An Act of Parliament in 1953 established the Marshall Scholarships to commemorate the  ideals of the European Recovery Programme best know as the Marshall Plan established  by U.S. General George Marshall in 1947. The scholarship expresses the gratitude of the British to the Americans and promotes intellectual, personal, and cultural exchange between the United States and the United Kingdom. Roughly 40 Marshall Scholarships will be awarded to U.S. citizens for study at any university in the United Kingdom. Scholarships can have a tenure of one or two academic years and in special cases may be extended to three years.

Applicants for the Marshhall Scholarship must be U.S. citizens and will be eligible if they have graduated from their undergraduate institution after April 2009 regardless of their age. A 3.7 minimum grade point average is required, unless there are exceptional extenuating circumstances. The selection committee for Marshall Scholars looks for leadership ability and “distinction of intellect and character” demonstrated through the candidate’s academic record and other activities and achievements. Committees favor candidates who combine high academic ability with the capacity to contribute actively to the U.K. university they would attend; in addition they value a strong sense of life purpose, which includes a specific and realistic academic program.

A Marshall Scholarship covers tuition, books, travel in connection with courses of study, costs of thesis preparation, and travel costs to and from Britain. The total value varies from scholar to scholar, depending on the university and place of residence, etc.

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Information for Referees Document

As part of the application process, the Marshall Scholarship requires that Brown and other universities review prospective applicants to determine their suitability for institutional endorsement as Marshall Scholarship candidate. Accordingly, a committee made up of faculty and deans has set the following guidelines for Brown's in-house review. By the campus deadline of August 5, 2013, candidates must submit the following:

• The complete Marshall application as found on the Marshall Scholarship website including the personal statement and the proposed program statement. 
• 4 letters of recommendation, at least two of which must be from Brown faculty (please consult with Dean Dunleavy about exceptions).
• An official Brown University transcript.