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By Olami, AbroadPilot · Reviewed September 2026
The University of Oxford offers some of the world’s most prestigious funding for international students. Rather than one single award, “Oxford University Scholarships” refers to a family of schemes — the flagship Clarendon Fund (master’s and DPhil), the Reach Oxford Scholarship (undergraduate, for students from low-income countries) and the famous Rhodes Scholarship, alongside many college- and department-specific awards.
This guide focuses on the two most relevant for international postgraduates and undergraduates from Africa and Asia: Clarendon and Reach Oxford.
Clarendon Fund (master’s & DPhil) — what it covers
- 100% of tuition and college fees
- A generous annual living stipend (recently around £15,000+ per year, reviewed annually)
- Membership of the Clarendon Scholars’ community, with events and networking
Around 140 new Clarendon scholarships are awarded each year, across every degree-bearing graduate subject, with no nationality restriction.
Reach Oxford (undergraduate) — what it covers
For students from low-income countries who, for political or financial reasons, cannot study for a degree in their own country. It covers tuition, college fees, a living-costs grant and one return flight per year.
Who is eligible?
- Clarendon: any international or UK student applying for a new full- or part-time master’s or DPhil at Oxford, selected purely on academic excellence and potential. No separate nationality or subject restriction.
- Reach Oxford: undergraduate applicants from eligible low-income countries with outstanding academic ability and financial need.
- All applicants must meet Oxford’s standard academic entry and English-language requirements (IELTS/TOEFL).
Documents you’ll need
- Completed Oxford admissions application for your chosen course
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- Personal statement and (for research) a research proposal
- References / letters of recommendation
- English-language test scores (IELTS/TOEFL) where required
- For Reach Oxford: evidence of financial need
How to apply: step by step
- Choose your course on the Oxford Graduate or Undergraduate Admissions site.
- Apply for admission by the funding deadline. For Clarendon, this is the relevant December or January deadline for your course — there is no separate Clarendon form; applying by the deadline means you are automatically considered.
- Tick the funding box. On the application, indicate you wish to be considered for Oxford scholarships/Clarendon where prompted.
- For Reach Oxford, apply for undergraduate admission by the mid-October UCAS deadline and complete the separate Reach Oxford financial-need section.
- Await the outcome. Most Clarendon offers go out by early April; if you haven’t heard by June, assume you were not selected (unsuccessful applicants aren’t individually contacted).
How competitive is it?
Oxford scholarships are extremely competitive. With roughly 140 Clarendon awards against many thousands of strong graduate applications each year, selection is purely on academic merit and potential — an outstanding transcript, references and (for research) a compelling proposal are essential. Reach Oxford is similarly selective, with only a handful of undergraduate awards annually.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate application for the Clarendon Scholarship?
No. If you apply for an eligible Oxford master’s or DPhil by the December/January deadline for your course, you are automatically considered — there is no separate Clarendon form.
Can undergraduates get an Oxford scholarship?
Yes — the Reach Oxford Scholarship supports undergraduates from low-income countries who cannot study for a degree in their home country.
Is there a nationality restriction for Clarendon?
No. Clarendon is open to students of any nationality; selection is based on academic excellence and potential alone.
Apply / verify on the official site: Clarendon Fund (ox.ac.uk/clarendon) and the Reach Oxford Scholarship page. Deadlines vary by course — always confirm on your course page.
Free tools for this
- Scholarship Odds Estimator — real award-to-applicant ratios where funders publish them
- Scholarship Eligibility Checker — which of our tracked scholarships you can actually apply for
- Scholarship Deadlines Calendar — never shows a deadline that already passed
- How to Verify a Scholarship Is Real — the red flags that separate real funders from scams
Explore more on our Scholarships hub, including the Commonwealth PhD Scholarship and Chevening.
Olami is the founder and lead writer at AbroadPilot. He started the site after going through the visa process himself — a German student visa in 2019 and a Canadian work permit in 2023 — and learning first-hand how confusing official immigration language can be, how often rules change, and how easy it is to lose money to bad advice. He spent three years as an international education and travel consultant, helping people source and verify the information that landed their visas and planned their trips. Every guide on AbroadPilot is built from official sources — embassy pages, government immigration portals, and .gov fee schedules — and reviewed as requirements change. AbroadPilot does not sell visas or applications; it is a free resource to help readers apply with confidence.
