The Clarendon Fund is a major graduate scholarship scheme at the
University of Oxford, offering over 100 new scholarships every year. In 2010-11, there were 297 Clarendon scholars at Oxford from 46 different nations. Awards are made based on academic excellence and potential across all subject areas, enabling the most distinguished scholars to study at Oxford University, one of the world’s top five universities and the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
The University has one goal in mind when selecting Clarendon scholars: to elect the best students worldwide, as decided by experts in each student’s field. This aspect makes the scholarship unique: while many other scholarships stress the need for demonstrated leadership in their selection criteria, Oxford believes that by electing and nurturing the best and brightest minds in any given field the advancement of their study at Oxford will, by its very nature, produce leaders in that field. Furthermore, the process of selection means that the Clarendon scholarly community contains equal number of students from each of the University’s four academic divisions, and this diversity is an immense strength for inter-disciplinary interaction amongst the scholars.
We are delighted to announce that the Clarendon Fund has now opened up to all graduate applicants regardless of nationality. From 1 September 2011, all graduate applicants to degree-bearing courses for 2012/13 entry will be eligible for this prestigious scholarship funding which has, up until now, only been open to candidates with overseas fee status.
By applying for graduate study at Oxford University you will
automatically be considered for a Clarendon Scholarship. You do not need to submit any additional documents specifically for the Clarendon Scholarships and there is no separate scholarship application form.
The information that you provide with your application form for graduate study at Oxford will be used to assess your funding application. Once the application deadline has passed, you are not able to provide any additional supporting materials (unless the department you are applying to has specifically requested this in support of your application for admission to Oxford).
Applications for 2013-14 are now open! The closing date for Graduate Admissions for 2013-14 is
Friday 18 January 2013 (or 4 January for Medical Sciences, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations).
Nationality All applicants for graduate study at the University of Oxford are eligible. Clarendon scholars come from all continents in the world: from the USA to Australia, Venezuela to Vietnam and from Norway to Nigeria!
Level of study All degree-bearing courses at graduate level are eligible. This encompasses all full-time and part-time Master’s courses (MSt, MSc, BCL/MJur, MBA, MFE, MPhil, BPhil, MSc by Research, MTh) and all DPhil programmes. A list of the all the graduate courses offered by the University of Oxford can be found on the Graduate Course Guide.
Subject All subjects can be funded by a Clarendon Scholarship. There is no quota by subject or preference for any particular course type.
Type of student Candidates applying to start a new graduate course at Oxford are eligible. This includes students who are currently studying for a Master’s degree at Oxford but who will be re-applying for a DPhil (you would be eligible for funding for the DPhil).
Candidates who already have a place but who deferred entry from a previous year are not eligible to apply (as you can apply for Clarendon in the year that you applied for your place and then, if you are successful, you can apply to defer your funding if you need to defer your place).
Students who will continue to study for the same degree at Oxford in the next year are not eligible for this scholarship.
Application process By applying for graduate study at Oxford University (Application Form for Graduate Study) you will automatically be considered for a Clarendon Scholarship. You do not need to submit any additional documents specifically for the Clarendon Scholarships and there is no separate scholarship application form.
You do, however, need to apply by the January application deadline in order to be considered for the scholarship.
Selection criteria vary slightly depending on the subject area and whether applicants apply for a taught or research degree, but include:- An excellent academic record is essential: A high first class honours degree or its equivalent (a GPA score of at least 3.7 if the mark is out of 4, noting that most successful candidates achieve a score higher than 3.7) or an outstanding academic record at Master’s level is necessary (noting that an outstanding Master’s degree can compensate for a moderate first degree performance). Other indicators of high academic achievement may include individual marks on student transcripts; evidence of previous university prizes or awards; information on your overall position within your cohort; and publications (if applicable).
- Aptitude for the proposed course of study: This may be assessed by reviewing academic references, the research proposal, demonstrated evidence of aptitude for research, and the likelihood the scholar will contribute significantly to their field of study.
- Student motivation: This is assessed through evidence of the applicant’s commitment to their proposed course, evaluated by the personal statement and referees’ reports.
Value of Scholarship All Clarendon Scholarships cover
tuition and college fees in full and a generous
grant for living expenses.
The grant for living expenses for scholars on a
full-time in 2010-11 is GBP£13,590, which is normally sufficient to cover the living expenses of a single student living in Oxford.
Scholars on a
part-time course receive a pro-rata amount of the full-time grant for living expenses. Part-time Master’s scholars are offered 1/3 of the full-time grant per year for two years. Part-time DPhil scholars are offered 1/6 of the full-time grant per year for six years.
Duration of Scholarship Clarendon Scholarships are offered for the full period that you are liable to pay tuition fees to the University, which is usually the same as the length of your course. The
fee liability page of the Fees and Funding website explains this in full detail, and also gives information about charges that may be applied after the standard period of fee liability has been reached and which are not covered by the Clarendon Fund.
Scholarships are subject to an annual renewal process based on satisfactory academic progress.
Combined Award Policy The University aims to offer financial assistance to as many well-qualified candidates as possible, and we expect that Clarendon scholars will continue to pursue other funding applications. In November 2010, we introduced a new Combined Award Policy for Clarendon Scholarship holders that will come into effect from the 2011-12 academic year. Under the Combined Award Policy, Clarendon scholars may be in receipt of a funding package covering tuition fees, college fees and living expenses from multiple sources, and the value of the funding package from these sources may equal up to the the total of a standard Clarendon Scholarship plus an additional £2,500 p/a for living expenses.
External funding Clarendon scholars may hold small external awards that cover non-fee costs (e.g. to support conference attendance, fieldwork costs and travel) up to the equivalent GBP value of £2,500 p/a without any adjustment to your Clarendon funding package.
For more information, please visit :
official website
