OSGA student funding and scholarships

Africa Oxford (AfOx) Initiative Graduate Scholarships

There is no need to submit a separate application for the below AfOx Graduate Scholarships; all eligible applicants to the MSc will be considered. Find out more on the Africa Oxford Initiative website.

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme 

The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program enables African students to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford. The Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholarships cover course fees and a grant for living costs for taught postgraduate students at the UKRI minimum doctoral stipend rate. 

Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed taught postgraduate course. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Oxford emphasises groups who have historically been under-represented, including but not limited to female scholars, people from refugee and displaced backgrounds and disabled scholars. 

Oppenheimer Fund Scholarships

Oppenheimer Fund Scholarships in partnership with AfOx are also available for applicants who are applying to a full-time master’s course at Oxford, and who have previously studied at a South African university.

Scholarships at St Antony’s College

A separate application not necessary for the below scholarships at St Antony’s. All eligible applicants will be considered. Visit St Antony’s website for more details.

St Antony’s DAC AfOx Scholarships

This scholarship is available for any one-year Masters course that St Antony’s accepts, to two students from OECD-assisted African countries. 

Oxford Cambridge Society of Kenya AfOx Scholarship at St Antony’s

This scholarship is for any one-year Masters course that St Antony’s accepts, and is open to Kenyans who completed an undergraduate degree at a Kenyan university. 

More Scholarships for African Students

• Beit Trust Scholarships - Offered each year for graduate studies or research to graduates who are domiciled in and nationals of Malawi, Zambia or Zimbabwe. 
• Commonwealth Scholarships via the Canon Collins Trust - Offers fully-funded scholarships for a Master's or PhD programme in the UK in six specific areas, including promoting global prosperity. Open to nationals or residents of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland or Zambia.
• Gordon Memorial College Trust Fund - Promotes educational development in South Sudan and Sudan. The Trust supports students studying for a graduate course in the UK, who intend to return to South Sudan or Sudan at the end of their studies.
• Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation - Awards to Egyptian nationals residing in Egypt studying towards a Master's or DPhil and who intend to return to Egypt upon graduation.
• Oxford-Oak Zimbabwe Graduate Scholarship – Available to applicants who are nationals or residents of Zimbabwe and who are applying to a master’s course in Social Sciences with a commitment to public service in Zimbabwe. 

There is more information about scholarships available to African students via the following links: 

• International Oxford 
• Sub-Saharan Africa 
• Middle East & North Africa 

Oxford MESCYT Scholarship

This scholarship is open to candidates who are ordinarily resident in the Dominican Republic, and who are applying to any full-time Masters or DPhil course.

Jason Hu Scholarships

Balliol College offers the Jason Hu Scholarships for graduate study at Oxford. Two scholarships are available each year, open to candidates who are citizens of Taiwan, China, or other parts of Asia, and who have a place at Balliol College to pursue a graduate degree. There are no restrictions on subject.

The scholarships cover the full duration of a student’s course, provided good academic progress is made. In some cases, a scholarship may be offered as a stand-alone award worth £10,000 per year. All eligible applicants will be automatically considered through their University application, and no separate application is required.

Find out more on the Balliol College website.

Swire Scholarships 

St Antony’s College offers the Swire Scholarships for graduate students. The scholarships are open to applicants who are permanent residents of Japan, mainland China, or Hong Kong SAR, and who have completed most of their formal education in their country or region of permanent residence. They are available for all graduate courses accepted by St Antony’s, including DPhils, MPhils, and MScs. Each award covers the full cost of course fees and provides a grant towards living expenses at a level comparable to the University’s recommended annual stipend. Candidates must apply for admission to an eligible graduate course at St Antony’s College in order to be considered.

Find out more on the St Antony's College website. 

Hong Kong Jockey Club Graduate Scholarships

The Hong Kong Jockey Club scholarships are funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Since 1998, the Trust has been awarding annual scholarships at the city's tertiary institutions to students who combine outstanding academic performance with a strong commitment to serving the community. The scholarships are available for applicants who are ordinarily resident and have permanent residency in Hong Kong. Please note that DPhil courses with four years of fee liability are not eligible (to check the fee liability for your course, see the Fee liability page).

Selection is based on academic merit, evidence of leadership and teamwork, commitment to serving others, and strength of character, including qualities such as courage, empathy, fairness, and social awareness. Candidates are considered automatically when they apply for graduate study by the relevant University deadline.

Oxford Kobe Scholarships

St Catherine’s College offers The Oxford Kobe Scholarships for graduate study at Oxford. They are open to applicants who are nationals of Japan and applying to start any full-time or part-time graduate course. The scholarships cover course fees and a grant for living costs for the full duration of fee liability. Applicants should not intend to practise in Great Britain the skills gained through the scholarship.

All eligible applicants are considered automatically, regardless of college preference, but one successful candidate will be transferred to St Catherine’s to take up the scholarship.

Aso Group Scholarships

New College offers the Aso Group Scholarship, established to strengthen links between the University of Oxford and Japan, particularly Fukuoka Prefecture. The scholarship is open to applicants who speak Japanese as a first language and who were born, raised, or educated for at least one year in Fukuoka Prefecture. If no suitable candidate applies, eligibility may be extended to Kyushu, and then to the rest of Japan. Candidates must also hold, or expect to hold, an undergraduate degree at first or upper second-class level (or international equivalent), and must be applying for a one-year postgraduate degree at Oxford with New College as their preferred college.

The scholarship is open to all subject areas and provides a contribution of up to £25,000 towards study costs. Awards are made on the basis of academic merit and candidates’ ability to meet the University’s English language requirements where applicable.

Find out more on the New College website.

Oxford-Uehiro Graduate Scholarships

The Oxford–Uehiro Graduate Scholarship Programme provides full funding for up to five Japanese students to undertake a postgraduate course (except MBA) at Oxford each year. Scholarships will cover the course fees and living costs of students. If you fulfil the eligibility criteria and apply for your course by the relevant December or January deadline for your course you will be automatically considered for the Oxford-Uehiro scholarship as part of the standard admissions process, or contacted directly by the University and invited to apply.

The China Oxford Scholarships Fund

COSF was established in 1992 to provide scholarships for students from China who have been accepted for postgraduate studies at Oxford and who will return and contribute to the future development of China after their studies. Up to fifteen scholarships are awarded each year, with preference for candidates studying in the UK for the first time.

Awards are given based on academic excellence, financial need, leadership qualities, and commitment to contributing to China’s development. The scholarships support any subject area and are administered in collaboration with Oxford’s International Office and Graduate Admissions.

Find out more on the China Oxford Scholarship Fund website.

Indira Gandhi Scholarships 

Somerville College offers this scholarship in partnership with the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development. It is open to candidates who are ordinarily resident in India or who have previously studied at an Indian higher education institution, and who are applying for a full-time DPhil at Somerville College.

The proposed research must be relevant to the Centre’s interdisciplinary agenda on sustainable development and India. Areas of focus include sustainable cities, climate change and clean energy, healthcare innovation, environmental sustainability, food and water security, and law, governance, and human rights. Awards cover full course fees and provide a grant for living costs for the duration of fee liability, and are made on the basis of academic merit, understanding of India’s development challenges, and evidence of leadership or entrepreneurial potential.

Find out more on the Somerville College website.

Dulverton Scholarships

These awards, funded by the Dulverton Trust, are offered to students from Central/Eastern Europe who otherwise would not be able to afford to come to Oxford. There is no separate application process for this scholarship: to be considered, submit your application for graduate study by the relevant deadline. Please see the Standard scholarship selection terms for more information about the application and selection process.

Hill Foundation Scholarships

Hill Foundation Scholarships funds up to 14 full scholarships each year for graduate study at Oxford. They are open to applicants who are nationals of and ordinarily resident in the Russian Federation, as well as first-generation Israeli citizens of Russian descent.

The scholarships cover full course fees and provide a grant for living costs for the duration of the course. Selection is based on academic merit as well as personal qualities, with the aim of supporting graduates who will make a positive contribution to the development of Russia and to greater east–west understanding.

The Black Academic Futures Scholarships offer UK Black and Mixed Black students financial support to pursue graduate study at Oxford.  These awards are made possible by the generous support of funding partners across the University and colleges, and the scholarships are open to all academic subjects.

Each scholarship will cover your course fees in full and will provide you with a grant for living costs. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for your course. 

The ESRC is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on social and economic issues. The University, in collaboration with Brunel University and the Open University, hosts the Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership - one of fifteen Doctoral Training Partnerships across the UK accredited by the ESRC as part of a Doctoral Training Network.

Grand Union DTP ESRC studentships are not intended for taught masters’ degrees on their own. All applicants should envisage continuing to doctoral level study at Oxford University, on one of the specified pathways. For successful applicants, the upgrade to their chosen doctoral programmes is subject to the decision of the DPhil admission committee of the relevant department and is based on the student’s performance in their master’s programme.

Information about ESRC studentships at Oxford can be found on the Grand Union DTP website. Please ensure you have read all of the guidance available on the website before completing the Grand Union DTP Application Form. All applicants must satisfy the ESRC’s citizenship and residence requirements. Questions can be directed to the Grand Union DTP Office.

Clarendon Scholarships aim to give the most academically-able students not only the life-changing opportunity to study at Oxford, but also the chance to form lasting social, academic and professional networks.  Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence and potential, and are open to applicants for all full-time and part-time graduate courses across the University.

Each scholarship covers course fees in full and provides a contribution towards living expenses. There is no separate application process - all eligible candidates are automatically considered when they apply for graduate study.

The Rhodes Scholarships are among the oldest and most prestigious awards for graduate study at Oxford. They are open to outstanding candidates with citizenship in one of the Rhodes constituent countries. In addition, two Global Rhodes Scholarships are available each year for exceptional applicants from countries not already covered by an existing Rhodes programme.

Each scholarship covers course fees in full and provides a contribution towards living expenses. Applications are made through the Rhodes Trust. Candidates from constituent countries apply via their national programme, while applicants for the Global Rhodes Scholarships apply directly to the Trust.

The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme cultivates the leaders of tomorrow by providing outstanding university graduates and professionals from developing and emerging economies with the opportunity to pursue fully-funded graduate studies at the University of Oxford, combined with a comprehensive programme of leadership development, long-term mentoring and networking.

The programme is open to candidates from a wide range of countries, with eligibility varying by residency. Each award covers full course fees and provides a contribution towards living expenses.

Applications are made through the University of Oxford application form and an additional questionnaire.

Find out more on the University of Oxford's Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme page.

Chevening Scholarships is the UK government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders. Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations, Chevening offers two types of award – Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships – the recipients of which are personally selected by British Embassies and High Commissions throughout the world. 

The Snowdon Trust Master’s Scholarship has been designed to identify and accelerate exceptional Disabled Students through higher education, creating the influencers of the future.

• Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding
• International Scholarship website