What is a Rhodes Scholarship?

The Rhodes Scholarship is a postgraduate award given to talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. There are about 100 Rhodes Scholarships provided to students who study in the UK for the first time. There is a need to apply separately for the scholarship on the official website of Rhodes Trust. The trust selects students based on their academic performance, personal statement, and performance in the Rhodes Scholarship interviews.

The students will have to submit their application forms on or before 23:59 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 01 August 2023. The Scholarship will cover a student visa, the economy class flights, tuition fees, living expenses, accommodation, travel expenses (two economy class tickets to and from), and associated International Health Surcharge (IHS). Rhodes Scholarship acceptance rate is around 0.7% making it a competitive scholarship. There will get a monthly stipend for Scholarship Rhodes. The amount for the academic year 2023-24 will be GBP 18,180 per annum (INR 19.23 LPA) or GBP 1515 per month. (INR 1.6 LPM).

Rhodes Scholarships Highlights

Name of the Scholarship Rhodes Scholarships
Scholarship Provider Rhodes Trust
Type of Scholarship Merit-Based
Course Level PG
Deadline
  • Opening date: 1 June 2023
  • Closing date: 23:59 GMT, 1 August 2023
Amount GBP 18,180 per annum (INR 19.23 LPA)
Eligibility Talented young people from around the world to study PG at the University of Oxford.
Countries All nationals at Oxford University

Rhodes Scholarship Deadline

Students who are studying Post Graduate Courses at Oxford University, to study in UK can apply for this scholarship. The deadline for applications for Rhodes Scholarship will be 23:59 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 01 August 2023.

  • Opening date: 1 June 2023
  • Closing date: 23:59 GMT, 1 August 2023

How Much is the Rhodes Scholarship Worth?

Indian students who do undergraduate courses at Oxford University will be considered and evaluated for the Rhodes scholarship. All the details regarding the criteria for Rhodes Scholarship are given below:

Eligible Candidates International Students studying Postgraduate courses at the Oxford University
Number of Scholarships 100
Study Duration 3 years
Rhodes Scholarship amount GBP 18,180 per annum (INR 19.23 LPA)

The Scholarship covers a student visa, two economy class flights, tuition fees, living expenses, accommodation, travel expenses (two economy class tickets to and from), and associated International Health Surcharge (IHS), There will also get a monthly stipend. The amount for the academic year 2023-24 will be GBP 18,180 per annum (INR 19.23 LPA) or GBP 1515 per month. (INR 1.6 LPM).

Requirements for Rhodes Scholarship

Rhodes Scholarship eligibility requires following a few criteria. The Rhodes Scholarship requirements are given below:

  • Age: Applicants must be aged 18-23 on 1st October 2023 (i.e. must have been born after 1 October 1999 and before 2 October 2005). The older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree must be under the age of 27 on 1st October 2023 (i.e. have been born after 1 October 1996) AND must also have completed the first undergraduate degree on or after 1 October 2022.
  • Academic achievement: Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a Bachelor’s) by July 2024. A First Class Honours Degree or equivalent, or, a GPA of 3.70/4.0 or higher is an advantage.
  • English Language: Applicants must meet the University of Oxford’s English language requirements.

How to Apply for Rhodes Scholarship?

Here is the Rhodes Scholarship application process:

  • Step 1: Register and Create an account on the website of Rhodes Trust. https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/the-rhodes-scholarship/
  • The applicant must complete and submit our online application form by 23:59 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 01 August 2023.
  • Students should apply for the Rhodes Scholarship before applying for their proposed course at the University of Oxford.
  • Unsuccessful candidates can subsequently re-apply only once more (and this must be in the same constituency).
  • The details required to provide at the time of application are
    - Contact information
    - Evidence to show the eligibility criteria
    - Education history including university transcripts
    - The course(s) to study at the University of Oxford
    - A CV
    - CAS Letter
    -  An Academic Statement
    -  A Personal Statement
    -  A total of four referees (Academic & Character References)

Documents Required for Rhodes Scholarships

Here are the documents required for the scholarship:

  • Birth certificate
  • Valid passport
  • National Registration Card
  • Official transcripts from the college or university (Both original and translated in English)
  • SOP: Personal statement of 750 words stating how the applicant deserves the scholarship.
  • LOR: Letters of Recommendation (list of referees along with relevant details from the previous institutions). The nominator should be a senior official at the university, such as the President, Dean, Rector, Vice-Provost or other official responsible for graduate scholarships.
  • CV: It should contain Professional/research experience (up to 5 entries), Volunteering, community involvement and leadership experience (up to 5 entries), Publications and presentations (up to 3 entries), Awards, prizes and scholarships (up to 5 entries), Skills, hobbies and extra-curricular activities (up to 5 entries)
  • Photograph: Recent photograph of the candidate in jpg format.
  • English Proficiency Scores: IELTS or TOEFL score

Rhodes Scholarships Selection Process

The application will be checked for eligibility and completeness before being reviewed by the selectors. Rhodes Scholarship interview questions are an important part of the selection process.

  • Longlisted candidates will be invited to attend a preliminary video interview.
  • The final stage of selection will be a social engagement, a reception, a dinner and a final interview.
  • Candidates selected as finalists must be available to attend in person at Rhodes House, Oxford, UK in November 2023.
  • Selection is made without regard to marital status, race, ethnic origin, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, social background, disability, caste or other irrelevant distinctions.
  • Applications selected in November 2023 are for entry to the University of Oxford in October 2024

Rhodes Scholarships Accepting Countries

The candidates can be from any nation like India, Australia, Thailand, etc who enrol for a PG course at Oxford University. The Rhodes Scholarship program has about 100 scholarships for students from across the world. Candidates can work-while studying in UK to help their expenses. Rhodes constituency is a country, a group of countries, and/or territories, regions or states, grouped for the purposes of administering scholarships. The number of scholarships per each constituency is given below:

Constituency Number of Scholarships
Australia 9
Bermuda 1
Canada 11
China 4
Commonwealth Caribbean (This constituency includes Anguilla, Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Montserrat, St Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and, the Turks and Caicos Islands) 1
East Africa (This constituency includes Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi) 1
Germany 2
Global 2
Hong Kong SAR 1
India 5
Israel 2
Jamaica and the Commonwealth Caribbean 2
Kenya 2
Malaysia 1
New Zealand 3
Pakistan 1
Saudi Arabia Up to 2
Singapore 1
Southern Africa (This constituency includes South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Eswatini) 10
Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine SJLP 2
United Arab Emirates 2
United States (This constituency includes 50 states of the US, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) 32
West Africa (This constituency includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, the island of Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Principe and Togo) 1
Zambia 2
Zimbabwe 2

The Rhodes Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship given to talented young students from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. The trust selects students based on their academic performance, personal statement, and performance in the interview. The students will have to submit their application forms on or before October 3, 2023. The selected students will get the amount of GBP 18,180 per annum (INR 19.23 LPA) or GBP 1515 per month. (INR 1.6 LPM).

FAQs

Ques: What are Rhodes Scholarships?

Ans: Rhodes Scholarships are prestigious international postgraduate awards that enable outstanding students from various countries to study at the University of Oxford in England.

Ques: Who is the scholarship named after?

Ans: The Rhodes Scholarship is named after Cecil Rhodes, a British businessman, and statesman who established the scholarship in his will in 1902.

Ques: What academic fields are eligible for Rhodes Scholarships?

Ans: Rhodes Scholarships are open to candidates from a wide range of academic disciplines, including arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering.

Ques: Who is eligible to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship?

Ans: Eligibility criteria may vary slightly by country, but generally, applicants must be citizens of eligible countries, have completed their undergraduate degree or equivalent, and be between the ages of 19 and 25 at the time of application.

Ques: Can women apply for Rhodes Scholarships?

Ans: Yes, Rhodes Scholarships have been open to both men and women since 1977, and applicants of all genders are encouraged to apply.

Ques: How many Rhodes Scholarships are awarded each year?

Ans: The number of scholarships awarded each year varies, but approximately 100 scholarships are awarded annually to students from around the world.

Ques: What does the selection process for Rhodes Scholarships entail?

Ans: The selection process includes a rigorous application, endorsement by the applicant's university or country, and a series of interviews to assess the candidate's academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Ques: Are Rhodes Scholars required to study a specific course at Oxford?

Ans: No, Rhodes Scholars have the freedom to choose from a wide range of postgraduate courses offered at the University of Oxford, based on their academic interests and career goals.

Ques: Is the scholarship fully funded?

Ans: Yes, Rhodes Scholarships cover the full cost of tuition, living expenses, and a travel allowance for the duration of the scholar's course at Oxford.

Ques: What opportunities are available to Rhodes Scholars after completing their studies?

Ans: Rhodes Scholars become part of the global community of Rhodes alumni, who have gone on to excel in various fields, including academia, public service, business, and the arts, with many becoming influential leaders and change-makers in their respective fields.