Marshall Scholarships 2027 Open for US Graduates to Study FREE in UK
The Marshall Scholarship is a highly competitive postgraduate award available to American students who want to study in the United Kingdom. For the 2027 intake, applications are now open, giving high-achieving US graduates the opportunity to pursue master’s or doctoral study at a British university with academic and living costs covered.
Up to 50 Marshall Scholarships are awarded each year. The programme was created to strengthen long-term understanding between the United States and the United Kingdom, so selection is not based on grades alone. Applicants are assessed equally on academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential.
What Does the Marshall Scholarship Pay For?
The financial package is generous. Marshall Scholars receive university tuition fees, living expenses, an annual book grant, thesis support, research and daily travel grants, and fares between the United States and the UK. Where applicable, the award can also contribute toward the support of a dependent spouse.
Applicants can choose several study pathways. A one-year scholarship supports an eligible master’s programme lasting at least 10 months. Two-year options can cover a two-year master’s degree, two consecutive one-year master’s degrees, or doctoral study. Candidates entering directly into a PhD or DPhil can receive three years of guaranteed funding, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Who Can Apply for the 2027 Marshall Scholarship?
The key restriction is nationality: this scholarship is only for US citizens. Applicants must hold, by September 2027, their first undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year college or university in the United States.
Candidates must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.7 on a 4.0 scale, and rounded GPAs are not accepted. For the 2027 competition, applicants must also have graduated from their first undergraduate institution after April 2024.
There is no formal age limit. However, the graduation-date rule effectively restricts eligibility to recent graduates. Applicants who have already studied for, or obtained, a degree or degree-equivalent qualification from a British university are generally ineligible.
How Should You Apply?
Applicants complete the Marshall online application and submit it through their undergraduate institution. The university then decides whether to endorse the candidate before forwarding the application to the relevant US regional committee.
This institutional endorsement makes early preparation important. Candidates should contact their university’s Marshall Scholarship adviser before the official deadline, because institutions may set earlier internal deadlines.
Should You Apply with Low GPA for Marshall Scholarship?
If you meet the 3.7 GPA threshold, have a strong academic record and can clearly explain why your proposed UK programme matters to your future work, the Marshall Scholarship is worth considering. A polished transcript alone will not carry the application; selectors are explicitly looking for evidence of leadership and the ability to strengthen UK-US understanding.
The applicant deadline for the 2027 Marshall Scholarship is September 29, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the time zone of the endorsing institution. Institutional endorsement and final submission are due October 1, 2026.