Fellowships and Scholarships

British Marshall Fellowships & Scholarships

Overview

British Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom in a system of higher education recognized for its excellence.

The Scholarships were founded by an Act of Parliament in 1953 and commemorate the humane ideals of the European Recovery Program ("Marshall Plan"). They are funded by the British Government and are administered in the United Kingdom by the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission and in the United States by the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. and four regional Consulates-General.

The objectives of the program are as follows:

• to express the gratitude of the British people to the American people for the Marshall Plan;
• to bring for study in the United Kingdom intellectually distinguished young Americans who will one day become leaders, opinion formers and decision makers in their own country;
• to enable them to be ambassadors to the United Kingdom for their own way of life, and to establish long-lasting bridges and ties between the peoples of the United States and the United Kingdom, at a personal level; and
• to raise the profile of the United Kingdom in the United States, particularly among its young people.

Up to forty British Marshall Scholarships are awarded annually. They are tenable at any British university and cover two years of study in any discipline, at either undergraduate or graduate level, leading to the award of a British University degree.

Candidates are invited to indicate two preferred universities, although the Marshall Commission reserves the right to decide on final placement. Expressions of interest in studying at universities other than Oxford and Cambridge are particularly welcomed.

Final selection of candidates is made by an Advisory Council in Washington, D.C., chaired jointly by Her Majesty's Ambassador in Washington and the Chairman of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

Eligibility

To qualify for the British Marshall Scholarships, candidates should:

• be citizens of the United States of America;
• have graduated from their undergraduate college of university after April, 2001;
• (by the time they take up their scholarship) hold a first degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States; and
• have obtained after freshman year a grade point average of not less that 3.7.

Married persons are eligible for British Marshall Scholarships. Applicants are required to notify any change in their marital status to the regional center to which they have applied or, if they are already selected to an award, to the Executive Secretary of the Commission of London.

Criteria

A British Marshall Scholar, as the possessor of a keen intellect and a broad outlook, will be thought of as a person who would contribute to the aims which the late General Marshall had in mind when, on June 5, 1947, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he spoke of economic assistance for Europe, and said "An essential part of any successful action on the part of the United States is an understanding on the part of the people of America of the character of the problem and the remedies to be applied. Political passion and prejudice should have no part. With foresight, and a willingness on the part of our people to face up to the vast responsibilities which history has clearly placed upon our country, the difficulties...can and will be overcome".

In appointing Scholars, selectors look for distinction of intellect and character as evidenced by both scholastic attainment and other activities and achievements. Preference will be given to candidates who combine high academic ability with the capacity to play an active part in the life of the United Kingdom university they attend, and to those with potential to make a significant contribution to their own society. Selectors also look for strong motivation and seriousness of purpose, including presentation of a specific and realistic academic program.

Application Process

To apply for the Marshall Scholarship, please submit a completed application, available on the Marshall Scholarship website to to the Office of the Provost, One Sherborn Street, Boston, MA 02215, Att: Boston University Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell Committee. The Committee will invite finalists for interview and recommend candidates to the President for endorsement by the University. Only applicants endorsed by the University will be invited to apply to the regional competitions. If endorsed by the University, candidates will be supplied with official applications which should be submitted directly to the regional centers as early as possible before the deadline in October.

Candidates may apply in one region only — either that in which they have a permanent home address or ordinary place of residence or employment, or that in which they are studying. Any candidate applying in more than one region will automatically be disqualified. Shortlisted candidates will be called for interview in November. The final selection will be announced from Washington in late November after the meeting of the Advisory Council. However, all awards are ultimately subject to the ability of the Marshall Commission in London to obtain satisfactory placements at British universities.

Candidates will be called for interview in the region in which they have applied and may be reimbursed their travel expenses. Such expenses may not exceed the cost of a round-trip air fare (at the most economical rate available) and unavoidable overnight accommodation.

Candidates are advised to begin preparing their applications well in advance of the September deadline. Gathering some of the documents requested may take some time. Most particularly, applicants should give careful thought to the preparation of their essay in which they set out in their own words their interests and aspirations, and their detailed reasons for wishing to study the specific areas of proposed academic work at a British university. This statement is especially helpful to Committees in their attempt to gain an understanding of an applicant’s strengths, and will be used to determine the Marshall Scholar-elect’s suitability for placement in an academic program in the United Kingdom.

Award Value and Conditions

The total value of a British Marshall Scholarship varies a little according to the circumstances (place of residence, selected university, etc.) of each Scholar but the figure includes: a personal allowance to cover residence and cost of living expenses, payment of tuition fees, a grant for books, travel in connection with studies, a contribution towards the cost of preparation of any thesis submitted for examination, fares to and from the United States, and a contribution to the support of a dependent spouse. British Marshall Scholarships are not subject to United Kingdom Income Tax.

A British Marshall Scholarship is tenable for two academic years (i.e. 22 months), but may be extended by the Commission, though not beyond the end of a third academic year. Extensions are granted on a limited basis, for strong academic reasons, subject to the availability of funds.

Scholars are required to enroll at a British university for the full two years of their award as full-time students proceeding to either a first (Bachelor's) or a higher degree. As a British Marshall Scholarship is intended to give the holder an opportunity to see as much as possible of the United Kingdom, meet its people, and observe its institutions, Scholars should be prepared to spend a reasonable proportion of their vacation time in the country. Academic study proposals involving lengthy periods away from the university or outside the United Kingdom will not usually be accepted. Return visits to the United States are subject to approval by the Marshall Commission and to a loss of living allowance for any time spent there in excess of 30 days in an academic year.

Scholars' supervisors or directors of study at their United Kingdom universities will be asked to report annually to the Commission on their academic progress and general conduct. Should a Scholar be dismissed from his/her university for any reason, the Scholarship will be immediately terminated.

Applicants are required to notify any change in their marital status to the regional center to which they have applied or, if already selected for an award, to the Executive Secretary of the Commission in London. A marriage allowance, if awarded, may be paid for each year of the Scholarship to a Scholar who was married at the time of application. A Scholar who marries after applying may be awarded an allowance after the end of the first Scholarship year. In either case, payment of the marriage allowance depends on the husband and wife living together at the same address in the United Kingdom.

Should one Marshall Scholar marry another, neither will receive the allowance. Similarly, a Scholar whose spouse holds any other scholarship of like value or who is in full-time employment will not be eligible for the marriage allowance.

Candidates are asked to state on their application form whether they have applied, or intend to apply, for any similar scholarships. British Marshall Scholarships will not normally be awarded to anyone holding such scholarships, and the Commission reserves the right to abate its Scholarships in instances where Scholars are beneficiaries of other significant awards, prizes, or earned income.

Further information about British Marshall Scholarships can be obtained from the British Marshall Scholarship web site.

British Universities

Higher education in the United Kingdom is provided in a wide variety of universities and one or two specialized institutions at which Marshall Scholarships are tenable. However, in certain instances, awards may be held at other institutions which offer degree courses in partnership with and validated by a university.

Candidates are advised to find out all they can about British universities and the availability of their desired program of study or research since facilities vary from one institution to another. Some programs which are commonly available in the universities and colleges of the United States are not found in British universities and, where they are available, different kinds of preparation are required.

The majority of British students usually enter university directly following their secondary school education, of which the last two years at least will have been largely devoted to specialized preparation in two or three subjects for their proposed university program, admission to which is by competitive selection. In general they study (or "read") for three or four years for a degree in one particular subject, and do not cover the wide field of studies usually required in American institutions. British Marshall Scholars choosing undergraduate programs in the United Kingdom will therefore find that a considerable measure of specialized attainment is expected in their chosen subject, especially as they will have to complete their work in two years instead of the three normally taken by British undergraduates.

American students wishing to proceed to an advanced degree in a British university should know that such a degree is obtained by undertaking a program of supervised research, though the practice is growing of awarding Master's degrees on the basis of course-work and examination. A research student usually has to be accepted on a personal basis by his department and to carry out an approved research project in consultation with a supervisor appointed for the purpose. In general, British universities do not have separate graduate schools, and a research student is expected to attend few regular classes, the instruction being mostly individual and supervisory. Candidates wishing to undertake research should have specialized knowledge of a particular discipline and some experience of original work in it.

As a Ph.D. (or D.Phil.) degree takes a minimum of three years of research, Marshall Scholars are recommended to consider a Master's or other pre-doctoral degree. As almost all Scholars coming to the United Kingdom have only a Bachelor's degree from their American university, some may find it preferable to study for a British undergraduate honours degree, where this can be completed in two years, particularly if they have not already carried out independent study in their chosen subject in their senior year.

The minimum period of study for a dental, medical or veterinary science degree in the United Kingdom is five years; it is therefore most unlikely that a Scholarship will be awarded for these subjects.

Candidates should consult the following for more information about British Universities:

Information on individual British universities is available via the United Kingdom Sensitive Map Home Page.

Commonwealth Universities Yearbook. Published by the Association of Commonwealth Universities and distributed in the United States by Stockton Press, New York. An annual reference work in four volumes, sold only as a set, containing detailed information on degrees and requirements at all British Commonwealth universities, including those in the United Kingdom. Available in Mugar Library.

International Handbook of Universities. New York: Stockton Press, 1996. Available in Mugar Library behind the Reference Desk.

Information about study options at British universities is also available from the Educational Information Service of the British Council, British Embassy, 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (FAX (202) 898-4612 e-mail BRICO@MCIMAIL.COM). A booklet of general guidance entitled Postgraduate study and Research at British Universities and Colleges is also available free on request from the council.