Phillips Passport Initiative

The Phillips Passport Initiative provides funding for new first year and new transfer undergraduate students to obtain their first U.S. passport book. The mission of the initiative is to encourage students to explore global experiences early in their time at Carolina. Award recipients will be provided with resources to explore a wide array of global opportunities including studying, interning, service learning, and researching abroad. We are excited to announce we funded passports for 130 new students in our first round of this initiative in 2022!

Application Instructions

APPLY HERE for Phillips Passport Initiative scholarships June 1 to September 1

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about Phillips Passport Initiative

Learn more about applying for a first-time adult U.S. passport book

2023 Funding
Awards of $175 each will be available to cover the application cost for a first-time adult U.S. passport book (currently $165) plus the cost of passport size photos (approximately $10.) Please note this initiative does not award funding to students who have previously held a U.S. passport book or who are seeking to renew a U.S. passport book, or students who are not eligible to apply for a U.S. passport book.

2023 Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for an award in 2023, the student must:
Be a first year or new transfer undergraduate student starting class at UNC Chapel Hill in summer or fall 2023 (does not include students going on Carolina Global Launch programs)
Have never before held a U.S. passport book at any time since birth (can have previously held a passport card)
Be currently eligible to apply for a first-time adult U.S. passport book

2023 Application Timeline and Deadlines
June 1, 2023: PPI scholarship application opens
September 1, 2023: PPI scholarship application due
September 10, 2023: PPI scholarship notification
September 20, 2023: PPI scholarship commitment deadline
December 1, 2023: Passport application receipt upload due for Round 1 award distribution
February 1, 2024: Passport application receipt upload due for Round 2 award distribution (all other awards withdrawn)
May 1, 2024: Deadline to upload image of newly received U.S. passport book signature/photo page

Award Requirements
Award recipients will be required to:
Apply for a first-time adult U.S. passport book (staff can advise on process, but students must apply on own)
Upload passport application receipt by December 1 for Round 1 award distribution or by February 1 for Round 2 award distribution
Upload image of U.S. passport book signature/photo page by May 1
Complete periodic questionnaires about how passport book is utilized
Share experiences with future prospective applicants (optional)