Keasbey Scholarship
Endorsement application deadline: Monday, October 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET (Noon)
Miss Marguerite A. Keasbey established the Keasbey Memorial Foundation in honor of her father and mother. Miss Keasbey was particularly interested in the quality of British education and decided in the 1950s to establish a foundation to provide scholarships for graduating American college students so that they might pursue degrees in Britain and experience fully the life of the British college system and university.
“In view of Miss Keasbey’s admiration for Great Britain and the distinguished persons its educational system has produced, she was obviously interested in promoting Anglo- American relations through the selection of American Keasbey scholars who would be exposed to the British educational institutions. The exceptional records of American Keasbey scholars not only academically, but also in their participation in their college and university activities, such as theater, music, social work, debate and athletics, have created a wide acceptance for American Keasbey scholars who have returned to the United States with a deep appreciation for the experience that the Keasbey Foundation has made possible for them and a better understanding of the heritage all Americans have from Great Britain.
Twelve American institutions (Amherst, Bowdoin, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Haverford, Middlebury, Princeton, Swarthmore, Wesleyan and Yale) nominate candidates for this scholarship on a rotating basis. Harvard College is invited to nominate candidates in even years (Fall 2026, Fall 2028, etc.).
The Keasbey Scholarship is affiliated with the following universities and colleges. Candidates must propose academic programs at only these universities. Candidates should list at least one of the affiliated colleges on their college preference form on the Oxford or Cambridge application.
- Oxford: Balliol, Hertford, New and University Colleges
- Cambridge: King’s, Selwyn and Trinity Colleges
- University of Edinburgh
For the Fall 2026 application cycle, candidates must be:
- December 2026 or May 2027 Harvard College graduate
- U.S. citizen
- Prepared to matriculate to a UK academic program in October 2027. Deferrals and interruptions in study timeline are not allowed.
The scholarship provides full funding, including university fees and living expenses, either to read for a second undergraduate degree or to attend a full-time graduate program at University of Cambridge, Oxford University, or University of Edinburgh. The selected graduate program can be between 9 and 24 months long, full time. The living stipend amount will be confirmed upon selection and will be in the range of £20,000 per year.
Endorsement candidates will be assessed on the following metrics as demonstrated in their application:
- Academic excellence and preparation (prerequisite knowledge, skills; recognized intellect and academic excellence)
- Proposed plan (sensibility for place/time, meaningfulness to the applicant, impact on/benefit to the applicant)
- Engagement in extracurricular activities (depth of engagement, leadership qualities)
Successful candidates will demonstrate academic excellence, active participation in extracurricular activities, leadership abilities, and the promise of personally and intellectually benefiting from two years of study in Britain.
Successful applicants will propose an academic program that’s a logical extension of their undergraduate studies, and heavily research the details of the academic program and include the most exciting/relevant aspects in the application essay(s).
Endorsement applications are read by a faculty and staff selection committee. Up to two candidates are endorsed. If endorsed, the final deadline for final materials is November 16, 2026. Endorsed candidates are required to submit a complete application to their proposed UK academic program and complete a supplemental application coversheet by this date. Endorsed candidates will be able to make small edits to their application before Harvard College submits it to the Keasbey Trust.
Candidates selected as finalists will be interviewed by the Trustees of the Keasbey Memorial Foundation on Friday, December 11, 2026 in Philadelphia. One or two Keasbey Scholarships will be awarded within one week of these interviews.
Apply via the Harvard University Funding Portal.
Prepare in advance the following materials for the endorsement application:
- Resume: Indicate significant activities, achievements, and experiences in college that demonstrate your values and trajectory. Do not exceed two pages.
- Unofficial transcript: Download your unofficial transcript from my.harvard.edu, it should include your spring course grades and fall course registration.
- Statement (1,000 word maximum): Summarize your major academic interest areas and the proposed course of study. From the Keasbey Foundation: “This will require some research on the part of the nominee and, preferably, prior discussion with faculty members…so that the proposed course of study abroad will have a relationship to what the nominee has done as an undergraduate and to the nominee’s career objectives.”
- UK program application proof: You must begin an application to the proposed UK academic program before submitting this application. Screenshot your UK university application portal for proof that you have begun your application to the university. The screenshot should show the name of the graduate program to which you are applying, and that program should match your Keasbey Scholarship study plan.
- Three letters of recommendation: At least two of these letters should be from faculty members with whom you have worked closely and should attest to your capacity to do graduate-level work in the U.K. The third letter may be from an academic or non- academic recommender. At least one of these letters (written by someone with an academic title or not) should be able to comment on your extracurricular activities and leadership abilities.
If you or your recommenders have questions about this application or the online submission process, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships via fellowships@fas.harvard.edu.