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Study in UK | Oxford Undergraduate Ellison Scholarships 2026

April 13, 2026 7:35 am

Study in UK | Oxford Undergraduate Ellison Scholarships 2026

Do you dream of studying at the University of Oxford but worry about the cost? The Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford has confirmed that applications for its Undergraduate Ellison Scholars Programme will reopen on 1 May 2026. This opportunity offers a small cohort of international students fully funded places at Oxford for October 2027 entry. It stands as one of the most selective undergraduate scholarships currently on the global landscape. Many argue it is the most ambitious programme launched in Britain this decade.

What Makes the Ellison Scholarship Different

Unlike conventional Oxford scholarships, the Ellison award builds itself around a dual identity. You pursue any undergraduate degree at Oxford while simultaneously committing to ten week paid summer research internships with EIT teams between academic years. That structural pairing of degree and applied research sets it apart from Rhodes, Clarendon, and most other flagship awards. Those programmes fund study but rarely embed scholars inside an active research institute from year one.

What the Ellison Scholarship Covers

The programme offers comprehensive funding that removes every financial barrier to an Oxford education. Here is exactly what successful scholars receive:

Full Tuition Coverage: The scholarship pays your tuition fees for the entire duration of your undergraduate degree. You will never see a tuition bill.
Living Costs Covered: The award covers your living expenses throughout your studies. You can focus entirely on your academic work without financial stress.
Paid Summer Internships: You receive structured research engagement through ten week paid summer internships. You earn money while gaining experience.
Early Research Access: You work alongside world leading experts on EIT’s existing project portfolio. You gain laboratory and field exposure that undergraduates elsewhere typically wait until their final year or postgraduate study to access.

The Four Humane Endeavours

Your internships will organise themselves around what EIT calls its four humane endeavours. These represent the Institute’s core research priorities:

Health, Medical Science and Generative Biology: Tackling disease and extending human healthspan
Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture: Feeding a growing planet without destroying it
Climate Change and Atmospheric Carbon Management: Removing carbon from the air at scale
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: Building machines that augment human capability

Scholars must bring transferable skills from disciplines as varied as economics, law, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science, and medicine. Your Oxford degree can sit anywhere, but your research must connect to one of these four pillars.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility for the Ellison Scholars 2027 intake ties itself directly to Oxford’s own undergraduate admissions standards. Here is what you need:

School Leaving Qualification: You must hold, or be on track to receive, a qualification that the University of Oxford recognises. Check Oxford’s website for the specific requirements from your country.
Grade Thresholds: You must meet the grade requirements for your chosen Oxford course. These vary by programme, so research your target degree carefully.
English Language: You must satisfy Oxford’s English language requirements. This typically means IELTS or TOEFL scores.
No Nationality Restriction: The scholarship imposes no nationality limits. This openness reflects EIT’s stated ambition to recruit globally.

Beyond academic eligibility, the selection panel weighs six criteria. They look for alignment with EIT’s mission, academic excellence, innovation, collaboration, tenacity, and integrity. In practice, evidence of Olympiad medals, published research, hackathon wins, patents, or founded ventures carries real weight. This scholarship does not simply want students who meet Oxford’s bar. It wants students who arrive having already done something measurable.

How to Apply

Click Here to Apply

Timeline and Selection

The 2027 application window runs from 1 May to 31 July 2026. Semi finalists will receive notification between September and October. These candidates must then complete Oxford’s separate UCAS based admissions process, which operates entirely independently of the EIT route. Finalists who secure an Oxford offer will progress to interviews with the EIT Faculty of Fellows in January and February 2027. The new cohort will announce in March or April before arriving in Oxford that October.

Why This Scholarship Matters

For prospective applicants from South Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, where cost often blocks access to Oxford, the absence of nationality limits and the full funding package make this one of the most genuinely open routes into the university. Places are extremely limited, and competition will be fierce. But for students whose secondary school record already shows the kind of independent project work the panel rewards, the 1 May 2026 opening is a date worth marking on your calendar. Visit the Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford website today and start preparing your application.