FAQs
Q: There is no mention of an age restriction on your website but the information does reference "young" students. Are individuals over 30 years of age eligible?
A: There is no age restriction on the Marshall Scholarships but you must have graduated from your first undergraduate degree after April 2022.
Q: I am enrolling at a British University this fall, am I eligible for a Marshall Scholarship?
A: Unfortunately you would not be eligible for a Marshall Scholarship as you would be already studying for a British degree.
Q: I am planning on studying abroad in Britain next year as an undergraduate student for the entire academic year, but will not receive a degree. I was wondering will this prevent me from applying for a Marshall Scholarship after I graduate in the US?
A: You would still be eligible for a Marshall Scholarship if you have studied at a British University for a JYA or similar providing you did not receive a degree from the British University.
Q: I am an American citizen from birth, but did my undergraduate degree at McGill University in Canada and I continue to reside in Montreal for the time being, would I still be eligible?
A: You are not eligible for a Marshall Scholarship as your undergraduate degree must come from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States.
Q: Are Marshall Scholarships also available for permanent US residents (I qualify for Federal Student Aid in US)?
A: Marshall Scholarships are only available to US citizens, so you would not be eligible.
Q: As an undergraduate I did not have a GPA above 3.7 but as a graduate student I do. Would my graduate GPA make me eligible or is the GPA criterion based on your undergraduate (BA degree) GPA only?
A: Unfortunately you would not eligible for a Marshall Scholarship, as you have to have a GPA of 3.7 for your undergraduate degree only.
Q: I am interested in applying for the Marshall Scholarship. I was born in the United States and will receive my Bachelor's degree from an accredited university in the US. Although I have grown up in the United States, I am a British citizen (my father is English). Can I still be considered for the Marshall Scholarship if I have dual citizenship?
A: Providing you hold a US passport and graduated from a four year accredited University in the US, then you would be eligible for a Marshall Scholarship.
Q: Where can I find other information about funding to study in the UK?
A: For information about other funding for US citizens you should contact the British Council in Washington on www.britishcouncil.org/usa who have information on funding for US citizens.
Q: How do I access the online application form?
A: The application is available on the Marshall Scholarship website www.marshallscholarship.org
Q: How do I know that I am successfully registered on the system?
A: Once you have registered you will receive a confirmation email.
Q: How do I save my application?
A: The system saves your work each time they change section on the application, each time you finish working on the application you must logout of the system in order to ensure that all your work has been saved.
Q: How do I request recommendations?
A: Candidates must request their recommendations through the system. You should contact your recommenders as soon as you begin your application so that they are aware you will need a recommendation and the timeline.
Q: How do I share my application with my advisor before they I completed my form?
A: Your advisor can see the form when they log into the system.
Q: How do I indicate which region I want to submit to?
A: Once you have completed the application form you will be given the option of two regions to apply through, the region in which your school is located or the region in which your permanent home address or ordinary place of residence/employment is located. You must select one of these in order to submit your application to their endorsing institution.
Q: How do I submit my application to be endorsed by my school?
A: You will only be able to submit your application if you have completed the whole form, chosen a region and agreed to the final statement. Once you have done this you must click the submit button which will appear on the submit screen.
Q: Do I need to submit an application to my chosen British University before I apply for the Marshall scholarship?
A: You do not need to have applied to British Universities before you apply for a Marshall Scholarship. However, applicants should be aware that there are some courses with early deadlines at institutions (including but not limited to University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music) that have early deadlines throughout October – early January which could precede an offer of the scholarship or correspondence from the Commission. Applicants are encouraged to remain informed of course deadlines and should prepare accordingly.
Q: Are selected Scholars automatically admitted to the University of their choice within the United Kingdom?
A: Once a Scholar has been selected and accepted the offer, they will receive a confirmation letter from the Commission in early to mid-December and will be required to complete an application for their Year 1 first choice UK university and course (if not already completed). Requests to change courses at this stage will not be considered.
The decision to accept a Scholar is with the University, and the Commission has no influence on the outcome of UK university applications. The Marshall Commission cannot, therefore, guarantee that a Marshall Scholar will be admitted to the university of their choice.
If a Scholar does not receive an offer to their Year 1 first choice, they will be required to apply to and attend their Year 2 second choice course and university.
Applications made to UK universities/courses not listed on the Marshall application will not be considered.
Q: Can a candidate apply to undertake a PhD on the Marshall Scholarship?
A:Yes, a candidate can apply to a two-year Marshall award with a DPhil/PhD programme from the beginning of their award. Most UK DPhil/PhD programmes require a masters degree in order to apply. Therefore, candidates should ensure that they meet the DPhil/PhD requirements and are advised to contact potential supervisors before submitting the Marshall application. It should be highlighted that third year funding is not guaranteed - Scholars will need to demonstrate to the Commission in their second year that they are on track for completion. An award nor funding cannot be extended beyond a third year.
Should the scholar decide not to complete the doctorate or failed to get third year funding, they would need to complete a lower research degree within the two years or find alternative funding for the third year.
Q: What can I do in order to prepare a strong application for the Marshall Scholarship?
A: You should think carefully about the UK Institution you wish to study at as it must offer Masters level courses and be a recognised institution. A strong application is one that demonstrates that the choice of institution has been carefully considered and justification given on why that particular place is the best for that course.
Q: Is it possible for a student with only an undergrad degree to use a Marshall scholarship to work towards a medical degree?
A: It would not be possible to undertake a medical degree under the Marshall programme as candidates have to complete a degree within two years. The Medical degree in the UK takes four to five years. In order to complete basic medical education in UK, you must also complete a period of foundation training for two years - known as F1 and F2.
Marshall does have medical scholars but they tend to be either deferring from Medical School, or plan to go to medical school after their Marshall. They study a range of subjects including, public health, epidemiology, and also participate in clinical medicine research (not practise).
Q: I want to apply for a one-year course. Is the scholarship available only for students who are doing two-year course?
A: You may wish to apply for the one-year Marshall Scholarship. In addition, it is possible to undertake two one year degree programmes on the Marshall Scholarship, or one two year programme on the two year Marshall Scholarship. Please see Marshall Scholarship Routemap.
Q: I will be overseas in the autumn, can I be interviewed virtually?
A: Candidates who will be working or studying overseas during the autumn will need to raise this with the relevant regional committee when offered an interview. Candidates will be allowed to participate in a virtual interview and will not be expected to attend the interview in person. Candidates participating in virtual interviews will not be penalised. If the Candidate does decide to return to the US for the interview, the Commission will not cover the cost of the flights.
Q: Is possible to do a 1-year MA whilst conducting research (in effect doing both part-time, and thus stretching the one-year MA over two years)?
A: It would not be possible to be signed up to the MA part time, as the Entry Clearance regulations for the UK requires that students be registered full time. In addition the Marshall Commission requires full time registration.