Reach Oxford Scholarship 2027

Who can apply

Must already hold an offer of admission to Oxford; the University does not consider scholarship applications from students who have not been offered a place
New undergraduate students only, in all subjects except medicine
Financial need, social commitment, and inability to study for a degree in the applicant's own country are major selection criteria alongside academic ability
Intends to return to their home country after their studies; priority goes to applicants who have not studied at undergraduate level before
Not all colleges participate every year, but being accepted by a non-participating college does not block an application; successful applicants are transferred between colleges
Can only be considered for an undergraduate scholarship once, including under deferred entry or after Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year
Scholars must write an annual report on their academic and social activities and achievements, with the award in subsequent years subject to satisfactory academic progress
Nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar or Sudan should check the UK government's current "visa brake" policy on gov.uk before applying: since 26 March 2026 it refuses Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of those four countries, even where an offer or scholarship is already secured, and it is reviewed periodically rather than indefinite

Apply for admission first, the scholarship only comes after

The sequencing here trips people up: you cannot apply for this scholarship first. Oxford is explicit that it will not consider scholarship applications from students who have not already been offered a place, so the undergraduate admissions application has to come first, with the scholarship application following in January of the year you’d start.

Broad nationality eligibility, but very few awards

Eligibility is nationality-based and broad. The DAC list Oxford uses runs to well over a hundred countries across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and beyond, and every subject in the course listing qualifies except medicine. Around 2 to 3 awards are made a year, so the pool of eligible applicants is far larger than the number of scholarships. For a wider view of scholarships built specifically for applicants from developing countries, see the guide to funding for students from developing countries.

Two edge cases worth knowing

Two edge cases are worth knowing if they apply to you. If you hold a deferred offer, you apply for the scholarship in January of the year you’ll actually start, not the year you were offered a place. And if you’re on Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year Programme, the same rule applies to your undergraduate degree once the Foundation Year finishes. Either way, an undergraduate scholarship application can only be made once.

Ongoing obligations once you hold the award

Holding the scholarship isn’t a one-time award with no strings attached afterward. Scholars are expected to write an annual report on their academic and social activities and achievements at the University, and continuing to receive the award in later years depends on satisfactory academic progress, not just the initial selection.

The 2027 deadline is now published

Oxford has since published the 2027 entry scholarship deadline directly: 26 January 2027, with selection in April 2027 and outcomes notified by the end of May 2027. An earlier check found Oxford’s page saying only that details would appear in January 2027, so the deadline itself came out ahead of the rest of the application process going live; watch the official page for the remaining application details closer to that date.

Reach Oxford Scholarship