Marshall Scholarship
Important Dates
Visit for details.
Online application availability: Early spring
Application Deadlines:
Campus deadline: Early September; candidates may not apply directly
National deadline: Early October
Notification of qualifying candidates: Late September - early November
Notification of winning candidates: Late November - early December
Scholarship Overview
Attend graduate school in the UK in a system of higher education recognized for its excellence!
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in any field at an institution in the United Kingdom. Both one-year and two-year Marshall Scholarships are available.
Marshall Scholarships are primarily funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth office in commemoration of the humane ideals of the Marshall Plan and to encourage positive Anglo-American relationships. The scholarship aims to enable intellectually distinguished young future leaders from the US to study in the UK; to help scholars gain an understanding and appreciation of contemporary Britain; to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in different fields at the UK's centers of academic excellence; to motivate scholars to act as ambassadors from the US to the UK, strengthening British-American understanding; and to promote the personal and academic fulfillment of each scholar.
Information for Applicants
- Eligibility
Applicants must be:
- Seniors who will have completed their first undergraduate degree at a US institution before the beginning of the scholarship
- US citizens at the time of application
- Have a 3.7 GPA or higher at the time of application
- Have obtained their first undergraduate degree within the last three years
Who cannot apply:
- International students
- Citizens of the UK (however, dual citizens of the US and the UK can apply, provided they have a US passport and obtained their undergraduate degree from a US institution)
- US citizens who have studied for or obtained a degree from a UK institution
For more information about eligibility requirements, visit .
- Additional Requirements
An institutional endorsement is required to apply for the scholarship. The endorsement is given by the interview committee after the individual interview, if the candidate successfully completes the interview.
You cannot submit your application directly. The Marshall Scholarship Advisor will submit your application on your behalf after successful completion of the individual interview and after the institutional endorsement has been given.
The one-year and the two-year Marshall Scholarships have different rules and requirements. To view information about each of these scholarships, visit and go to the Rules for Marshall Scholarships section.
Seek advising early in the application process. Schedule an advising appointment with the Marshall Scholarship Advisor, TBD to discuss intent to apply.
Interview requirements:
Campus interview: Yes
National interview: Yes; in-person only - Award Benefits
About $47,000+ per year
Benefits covered by the award:
- Residence and cost of living expenses
- Tuition fees
- Airfare to and from the US
Claimable allowances:
- A textbook grant
- A grant for approved travel in connection with studies
- Payment of necessary daily travel expenses between place of residence and place of study
- A grant for the cost of preparation for any thesis submitted for examination
- Shipment of property to and from the US
Award cannot be deferred or renewed.
- Candidate Profile
- Has the potential to excel as scholars, leaders, and contributors to improved UK-US understanding
- Familiar with the educational system of the UK and be able to demonstrate a sustained interest in UK-US relations
- Academic merit: quality of program of study, knowledge of proposed courses and supervisors, evidence of strong and relevant academic background, and quality and breadth of recommendations
- Leadership potential: ability to deliver results, strength of purpose, creativity, and self-awareness
- Ambassadorial potential: knowledge of UK-US relations, evidence of transferable extracurricular activities, interpersonal skills and abilities to engage with others, and self-confidence and ability to seize opportunities
- Application Procedure
- Find a faculty member willing to serve as your mentor throughout the application process.
- Notify the Marshall Scholarship Advisor, TBD the semester before you intend to apply.
- Schedule an advising appointment with the Marshall Scholarship Advisor to discuss details of internal and external application processes and timelines.
- Research UK universities at and establish an appropriate program of study based on your academic and professional plans. You DO NOT need to apply to any UK universities before applying for the scholarship.
- Make contact with faculty at UK universities and find out if they would be willing to become your mentors and support your graduate studies plan.
- Register at and start completing the application.
- Select four instructors from whom you have taken upper-division courses in your discipline to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Instructors should be familiar with your undergraduate research experience and be able to comment in great detail on your academic merit, your leadership potential, your ambassadorial potential, and your post-Marshall plans. Advice for recommenders is available at .
- Start developing all essays required by the application. Be sure to begin early.
- Submit your complete application online, including all letters of recommendation, by the campus deadline. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
- Prepare for your individual campus interview, which will take place 1-2 weeks after the campus deadline. The Marshall Scholarship Campus Interview Committee will determine whether or not to endorse you based on the interview and the application materials submitted. The committees decision is definitive.
- If you are endorsed, an institutional endorsement will be formally submitted by the Marshall Scholarship Advisor to the Marshall Commission as part of the application.
- The Marshall Scholarship Advisor will make the final submission of the application.
- The Marshall Scholarship Regional Committee in San Francisco will conduct a preliminary evaluation of candidates and invite selected applicants to a personal interview in San Francisco the week before Thanksgiving. All costs are paid for.
- Successful applicants will be notified in December.
About 5% of applicants receive awards.