Awards Requiring UNC Endorsement

Please notify the Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ods@unc.edu) if you wish to apply for one or more of these awards. Note that some of the dates (endorsement deadlines in particular) may change or be updated. We encourage you to check this page regularly and reach out to our office!

*March 27, 2025 note* The 2024-2025 application cycle for distinguished scholarships is coming to a close, and we are getting organized for the 2025-2026 cycle. Many endorsement deadlines for the 2025-2026 scholarship cycle have not yet been set. If there’s a specific date listed then the endorsement application deadline is set. Otherwise, there will be a general timeframe. This page will be updated with specific endorsement application deadlines as they are set.

Beinecke Scholarship

Open to third-year students

Endorsement application deadline: TBD: likely February 2026
Final application deadline: TBA: likely end of March 2026

Boren Awards

Open to enrolled undergraduate and graduate students

Endorsement application deadline* TBD: likely late December 2025–note endorsement is recommended but not required for Boren Awards
Boren Fellowships (graduate students) final application deadline: TBA: likely late January 2025
Boren Scholarships (undergraduate students) final application deadline: TBA: likely late January 2025

Churchill Scholarship

Open to fourth-year students and alumni from the previous academic year

Endorsement application deadline: TBD: likely mid-September 2025
Endorsed students must apply to Cambridge by TBA: likely early-to-mid October 2025
Final application deadline: TBA: likely November 1, 2025

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

Open to graduating seniors, master’s students, doctoral candidates, and alumni.

Endorsement application deadline: TBD: likely early September 2025
Final application deadline: TBA: likely early October 2025

James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program

Open to fourth-year students and alumni from the previous academic year

Endorsement application deadline: TBD: likely late November 2025
Final application deadline: TBA: likely mid-January 2025

Goldwater Scholarship

Open to second- and third-year students

Endorsement application deadline: TBD: likely late November 2025
Final application deadline: TBA: likely late January 2025

Marshall Scholarships

Open to fourth-year students and recent alumni

Endorsement application deadline: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 (9:00 pm ET)
Final application deadline: TBA: likely late September 2025

McCall MacBain Scholarship

Open to fourth-year students and alumni

Endorsement application deadline: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (9:00 pm ET)
Final application deadline: TBA: likely late September 2025

Michel David-Weill Scholarship

Open to graduating seniors only

Applicants who wish to be nominated need to apply to a Science Po master’s program no later than TBD
Endorsement application deadline: TBD: likely early-to-mid October 2025 (9:00 pm ET)
Final application deadline: TBA: likely mid-November 2025

Mitchell Scholarship

As of March 2024 the Mitchell Scholarship has “paused”. The Mitchel Scholarship remains paused for the 2025-2026 application cycle, and there will be no competition.

Rhodes Scholarship

Open to graduating seniors and recent alumni

Endorsement application deadline for US and Canadian applicants: Tuesday, August 5, 2025 (9:00 pm ET)
Final application deadline: for US applicants: TBA: likely early October 2025. For Canadian applicants: TBA: likely late September 2025
Other competitions have final deadlines that may be much earlier than the US competition; check with ODS regarding endorsement for non-US competitions

Truman Scholarship