Office of Distinguished Scholarships

The Office of Distinguished Scholarships (ODS) provides support to Carolina students and alums applying to nationally and internationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. ODS works with students and alumni at all stages of the scholarship and fellowship application process, including providing feedback on application materials and conducting practice interviews. ODS staff offer regular information sessions and hands-on workshops.

Beginning in 2024, ODS now administers the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for Carolina students and alumni.

In addition, ODS administers the institutional nomination process called “endorsement” for 13 scholarship and fellowship programs:

• Beinecke (for third-year undergraduates)
• Churchill (for undergraduates in their final years and recent alums)
• Goldwater (for second- and third-year students)
• James C. Gaither (for undergraduates in their final years and recent alums)
• Marshall (for undergraduates in their final years and recent alums)
• McCall MacBain (for undergraduates in their final years and alums)
• Michel David-Weill (for undergraduates in their final years)
• Mitchell (for undergraduates in their final years and alums)
• Rhodes (for undergraduates in their final years and recent alums)
• Truman (for third-year undergraduates)
• Udall (for second- and third-year undergraduates)
• Yenching Academy (for undergraduates in their final years and alums)
• ODS also works with candidates for endorsement for the Boren Awards, for which endorsement is optional but strongly encouraged.

Major scholars and fellowships that ODS supports that do not require institutional endorsement include Knight-Hennessy, Schwarzman, Luce, Gates Cambridge, and Critical Language Scholarship (CLS).

The preparation required to compete for prestigious scholarships is a valuable educational opportunity. Candidates improve their ability to communicate ability both their past accomplishments and also their goals for the future. The skills gained and materials created from applying for these scholarships are often valuable when to applying to graduate schools and career opportunities.

Consult ODS’s STRIVE database for information on more than 1,000 scholarships, fellowships, and other funding sources.