Only three places, and no form to fill in
The scholarship page at Saïd Business School offers “up to three” AfOx Graduate Scholarships for the 2027-28 Oxford MBA. There is no separate scholarship application. You apply for the MBA itself, and eligible candidates are considered automatically. The school says it will contact shortlisted applicants for an interview. Because there is no form, many applicants never realise they were in the running. The flip side is that your MBA application is your scholarship application. Your essays and references have to show what the scholarship asks for, a commitment to Africa’s development, and not only your case for a business degree.
The deadline that counts is Stage 4, not the earliest one
The Oxford MBA takes applications in five stages for 2027-28: 2 September 2026, 5 October 2026, 4 November 2026, 6 January 2027 and 15 March 2027. To be considered for University of Oxford scholarships you must apply by the January (Stage 4) deadline. Stage 5 is too late. You can apply in Stage 2 or Stage 3 if you are ready, but you gain nothing by rushing a weak application in before January.
What the MBA itself demands
This scholarship does not relax the MBA’s entry rules. Every applicant must submit a GMAT or GRE score, and Saïd Business School is clear that there is no waiver whatever your experience. You need at least two years of full-time work experience gained after graduating, not counting internships. The application fee is £75. If you hold an offer, you pay a non-refundable £9,800 deposit within 30 days. It counts towards your fees, but you pay it before you know whether you have won a scholarship. Plan for the test and the deposit early, because the test takes months to prepare for.
What it pays and what it does not mention
The course fee for 2027-28 is £94,120 for a twelve-month programme running September to September. The scholarship covers that fee in full, plus a living-costs grant of “at least £21,805.” The page does not mention a return flight, visa fees or the UK Immigration Health Surcharge. Those are included in Oxford’s master’s-level Mastercard Foundation awards, but they are not stated for this MBA award. Do not assume they are covered, and budget for them unless the offer letter says otherwise. You cannot hold this award if you already have a master’s degree, which rules out many mid-career applicants who would otherwise suit an MBA.
How it differs from other Oxford MBA funding
Saïd Business School has several MBA scholarships with the same January deadline, and it helps to know which ones you are competing for. The Skoll Scholarship is for social entrepreneurs of any nationality. The Oxford-Pershing Square Graduate Scholarships fund the two-year 1+1 MBA. The AfOx award is the one limited to Africans living in Africa, which makes the pool much smaller than the full MBA applicant list. Our guide to funding an MBA covers the wider options if you do not win one of the three places.
Do not confuse it with the larger AfOx master’s scheme
Oxford also runs a much larger Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program with AfOx, aimed at 400 African scholars on one-year taught master’s courses. It includes a return flight, visa costs and a later placement period in Africa. As of late September 2026, the University’s central list of scholarships says details for 2027-28 entry are still to be confirmed for that scheme. The MBA award on this page is confirmed for 2027-28. The wider master’s round is not yet, and is worth its own entry once Oxford confirms it.