Marshall Overview | Inter/National Fellowships

What is the Marshall Scholarship?

Internal Deadline:

August 28, 2024 at NOON

Contact the Office of Fellowships for support at least one month before this deadline.

The Marshall Scholarships fund 1-2 years of study in any field at one or more British universities, with roughly 50 awards offered each year. Grantees may pursue two successive one-year master’s programs, one two-year master’s program, or the first two years of a PhD (with the possibility of a third year extension).

For candidates in bioscience, medicine and related disciplines, there is a special category of awards funded jointly by the Marshall Commission and the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, called the NIH Marshall Scholarships. To be eligible, applicants must first be selected as Marshall Scholars, applying in the usual way. Any Marshall Scholar who is selected for research in a bio-medical/science field can be put forward to the NIH for consideration.

Marshall Scholars (awardees) who are pursuing a three-year PhD at Cambridge or Oxford may apply for additional Partnership Marshall Scholarships which will fund the third year of the PhD (of which the Marshall only funds two). The application for these takes place in the first year of a Marshall awardee's course of study but the intention to apply should be mentioned in the Marshall application. In addition to the third year funding offered by the Commission, extensions may be granted by the universities of Oxford or Cambridge to those pursuing a doctorate there. The Marshall program offers this recorded information workshop for prospective candidates.

Award Details

Who is eligible?

GPA: A 3.7 GPA at the time of application is required (no exceptions). The GPA is calculated only with grades from AC, not from study abroad or transfer institutions.

Citizenship: U.S. citizens only who (at the time they take up their Scholarship) hold a first degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States. Applications are made in one of eight regions in the United States. Candidates may apply in one region only - either that in which they have their permanent home address or ordinary place of residence/employment, or that in which they are studying.

Year/age: Applications are accepted from seniors or alumni within two years of graduating from college. There are no age restrictions.

Subject of study: Any subject of study is welcomed, except pursuit of professional degrees and some other important degree program restrictions, outlined in the Rules for ONE Year Candidates and Rules for TWO Year Candidates. (Persons already studying for or holding a British degree or degree-equivalent qualification are not eligible to apply for a Marshall Scholarship.)

Criteria for Selection: Marshall seeks candidates with outstanding academic, ambassadorial, and leadership potential.

Does this application require endorsement by the college?

Yes. Learn how to apply and seek endorsement.

What is the Marshall Scholarship history and mission?

Founded by a 1953 Act of Parliament, and named in honor of US Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Scholarships commemorate the humane ideals of the Marshall Plan. The expectation is that, as future leaders with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars will strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholarships are mainly funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and are overseen by the Marshall Commission. The Secretariat is provided by the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

By providing these scholarships, the Marshall Commission hopes "to enable intellectually distinguished young Americans, their country's future leaders, to study in the UK; to help them gain an understanding and appreciation of contemporary Britain; to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in science, technology, the humanities and social sciences and the creative arts at Britain's centres of academic excellence; to motivate Scholars to act as ambassadors from the USA to the UK and vice versa throughout their lives thus strengthening British American understanding; and to promote the personal and academic fulfilment of each Scholar."

How much funding is awarded and how can I use it?

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.

Who from Amherst has won this award?

Recently, three Amherst students have been selected as Marshall Scholars. You can read applications from some of our recent winners. Cole Graber-Mitchell '22, , Jeremy Thomas '21 (declined this award to accept a Rhodes), Dakota Foster '18.

A woman writing on paper in front of a computer

How do I apply?

Visit the Marshall application steps page to learn about application components, a timeline for successful completion of the application, and information about graduate study in the UK.

Marshall Application Steps

Information For Recommenders

In your letter, please comment in detail on the applicant's general fitness for the course of study proposed, particularly in upper-level coursework, and the suitability of the university chosen (why their studies and proposed career would be best served by being at a British university). Observations about the candidate's general character as well as academic standing and ability will be of great value to the selection authorities in deciding which candidates should be invited for an interview at the Regional Centre. The Selectors look for candidates who have the potential to excel as scholars, as leaders, and as contributors to an improved UK-U.S. understanding. Reviewers will base their selection on the candidate's academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential. Preference is given to candidates who combine high academic ability with the capacity to play an active part in the life of the United Kingdom university to which they go, and who display potential to make a significant contribution to their own society. As you craft your letter, you may find helpful our suggestions for writers of recommendation letters. The director of fellowships is also happy to provide feedback on your letter before you submit it.

Format and submission: Kindly submit your letter by August 28, 2024 at NOON so that the Committee on Student Fellowships can review it along with the candidate's other application materials. Your letter provides information critical to the committee's endorsement decision, therefore the letter you write for the internal deadline should be your complete letter - not a preliminary draft. Marshall letters have a 1,000 word limit. It is expected that you will have a lot to say about the applicant and will need about that much space to say it. (If you don't feel you can write a robust letter, please decline the student's request. A scant letter will not help their candidacy and they should find someone else who can say more.

Letters are submitted by copying and pasting into an online portal. Your letter will be easier to read if you create a line of space between each paragraph in the text window. You will receive an email invitation from the Marshall Scholarship Application system providing a link and instructions for submitting the letter. Please address your letter to the Marshall Scholarship Selection Committee. If a candidate is selected as a Scholar by the Marshall Commission, you will be sent a second email with a pdf of your letter attached. If this occurs, Marshall will ask you to print your letter on institutional letterhead, sign it by hand in ink, and mail it to the address provided. (Therefore, please save your original copy on a Word document so that you can easily print it onto letterhead should the applicant be offered the scholarship.) Information for recommenders on the Marshall website.

Have questions? Please contact us.

Christine Overstreet, Director of Fellowships
212 Converse Hall
413-542-2536
coverstreet@amherst.edu

Physical address: 100 Boltwood Avenue, Amherst, MA 01002

Mailing Address: AC #2214, PO Box 5000, Amherst, MA 01002

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