Applying for Endorsed Scholarships

This page contains links to nationally prestigious scholarships and fellowships requiring UNC endorsement. You will find information about how to apply to each award and a link to detailed application information. The Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS) provides a central location for information about distinguished awards and assists Carolina students in applying for these scholarships and fellowships. We provide general advising to any student for any nationally competitive award. In addition, ODS administers the institutional vetting process called endorsement for 15 scholarship and fellowship programs, including the Marshall, Mitchell, Rhodes, Churchill, Truman, Udall, and Luce.

Awards Requiring UNC Endorsement

FOURTH-YEAR STUDENTS, RECENT GRADUATES, & YOUNG ALUMNI

Boren Awards (National Security Education Program)

Scholarship Final Deadline: Early February (optional UNC Deadline is mid-December)

Fellowship Final Deadline: Late January (optional UNC Deadline is mid-December)

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students entering graduate school and graduate students with a 3.4+ GPA and an interest in foreign languages less frequently studied; willingness to work for a federal agency.

Award: Up to $30,000 for self-designed study with strong language component in lesser studied areas of the world; approximately 140 recipients per year.

Official Website: http://www.borenawards.org/

Carnegie Endowment’s James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program

UNC Deadline: Late November

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students and recent graduates with interests in international affairs, and academics that demonstrate high potential.

Award: One-year paid fellowship as research assistant to the Endowment’s senior associates.

Official Website: http://www.carnegieendowment.org/about/index.cfm?fa=jrfellows

Churchill Scholarship

UNC Deadline: Early October

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates in STEM fields (e.g. mathematics, biology, biochemistry, physical anthropology, computer speech and language processing, computer science, physics, chemistry, & mathematical statistics) with significant research experience.

Award: One year at Churchill College at the University of Cambridge for graduate degree with all fees, tuition, and travel covered; 12-15 scholars each year.

Official Website: http://www.winstonchurchillfoundation.org/

Ertegun Scholarship

Final Deadlines: Mid-January

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates pursuing graduate work in the humanities.

Award: Full-cost scholarships to pursue full-time graduate degree at the University of Oxford; 10 recipients internationally each year.
Official Website: http://www.ertegun.ox.ac.uk/

Fulbright U. S. Student Program

UNC Deadline (apply through UNC Global, not ODS): Mid-September

Competitive Students: Graduating fourth-year students, recent bachelor’s-degree recipients, graduate-level candidates, and young professionals with professional study and/or experience in their field

Award: Provides grants for 9-12 months for individually designed study/research projects & English Teaching Assistant Programs; more than 1,500 recipients each year.

Websites: http://cgi.unc.edu/fulbright and http://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/fulbright-us-student-program

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Final Deadlines: Mid-October

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates with outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential, and the commitment to improving the lives of others.

Award: Full-cost scholarships to pursue any full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge; 40 U.S. recipients and 50 internationally each year.
Official Website: http://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/

Knight-Hennessy Scholarships

Final Deadline: Early October (optional UNC Deadline is early August)

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates showing independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset; 100 scholars each year (50 for its 2018 year).

Award: Full funding up to three years for any full-time graduate degree program at Stanford University.

Official Website: https://knight-hennessy.stanford.edu/

Luce Scholars Program

UNC Deadline: Mid-September

Competitive Students: High potential fourth-year students or alumni between ages 18-29 at the start of the program with 3.6+ GPA with little prior experience in Asia or limited coursework in Asia studies.

Award: One year paid internship experience in Asia based on scholar’s specific interests; 15 to 18 scholars each year.

Official Website: http://www.hluce.org/lsprogram.aspx

Marshall Scholarships

UNC Deadline: Early August

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates with a minimum 3.7 GPA, substantial intellect, community involvement, and leadership potential.

Award: One or two years study at the graduate level, at UK institutions, in any field of study; 40 scholars each year.

Official Website: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/

Michel David-Weill Scholarship

UNC Deadline: Mid-October

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students accepted to an eligible Sciences Po master’s program in the social sciences who have demonstrated capacities for critical analysis, leadership, and commitment to community.

Award: $80,000 to cover tuition and living expenses during a two-year master’s program at Sciences Po in Paris, France.

Official Website: https://www.sciencespo.fr/international/en/content/michel-david-weill-scholarship

Mitchell Scholarship

UNC Deadline: Early August

Competitive Students: High potential fourth-year students or alumni below age 30 with a 3.8+ GPA and substantial intellectual distinction, leadership & service experience.

Award: All funding for a one year master’s degree at institutions in Ireland and Northern Ireland; 12 scholars each year.

Official Website: http://www.us-irelandalliance.org/

Rhodes Scholarships

UNC Deadline: Early August

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates with a 3.7+ GPA and demonstrated intellectual distinction, leadership & service.

Award: Two years of funding for a master’s degree at the University of Oxford with all tuition, fees and living allowance paid, 32 Americans and 11 Canadians selected each year; approximate annual total of 80 recipients internationally.

Official Website: http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/

Schwarzman Scholars

Final Deadline: Mid-September

Competitive Students: Future leaders from around the globe who are fourth-year students or alumni between ages 18-29 at the start of the program.

Award: One-year cultural immersion while earning a master’s degree in public policy, international relations, or economics and business at Tsinghua University in Beijing for 100 scholars in 2016, now up to 200.

Official Website: http://schwarzmanscholars.org/

Scoville Fellowship

Final Deadline: Early October

Competitive Students: Fourth-year students or recent graduates will be selected to work with nonprofit, public-interest organizations addressing peace and security issues.

Award: Six-to-nine month full-time fellowships in Washington, D.C. that include salary, health insurance, and travel costs to Washington; approximately five recipients during fall and spring terms.
Official Website: http://scoville.org/

Yenching Academy

UNC Deadline: Mid October

Competitive Students: Outstanding graduates from around the globe with interests in interdisciplinary study of China, excellent leadership potential, and demonstrated experience in extracurricular achievement, community engagement, and social responsibility.

Award: One-year residence at Peking University while earning a master’s degree in China Studies through a postgraduate scholarship that covers tuition fees, a travel stipend, accommodations, and living costs.

Official Website: http://yenchingacademy.org/

Other Awards

For application details for other awards, visit “Find A Scholarship or Fellowship” or contact the Office of Distinguished Scholarships.

Applying for Endorsed Scholarships

Awards Requiring UNC Endorsement

FOURTH-YEAR STUDENTS, RECENT GRADUATES, & YOUNG ALUMNI

Other Awards

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