Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme

Who can apply

Applying to start a new full-time graduate course at Oxford, from the scholarship's list of 40 eligible courses, and holding an offer for it
Ordinarily resident in one of the eligible countries on the official list (residence, not nationality, is the test), intending to return to that country, or to work regionally or internationally for its benefit, after the course; applicants who indicated refugee/displaced status when applying are eligible if their nationality meets the country criteria
Able to show how your professional work will contribute to improving public life in your country or region
Not open to candidates holding a deferred offer to start in 2027-28
Current Oxford students are not eligible unless already a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann scholar
Must select the scholarship in the University of Oxford Scholarships section of the graduate application form and upload the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement 2027/28 by your course's deadline
The eligible-countries list includes Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan; nationals of those four countries should separately check the UK government's current "visa brake" policy before applying, since it has refused Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of those countries since 26 March 2026, regardless of any Oxford offer or scholarship already secured

The deadline is your course’s deadline, not the scholarship’s

The most common mistake with this scholarship is waiting for a separate scholarship call. There is none. You apply for an eligible Oxford course through the normal graduate application, tick the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the University of Oxford Scholarships section of the form, and upload a short form called the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement. All of this must be in by your course’s own deadline. Some courses close on 1 December 2026, others in late January 2027, so check the page for your course first. If you miss the course deadline, you miss the scholarship as well, and a course application that is held over to the March round or put on a waiting list is not considered for the scholarship.

Only a fixed list of courses qualifies

The scholarship is not open to every Oxford master’s. The official page lists 40 eligible courses, mostly in public policy, law, development, health, education, environment and social science, with a few technical ones such as MSc Advanced Computer Science, MSc Energy Systems and MSc Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing. The MBA and the MFE at Saïd Business School are also included, and the business school’s own page lists three awards available and a 6 January 2027 deadline for MBA and MFE applicants (Saïd Business School page). DPhil (PhD) programmes are not on the list. If your course is not named on the official page, you cannot be considered, however strong your application.

Residence matters, and so does your plan to go home

Eligibility depends on where you are ordinarily resident, not only on your passport. The official list of eligible countries is long. It covers most of Africa and South Asia, including Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Rwanda, and it also includes many countries outside those regions, among them India, China, Brazil and several European countries such as France, Germany, Ireland and Spain. The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia are not on it. Oxford says the scholarships aim to support graduates and professionals mainly from developing and emerging economies who would not otherwise be able to study at Oxford. You should intend to return to your country of ordinary residence once your course is completed, and you must show how your professional work will improve public life in your country or region. Your statement should connect your course to a concrete plan at home, because that is what the selection criteria test. Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan all appear on the list, so nationals of those four should also check the UK government’s current “visa brake” policy on gov.uk before applying: since 26 March 2026 it has refused Student visa applications made from outside the UK by nationals of those countries, regardless of any Oxford offer or scholarship already secured.

How selection works after you apply

Your course department first decides whether to offer you a place, and only applicants with an offer are considered. The Trust then contacts shortlisted candidates for an interview, which Oxford says is likely to be held online in April 2027, and decisions are expected by the end of May 2027. According to the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust, interview panels include academics from partner colleges and departments, Trust staff and advisers, and former scholars. You can name a preferred college in your application, but successful candidates are transferred to a partner college in order to take up the scholarship.

What the money covers, and what it does not

The award pays 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs of at least £21,805, for the full length of your fee liability on the course. For comparison, the overseas fee for the Master of Public Policy in 2027-28 is listed as £54,650. The official page does not mention flights, visa fees or the Immigration Health Surcharge, so plan to cover these yourself unless your award letter says otherwise. Our guide to studying in the UK explains those extra costs. Alongside the degree, scholars take part in a leadership programme with philosophical discussions, business skills and communication training, and the Trust says attendance at an intensive introduction in Oxford shortly before the academic year starts is compulsory, with accommodation and expenses expected to come out of your living grant.

How it compares to other Oxford scholarships, and the Chevening route

Like the Clarendon Fund Scholarships, which need no separate form at all, Weidenfeld-Hoffmann is tied to your course deadline. The difference is the extra statement and the ticked scholarship box, plus the leadership programme and the clear expectation that you will return home. The Trust also runs partnership awards with the Oxford Pakistan Programme and Chevening. Those are selected separately by the Trust and its partners, and by applying for the main programme you also consent to being considered for them. If you apply through Chevening for a Chevening-Weidenfeld-Hoffmann award, the application is made on the Chevening website, you must list Oxford as your first-preference university, and you are bound by Chevening’s own terms as well.