Study in UK | University of Oxford Clarendon Fund Scholarships 2027
The University of Oxford just confirmed that its Clarendon Fund Scholarships are open for the 2026-27 intake. The deal remains the same as it has been since 2001: full tuition, full college fees, and a generous living stipend for graduate students in every subject imaginable. Over 200 new scholarships will be awarded this cycle. No nationality restrictions, no field restrictions, and no separate scholarship application exist. If you plan a Master’s or DPhil at Oxford and you apply by the course deadline, you are already in the running. That alone makes Clarendon one of the most accessible fully funded scholarship schemes at any top five global university.
What Exactly Does Oxford Pay For?
Clarendon does not offer partial funding. Every scholarship removes the financial barrier entirely, letting you focus on the work that got you noticed in the first place.
- Full Tuition Coverage: The scholarship pays your full tuition fees for the entire duration of fee liability, regardless of whether you hold Home or Overseas fee status.
- College Fees Covered: You receive full college fees covered for the length of your course.
- Living Costs Grant: Full time scholars receive an annual living costs grant set at a minimum of the UKRI doctoral stipend rate. For the 2025-26 cohort, this was at least 15,009 GBP, with annual adjustments expected.
- Study Support Grant: Part time DPhil scholars receive at least 2,502 GBP, while part time Master’s scholars receive at least 5,003 GBP for the 2025-26 cohort.
- Funding Duration: Your funding matches your full period of fee liability, which typically equals the length of your course.
- Extended Support: Some divisions may extend funding beyond fee liability at their discretion, covering a living grant for an additional period.
Who Can Actually Apply?
Clarendon keeps its eligibility criteria refreshingly simple. There is no secret checklist, no regional quota, and no minimum age. If you meet the conditions below, you automatically become a candidate.
- Course Type: You must apply for a new full time or part time Master’s or DPhil course at the University of Oxford.
- Timing: You must submit your graduate application by the December or January admissions deadline relevant to your chosen course.
- Nationality: All nationalities and all countries of ordinary residence qualify with zero restrictions.
- Programme Scope: All degree bearing graduate courses across the four academic divisions and the Department for Continuing Education are eligible.
- Exclusions: Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma courses do not qualify. Current Oxford students continuing the same degree into the next academic year are also ineligible.
- Language Proficiency: You must meet Oxford’s standard English language requirements, including IELTS, TOEFL, or equivalent.
- Selection Basis: The committee selects candidates based on academic record, aptitude for the proposed course, and motivation. Leadership profiles or extracurricular portfolios do not factor into the decision.
So How Does This Actually Work?
There is no Clarendon portal, no Clarendon essay, and no Clarendon interview. The entire process runs invisibly alongside your regular Oxford graduate application. This makes it remarkably straightforward but also easy to miss if you do not hit the right deadline.
Start by applying to your chosen graduate course through Oxford’s standard admissions system before the December 2026 or January 2027 deadline, whichever applies to your programme. That single application becomes your scholarship application. The moment you submit it on time, you enter consideration. Academics in your proposed field then review your application for both admission and scholarship potential simultaneously.
Your department decides whether to offer you a graduate place. In parallel, it identifies its strongest candidates to nominate for Clarendon funding based on the selection criteria. The next stage moves to the divisional level. Each of Oxford’s academic divisions and the Department for Continuing Education convenes in February or March to review departmental nominations. These panels rank nominees on academic merit and future potential, shortlisting the highest ranked candidates for a Clarendon award.
Once the shortlist locks in, the Clarendon Fund Administrator reaches out to successful applicants with a formal scholarship offer letter, known internally as a CB1. Accepting that CB1 secures your funding, provided you meet the conditions of your offer to study at Oxford. From April through summer, the fund assembles bespoke funding packages for each scholar by matching Clarendon Partnership Awards to individual recipients. You do not need to submit anything further during this stage. Once your personalized package finalizes, you receive a funding breakdown letter called a CB2 detailing your exact financial arrangements and confirming your college placement.
Most initial offers go out by the end of April. If you have not received any communication by mid June, assume you were not selected. A small number of late nominations may occur over the summer if previously selected scholars withdraw.
How to Apply
When Does the Door Close?
The Clarendon Fund does not set its own deadline. Your deadline is your course deadline, and missing it means missing the scholarship entirely. For the 2026-27 intake, you must submit your Oxford graduate application by either December 2026 or January 2027, depending on the specific admissions timeline for your chosen programme.
Oxford publishes exact dates on each course page, and these vary across departments. Identify your course page on the Oxford website right now, note the earlier of the two possible deadlines, and work backward from there. Applications submitted after the funding deadline, even by a single day, will not be considered for Clarendon regardless of academic profile strength.
With over 200 fully funded awards available for scholars from any country and any discipline, the only real barrier between you and one of the most generous graduate scholarships in the world is a missed calendar date. Visit the Oxford graduate admissions website today, identify your course deadline, and submit your application. Your future at Oxford awaits.
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