Frances L. Phillips Travel Scholarship

Overview

What is on your travel bucket list?  Have you ever wanted to self-design your own unique travel adventure that speaks to your special interests?

The Frances L. Phillips Travel Scholarship is a unique scholarship opportunity at Carolina. It is currently the only scholarship that allows undergraduate students to self-design their own independent travel experience. Have you ever wanted to learn about traditional Irish fiddle-making—in Ireland, working with real fiddle-makers? Have you ever wanted to spend a few months exploring the famous temples of Japan and maybe even learn about traditional tea rituals? If so, this is the scholarship opportunity you’ve been dreaming of.

What it is:

  • A one-of-a-kind travel opportunity that you design.
  • An independent, non-credit bearing travel experience, one with a thematic focus that is rooted in intellectual inquiry or a deep dive into a topic you’ve always wanted to explore.
  • Scholarship funding for a minimum of two months and a maximum of six months exploring and traveling independently (maximum scholarship award is $11,000).

What it is not:

  • A means to finance a study abroad program, whether through Carolina or otherwise, or any for-credit program (though it can be used for independent travel before a study abroad program begins or after it ends).
  • An extended vacation sipping exotic cocktails on beaches – anyone can do that!

Who is eligible?

  • Juniors and seniors with at least one major in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill who attended high school in North Carolina.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
  • Applicants must have submitted a current FAFSA at the time of application and have an SAI (formerly called EFC) of $38,036.

Emphasis is on students who have demonstrated academic excellence and participation in campus activities, and priority is given to applicants who have had little to no prior travel experience. 

Applications will open on August 26, 2024 and will close at 11:59 p.m. on October 6, 2024 for travel opportunities beginning no sooner than May 15, 2025. Finalist interviews will take place in November.  Notifications of selections will happen prior to the new year. Recipients will need to have their travel approved by the University and sign a scholarship acceptance agreement prior to the release of the funds. 

A formal report of the experience is required within one month of return from travel.

The program is jointly administered by the Student Affairs and the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. For more information, call the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at (919) 966-4045 or Office of Scholarships and Student Aid at (919) 962-8396. 

Apply now

Application Checklist

The Frances L. Phillips Travel Scholarship Application, including a detailed statement of travel, submitted electronically to the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid by October 6, 2024. The statement of travel is the core part of your application. Here are some key recommendations for an effective proposal:

  • Your proposal should have an overarching theme or focus that has intellectual or cultural relevance.
  • It should be as concrete and detailed as possible.
  • You should tie the objective of your proposal to your personal interests and explain how the experience will shape your personal and intellectual growth.
  • Proposals may encompass travel to no more than three countries in the same global region/continent; none of the countries may be considered by the U.S. State Department to be at advisory levels three or four.

You will also need one letter of recommendation from a faculty or staff member at UNC-Chapel Hill who knows you well, addressing your academic achievements, leadership experiences, character, and ability to make sound decisions. Your reference will receive a prompt after you submit the application to upload their letter of recommendation. The letter must be received within five days of the close of the application.

You will also need to have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current year, and it must be submitted to the federal processing agency in sufficient time for the data/results of evaluation to be available to the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid by the application deadline.

Additional Stipulations

The University's Committee on Scholarships, Awards and Student Aid has established the following additional stipulations as necessary for the administration of this Scholarship Award consistent with the intentions of Ms. Phillips:

  • The Phillips Travel Scholarship provides an opportunity for the financial support of a student's personal enrichment and growth through the process of travel and is not intended to support expenses of an organized, "study abroad" program (though the Scholarship may, however, be used for travel prior to or following an organized study abroad program). The Scholarship is for the support of an individual student, traveling either independently or as part of a group.
  • Recipients of the Scholarship will be selected on the basis of formal written proposals specifying the goals and the intended use of the funds with consideration being given to both academic proposals and experiential proposals. Past examples include exploring sustainable farming methods in Southeast Asia, learning artisanal cheese making in France, and interning with an Irish fiddle-maker. Finalists will be interviewed by the Selection Committee.
  • Recipients will be required to execute a form releasing the University and any of its employees and agents from any liability for any injuries or property damage suffered by the recipient in connection with the travel.
  • Recipients will be required to register their travel with the University and have their travel approved before making any travel arrangements. Any associated fees will be covered by the Frances Phillips Travel Scholarship.
  • A written report will be required from a recipient of the Scholarship within one month of the completion of travel. The report should describe the travel and reflect on the accomplishment of the goals stated in the proposal. The report will be reproduced and maintained for access by other members of the University community, including persons contemplating future application for this Scholarship.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Must be a U. S. citizen.
  • The applicant must have attended either a public or private high school or documented home school in the state of North Carolina. A recipient is not required to be a graduate of a North Carolina high school.
  • At the time of application for the Scholarship the applicant:
    • Must be enrolled in a full-time course of undergraduate study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and be available for interview by the Selection Committee in late November/early December.
    • Must be academically eligible and in good standing with the University. This means that the individual is eligible to continue in the next term as a fully enrolled student.
    • Must have completed at least 51 hours of college credit, with at least 27 hours completed "in residence" at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
    • Must be enrolled either in a full-time program of undergraduate study in the College of Arts and Sciences of UNC-Chapel Hill, or be in pursuit of a double major, one of which is through an academic department of the College of Arts and Sciences during the fall or spring semester immediately before beginning travel.
  • Priority of consideration will be given to those applicants with less travel experience.
  • Priority of consideration will be given to seniors who will complete their undergraduate degree no later than May 2025.
  • Priority of consideration will be given to proposals that maximize depth of experience.
  • A recipient of the scholarship must begin travel no later than twelve months from the month of selection, and graduating seniors must begin travel within six months of the award of the undergraduate degree.
  • All applicants must submit a FAFSA. The applicant’s EFC (Expected Family Contribution) must be no more than $38,036 (standard cost of attendance for an in-state student + $11,000, a maximum possible Phillips Travel Scholarship award).
  • Award amounts will be relative to the length of the proposed travel experience, taking into consideration normal costs of living in proposed countries, and standard forms of transportation.

Trust Agreement

The Trust Agreement which established these unique scholarships specifies that funds will be provided for:

"... full scholarships and/or partial scholarships to enable students to travel outside the United States, Canada and the Caribbean area for a period up to but not in excess of six months."

The Trust Agreement also states that a recipient must be:

  • A citizen of the United States who attended high school in the State of North Carolina.
  • Enrolled and in good standing in the Junior or Senior Liberal Arts Class in the baccalaureate program of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill immediately before the commencement of such travel.
  • In the judgment of the selection committee, without other available financial resources to afford such travel.

In the Trust Agreement, Ms. Phillips directed that the Selection Committee be composed of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and four professors to be designated from year to year by the Chancellor of the University and that the Committee "...give primary weight and consideration to qualities of leadership possessed by eligible students and the amount of scholastic achievement, good manners and sense of humor they possess."

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