FAQs

The Rhodes Scholarship is a two-year scholarship. The expectation is that Scholars will undertake a coherent programme of postgraduate study at the University of Oxford that can normally be completed within two years.

Whilst the standard tenure of the Rhodes Scholarship is two years, the Trust supports a range of academic pathways, including professional programmes and doctoral study. However, these latter two categories fall outside the standard tenure model and are therefore subject to additional conditions and annual limits. Please read the Conditions of Tenure document to find out more.

The Rhodes Scholarship covers Oxford University course fees, as well as providing an annual stipend.

For the 2026-27 academic year, the stipend is £21,060 paid in monthly instalments of £1,755, from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation. Please note: this is not sufficient to cover partners or dependents.

Following selection for the Scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover: 

• The fee required to apply to study at the University of Oxford 

• Fees for a student visa and associated International Health Surcharge (IHS), which enables international students to access the UK's National Health Service 

• Two economy class flights to and from the UK, for the beginning and end of studies in Oxford. 

On arrival in Oxford, Scholars receive a settling in allowance, and for Scholars who transition to a second course of study in Oxford, the Trust will cover the second visa fee and IHS charges.

No. The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full-time postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford only.

If you are looking for funding for undergraduate study, or for postgraduate study at another institution, please visit our Other Scholarship Opportunities webpage for more information.

Scholars come into residence in Oxford in late September of the year following their selection. This means that Rhodes Scholars who are successfully elected in 2026, will commence their studies at Oxford in October 2027.

If you already hold an offer from the University of Oxford, you may choose to defer this offer so that you can apply for the Rhodes Scholarship — however, we strongly advise against this. Due to the competitive nature of the Rhodes Scholarship, there are no guarantees you will be successful in your application. The Rhodes Scholarship itself cannot be brought forward or deferred to a later academic year.

We recommend that you apply to the Rhodes Scholarship in advance of your Oxford application, usually in the final year of your undergraduate or postgraduate studies (subject to meeting the age criteria). If you are unsuccessful in your application for a Rhodes Scholarship, this then gives you time to explore other scholarship opportunities, both at Oxford and elsewhere, before applying to universities for postgraduate courses.

Yes, you can still apply for the Rhodes Scholarship. However, you may only apply to start a new course at Oxford.

If you are already on a postgraduate course at the University of Oxford, you cannot apply for the Rhodes Scholarship to cover the final year(s) of your current course.

Our guidance for age eligibility is specific to each constituency, and is unfortunately immovable. The age limits (as outlined in the Information for Candidates document for each constituency) are an integral part of the Rhodes Scholarship set by the Rhodes Trustees, and we strictly adhere to these rules.

In certain constituencies, we may be able to consider case-by-case exceptions for those who narrowly miss the age criteria for reasons directly relating to conflict. Candidates facing exceptional circumstances relating to hot war in their country of residence (i.e. where there is fighting on the ground) can contact the relevant National Secretary for their constituency for further advice.

Applicants to the Scholarship should have, or be about to complete, an undergraduate degree.

The Rhodes Scholarship is a fully funded, full-time postgraduate scholarship which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.

As such, applicants need to meet the academic requirements outlined by the Eligibility Checker, which includes holding a strong undergraduate degree, as well as meeting or exceeding the specific entry requirements of their chosen full-time graduate course at the University of Oxford.

To apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, you must meet or exceed the specific entry requirements of your chosen full-time graduate course at the University of Oxford.

You should note however that given the very intense international competition for places at the University of Oxford, candidates will have a greater chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have a First Class Honours Degree, a GPA of 3.70/4.0 or higher, or equivalent international qualification.

Some constituencies specify a minimum GPA- please consult the Information for Candidates document for your constituency for more information.

An institutional certification or endorsement is a mandatory prerequisite of the Rhodes Scholarship application in specific constituencies, i.e. USA and Canada. Please see Institutional Certifications & Endorsements for more details.

Senior institutional officials, including the President, Dean, Rector, Vice-Provost or other official responsible for graduate fellowships, may nominate/endorse a candidate. 

English language proficiency requirements vary based on constituency and applicant circumstances.

Please consult the Information for Candidates document for your constituency to find out more. You can determine which constituency you are eligible to apply through by using our Eligibility Checker.

Please note that all applicants who do not speak English as a first language should check that they will be able to meet Oxford University's English language proficiency requirements (at the higher level) when applying to their chosen graduate course.

You may only submit one application for the Rhodes Scholarship in a single year.

However, if you are unsuccessful in your first application, you may subsequently re-apply one more time through the same constituency, subject to meeting the Eligibility Criteria. 

You may not apply to the Rhodes Scholarship more than twice.

Applicants should give careful thought to their intended academic trajectory before applying for the Rhodes Scholarship. While degree choices may evolve during the Oxford admissions process, the Scholarship is intended to support a coherent programme of study. Significant changes after selection may require additional academic approval.

The Rhodes Scholarship covers most postgraduate courses at the University of Oxford. This section addresses common questions that we receive about specific courses. 

Please note that this FAQ page is not exhaustive — you should consult our Conditions of Tenure document for full information on course selection.

If you still have questions, please contact us at scholarship.queries@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk.

Yes, Oxford admissions are very competitive and two applications are advised in all cases. If you hope to pursue a non-standard pathway, you should also apply for an eligible course that falls within the standard two-year tenure.

No. The Rhodes Scholarship covers full-time courses only, and unfortunately it is not possible to be enrolled in a part-time course while being funded by the scholarship.

If you are looking for funding for part-time courses exclusively, you may wish to consult our Other Scholarship Opportunities webpage for information.

Unfortunately, the Rhodes Scholarship does not cover PGCert or PGDip courses; this includes the PGCE (PGCert in Education).

For a list of courses covered by the Rhodes Scholarship, please refer to our Conditions of Tenure document.

Unfortunately, the Rhodes Scholarship does not cover the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych). This is an NHS-funded training scheme open only to those already eligible to live and work in the UK, with no fees payable and a bursary/stipend provided whilst candidates train to be a Clinical Psychologist.

For a list of courses covered by the Rhodes Scholarship, please refer to our Conditions of Tenure document.

Unfortunately, the Rhodes Scholarship does not cover the graduate-entry/accelerated degree in Medicine.

However, there are a number of graduate degrees offered in the Medical Sciences division that are covered by the scholarship. Please visit the list of graduate courses on the University of Oxford website for further details.

For a list of courses covered by the Rhodes Scholarship, please refer to our Conditions of Tenure document.

Yes, but note that 'professional' courses at Oxford — such as the MPP (Master of Public Policy), MBA (Master of Business Administration) and MFE (MSc Financial Economics) — are only available as a one-year tenure on the Scholarship. Applicants interested in these courses should consider carefully whether this pathway is right for them, as tenure cannot be extended.

For more information on this please consult the Conditions of Tenure.

Please note that the MFE and MBA are professional degrees, and candidates will need to check the entry requirements very carefully before selecting these courses. In particular, candidates are required to have at least two years of full-time work experience for the MBA. You can find out more about these courses on the Saïd Business School website.

'Senior Status' is the only basis on which a Rhodes Scholar can study for a second undergraduate degree. This involves studying an undergraduate course over two years, and you can read more about what this means in the Senior Status section on this page. 

It is important to note that the mid-October deadline for undergraduate admissions is sooner than that for graduate courses, which is usually in December/January. We strongly advise candidates who are interested in the Second BA to apply directly to Oxford via UCAS in time for the mid-October deadline, as this will maximise your chance of admission.

If you miss this deadline, you may be able to apply to the Rhodes Scholarship for a later deadline in the first week of December using a special form provided by the Rhodes Trust. However, the success of your application will depend on securing admission to a college at a later stage. If you miss both the UCAS and Rhodes Scholarship application deadlines for your second BA application, the chances of gaining admission are low.

Please write to us at scholarship.queries@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk for more information.

Doctoral funding may be pursued through either:

• Direct entry to a DPhil; or

• In rare cases, progression from a Rhodes-funded one-year Master's degree to a DPhil.

Applicants wishing to pursue direct-entry doctoral study should apply through the doctoral approval process following selection as a Rhodes Scholar-elect.

Progression from a Rhodes-funded Master's degree to a DPhil will be considered only in a very limited number of cases, as outlined in the Conditions of Tenure. During their first term at Oxford, Scholars wishing to pursue this route must apply separately to Oxford for admission to their proposed DPhil and to the Rhodes Trust for approval of doctoral tenure. Progression is conditional on both admission to the DPhil by Oxford and approval by the Rhodes Academic Review Board. Admission to a DPhil does not guarantee Rhodes doctoral funding, and approval by the Rhodes Academic Review Board does not replace the Oxford admissions process.

For Scholars approved for direct-entry doctoral study, the Trust will support University tuition fees and stipend for up to three years, subject to satisfactory academic progress and personal conduct. For Scholars approved for the 1+3 pathway, the Trust will support University tuition fees and stipend for up to four years.

Note that the Scholarship will cover fees and stipend for the period of fee liability for the DPhil (three years) only. Typically, the Oxford DPhil takes between 3-4 years to complete, as indicated on the Oxford University course pages. As such, Scholars should consider carefully how they would support living expenses beyond Rhodes tenure, including through departmental, college, research council, or other external funding sources.

Scholars admitted to four-year doctoral programmes (including CDTs, DTPs and similar structured doctoral programmes) may be considered for Rhodes doctoral funding only where alternative funding has been secured for one year of the programme.

Typically, this would mean that:

• the department, faculty, CDT, DTP or another funding body provides support for one year of the programme; and

• the Scholar seeks Rhodes support for the remaining three years.

For the purposes of the Rhodes Academic Review Board, eligible four-year doctoral programmes will be considered alongside other direct-entry DPhil applications and assessed through the same process and criteria. Admission to a CDT or other four-year doctoral programme does not in itself guarantee Rhodes doctoral funding. Applicants considering four-year doctoral programmes are strongly encouraged to discuss funding arrangements with Rhodes House on award of the Scholarship.

No. As of October 2025, this pathway carries a five-year fee liability, which exceeds the period of Rhodes doctoral support. Scholars wishing to progress from an MPhil to a DPhil should therefore plan to secure alternative funding for the doctoral stage.

Yes. In a limited number of cases, Scholars who have undertaken a Rhodes-funded one-year Master's degree may be considered for approval to progress to a DPhil. This pathway is exceptional and in the course of their first term at Oxford, they will apply to Oxford for the DPhil and to the Rhodes Trust, for decision by the Rhodes Academic Review Board.

Scholars considering a future DPhil are encouraged to discuss their plans with Rhodes House and their academic department at an early stage. However, they should begin their Master's with the expectation of completing the programme for which they were admitted, recognising that progression to a DPhil is exceptional and not guaranteed.

You should apply to the Rhodes Scholarship first. Following the selection process, successful applicants apply to their chosen programme of study through the University of Oxford graduate study website, with support from the Rhodes Trust team.

This means that Rhodes Scholarship applications submitted in 2026 are for entry to the University of Oxford in October 2027.

Degree choice is subject always to approval by the Rhodes Trust, the University admission process and any conditions placed by the University on an offer. Degree choice will also always be subject to the Conditions of Tenure, regardless of the Oxford admissions outcome.

No, the application process for the Rhodes Scholarship is separate from that to the University of Oxford.

If you are selected as a Rhodes Scholar, you will need to apply to the University of Oxford soon after your selection, and we advise you to prepare as much as possible in advance for your application to Oxford. 

The team at the Rhodes Trust will be on hand to support you with the application process. They will have access to your entire Rhodes Scholarship application, and your references may be re-used, if appropriate, to support your application to the University of Oxford.

Degree choice is subject always to approval by the Rhodes Trust, the University admission process and any conditions placed by the University on an offer. Degree choice will also always be subject to the Conditions of Tenure, regardless of the Oxford admissions outcome.

The Rhodes Scholarship requires that your personal and academic statements are truthful and original narratives. It will serve you best if you speak in your own voice, allowing Rhodes selectors to gain an authentic picture of who you are.

Unacceptable uses of AI include generating substantive content or replacing your own analysis and voice with AI generated outputs. AI should be used to sharpen your thinking; overuse or mis-use of AI will replace or ‘flatten’ your voice and ideas. Remember that AI cannot replace your individual judgment, personality, or your personal understanding of the selection criteria. It will not help your application if you use GenAI to tell your story, as the output will be generic and will not allow selectors to gain an understanding of you as an individual.

However, GenAI is a tool, and could be useful in preparing some aspects of your application. Some acceptable uses of GenAI in helping you to write your personal or academic statement might include:

• Providing suggestions for how you could reduce your original narrative from e.g. 2,000 to 1,000 words

• Checking the spelling or grammar

• Writing a summary of your narrative, to help you synthesise your thoughts

• Help with structuring your statement.

If you use a generative AI tool to support you in preparing your statement, you risk losing the rights, exclusivity and confidentiality of your inputs – in effect it could become the property of the AI provider. Each Large Language Model (LLM) has its own terms and conditions, and you should read these before using it to understand the implications of putting your own original or confidential information into that model.

The output from the GenAI tool may also raise issues – for example, it may infringe third party Intellectual Property (IP) or it could be incorrect (such as through hallucinations).

Yes, GenAI can be used in preparation for your Rhodes interview, for example in generating practice questions you might be asked, similar to preparing for a job interview. We recommend that you also discuss this with your mentors (family, friends, academic advisors or supervisors, or your character reference providers etc.) However, note that you must not use any Gen AI tools during any Rhodes interview, whether in-person or online/remote.

No. Use of AI tools or devices during any Rhodes Scholarship interview at any stage of the selection process, either online/remote or in person, including the social engagement for Finalists, is strictly prohibited. For more information, see the Rhodes Scholarship Interview Policy.

The selection process varies by constituency, but in every case it will involve a written application, along with a social engagement event and the final interview — both of which should be attended in person. 

Please see the Application Overview webpage for more detail about each stage of the application process.

Selection committees are comprised of Rhodes Scholars and community leaders from diverse backgrounds.

The interview holds significant 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 we are looking for.

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 extracurricular activities, and commitment to service. 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 positive contributions to society.

You can find out more about the interview on the Application Overview page, where Rhodes Scholars share their own experiences!

The social engagement is an event usually held in the days prior to the interviews, offering the candidates a chance to get to know each other and the selection committee.

Due to the varying cultural contexts between constituencies, this takes various different forms, but usually involves a drinks reception or meal celebrating the finalists for their achievement in reaching this stage.

There are no formal question or scoring based on this aspect of the selection weekend, it is simply an opportunity to familiarise oneself with the environment and people, and hold conversations in an informal setting. 

You can find out more about the Social Engagement on the Application Overview page, where Rhodes Scholars share their own experiences!

Rhodes Scholars come into residence in Oxford in late September of the year following their selection, with the academic year at University of Oxford commencing in October.

This means Scholars who are successfully selected in 2026 will begin their studies at Oxford in October 2027.

Please note the Rhodes Scholarship cannot be brought forward or deferred to a later academic year.

If you are selected as a Rhodes Scholar, you will need to apply to the University of Oxford soon after your selection, and we advise you to prepare as much as possible in advance for your application to Oxford. 

The team at Rhodes House will be in touch to support you with the application process. They will have access to your entire Rhodes Scholarship application, and your references may be re-used, if appropriate, to support your application to the University of Oxford.

The Rhodes Scholarship is confirmed only upon successful admission to the University of Oxford.

Applicants should bear in mind that changes in government policy now state that students can only bring partners or dependants if they are doing a DPhil or a research Master's (including the MPhil Law and MPhil Sociological research, but no other MPhil). 

It is also worth noting that the Scholarship stipend is sufficient to provide for one person only, and the Rhodes Trust takes no financial responsibility for the support of a Scholar's partner or dependants.

Some Scholars obtain part-time teaching positions or other types of employment while on stipend; it is your responsibility to ensure that you adhere to the restrictions placed on paid employment by your student visa. Please refer to guidance on working while studying on the Oxford University website.

You should also be wary of committing too much time to such activities to the detriment of your studies, and your general engagement in Oxford. We recommend that you discuss your plans with your academic supervisor and, if significant, with the Registrar's office at Rhodes House.

Scholars may not hold another substantive scholarship or award at the same time as a Rhodes Scholarship. However, they may hold a secondary award. If the value of such an award is more than 33% of the annual stipend, i.e. £6,950 pa, then you would need to declare the award to the Registrar’s office at Rhodes House.

We understand that for DPhil students in particular, additional awards may be valuable sources of support for funding research, fieldwork and living expenses beyond their third year in Oxford, and therefore we seek to adopt a flexible approach where we can. However, we ask you to declare income received in excess of the threshold above.

In rare circumstances, a Scholar may attend Oxford while receiving a salary, and may be in receipt of housing or other allowances, for example, military Scholars on active service. In such cases, the Rhodes Trust will award only half the annual stipend to the Scholar.

If this may apply to you, please declare your circumstances to the Registrar’s office at Rhodes House.

Whether you're looking for Rhodes Scholars from your region or for current Scholars in Residence, you can find this in the Rhodes Scholar Database.