Frances L. Phillips Travel Scholarship

Student Affairs and the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid are pleased to announce that the Frances Phillips Travel Scholarship is now accepting applications for awards to be made in Spring 2024. Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 29. Before applying, please read the following information about the scholarship, its mission, and eligibility requirements. Note that there is a “save for later” feature at the bottom of the application to continue where you left off.


Overview

The Frances L. Phillips Travel Scholarship provides an opportunity for juniors and seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who attended high school in North Carolina, to engage in individual self-designed and directed international travel experiences for periods ranging from two months to six months. Approximately 30 Phillips Scholarships for up to $11,000 each will be awarded this year on the basis of a competitive written application and committee interview.

The program is open to students who "do not otherwise have the financial resources to afford such travel;" who have demonstrated academic excellence and participation in campus activities; and who are U.S. citizens who have attended a North Carolina high school and who have a major in the College of Arts and Sciences. Additionally, the applicant’s EFC (Expected Family Contribution) must be no more than $37,118 (standard Cost of Attendance for an in-state student + $11,000, a maximum possible Phillips Travel Scholarship award).

Applications are typically due to the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid by Oct. 29 for travel to begin the following summer, pending any restrictions for international travel by the University. Notification of selection is made in early February. A formal written 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 966-4045 or Office of Scholarships and Student Aid at 962-8396.

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 Oct. 29.

One letter of recommendation from a UNC-Chapel Hill instructor or staff member addressing academic achievements, leadership experiences, and character. Your reference will upload their letters of recommendation. Please make sure that your letter is submitted by Oct. 29.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current year, 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 Oct. 29.

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. The Scholarship may, however, be used for travel supplemental to such a "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. Examples of previously funded proposals include working on organic farms, exploring settings of children’s facility 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 mid-to-late January.
    • 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.
  • A recipient of the scholarship must begin travel no later than twelve months from the month of selection or this award, and a graduating senior 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 $37,118 (standard Cost of Attendance for an in-state student + $11,000, a maximum possible Phillips Travel Scholarship award).

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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