in PDF form and submit via the Application for UNC Endorsement Form
Letters of recommendation
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- Share with your recommenders the following link to submit their letters to ODS: https://form.jotform.com/202056267878969. They will use the preceding link to submit their letter of recommendation to ODS. As of 2025, there is no longer a form to register recommenders.
- *The Marshall Scholarship has specific requirements concerning who can write your letters; please review those requirements on the website before selecting recommenders*
- Share with your recommenders the following link to submit their letters to ODS: https://form.jotform.com/202056267878969. They will use the preceding link to submit their letter of recommendation to ODS. As of 2025, there is no longer a form to register recommenders.
The complete UNC Marshall endorsement application and the three letters of recommendation must be received by ODS by the endorsement application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The endorsement application deadline cannot be extended.
Resources for applicants
- Thoroughly read the following Marshall rules and guidelines:
- ODS information sessions and prep-shops
- Schedule a meeting with the ODS executive director to discuss your application and receive advice to consider.
Applicants may apply for multiple scholarship awards simultaneously, including the Rhodes, Marshall, and other scholarships. However, pay careful attention to differences in guidelines for personal statements among other considerations.
