FAQs

A Rhodes Scholarship covers:

• All University and College fees;
• The University application fee;
• A personal stipend which is fixed by the Trustees (£12,516 in 2011-12);
• Private health insurance, currently offered through BUPA;
• One economy class airfare to Oxford at the start of the scholarship and one economy flight back to the student's home country at the conclusion of the scholarship.

While the partners of Rhodes Scholars are warmly welcomed by Rhodes House, Oxford, married/partnered applicants should take note that the stipend is sufficient for one person only, and the Rhodes Trust takes no responsibility for support of the Scholar's spouse/partner or dependants.

Financial need gives no special claim to a Rhodes Scholarship.

Tenure of other awards in conjunction with a Rhodes Scholarship is not permitted without prior consultation with the Chief Executive of the Rhodes Trust in Oxford.

Please read the information here and here applicable to all candidates for the Rhodes Scholarships around the world. Then consult the details for your country, incuding the detailed Memorandum for Candidates, available here. Candidates for all Rhodes countries other than New Zealand and Pakistan may apply online through the Rhodes House online application portal.

Rhodes Scholars come from many academic backgrounds and pursue a wide variety of courses at Oxford.  The Scholarship is more accurately viewed as an investment in a person of remarkable promise than support for a particular course of study.  Applicants should study the University of Oxford's course offerings to determine the degree for which they would apply. There are very few restrictions on the full-time post-graduate degrees supported by Rhodes Scholarships and these may be found here. Rhodes Scholars may only undertake the Master of Business Administration or the Master of Financial Economics in the second year of the Scholarship. 

For the detailed conditions of tenure, including exceptions and qualifications to the above, please click here. The Rhodes Trust reserves the right to vary these and other terms at any time without notice.

The Rhodes Scholarship covers University and College fees and a stipend for living expenses for two and possibly three years of study at the University of Oxford. The stipend is set at £12,516 (UK pounds) per annum (2011-12). The Scholarship also covers travel to and from Oxford at the commencement and conclusion of tenure (subject to certain conditions), and private health insurance. In some cases, fees for a fourth year of doctoral study are underwritten.

Needless to say, the value of a Rhodes Scholarship is not purely financial. It enables Scholars to study at the University of Oxford as part of a remarkable cohort of other Scholars and with strong support from Rhodes House, and to participate in the life of the Rhodes community in Oxford, and in the global Rhodes community - which includes exceptional Rhodes alumni as well as current Scholars and many friends of the Scholarship. The Rhodes Scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for exceptional young people with the potential to make a difference for good in the world.

Very. The requirements vary by country - consult the Memorandum for Candidates for your country. Keep in mind that the personal statement is your chance to tell your story: who are you? what matters to you? what are you hoping to do in the world? Your academic transcript, your list of activities and your reference letters will provide the substantive detail of your commitments and accomplishments, but this essay gives you the opportunity to cast the overarching narrative for the selection committee. It is crucial that you give a clear statement of what you wish to study at Oxford and why.

Selection committees are made up of Rhodes Scholars and community leaders from diverse backgrounds.  The interview is of core importance as it is here that selection committees have the opportunity to weigh up a candidate's depth of engagement, accomplishments, and aspirations. In posing their questions, committee members initiate discussion that will help them ascertain who best represents the potential Cecil Rhodes sought to invest in. Proven intellectual and academic attainment of a high standard is the first quality required of Scholars, but they are also required to show exceptional character, leadership in extra-curricular activities, and a commitment to service in the public good. The interview will therefore be wide-ranging in nature, designed to test candidates' intellectual skills and reasoning ability, but also to reveal their character, core commitments, and potential to make a positive contribution to society.

Yes. Applicants should bear in mind, however, that the Scholarship stipend is sufficient only for one person, and that the Trust takes no financial responsibility for the support of a Scholar's spouse. Rhodes House, Oxford, warmly welcomes the partners of Rhodes Scholars, who are invited to all Rhodes events.

Scholars come into residence in Oxford in October of the year following their selection.

We regret that this is not possible. The age limit, as set in the selecting country, is absolute.

Rhodes Scholars are designated by their constituency, Oxford college, and year for which they were elected. For example, 'Dr Susan Rice (Maryland/DC & New College 1986)' indicates that Dr Rice (the current US Ambassador to the United Nations) was elected as the Rhodes Scholar for Maryland/DC for 1986 and became a member of New College, Oxford, in that year.

For details of Rhodes Scholars since 1903, including the most recent Scholars elected, click here. For examples of the diverse backgrounds and contributions of Rhodes Scholars, click here for the 'Scholar of the Week' feature, and here for Rhodes alumni videos. Recent appointments, books, and deaths of Rhodes Scholars are also featured on this website.