[UK] The Rhodes Scholarships - Postgraduate
The Rhodes Trust is an educational charity whose principal activity is to support scholars selected from 14 specified constituencies in order to study at the University of Oxford. Scholarships are awarded annually for a duration of one, two, or three years. The Trust has from time to time made benefactions to support other educational purposes either at Oxford or in the countries from which it operates scholarships. Currently, the Trust is not making benefactions other than the scholarships.
Rhodes Scholars are at present elected according to the following annual distribution:
Australia 9 (Six state scholarships (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania) and three scholarships for the Commonwealth Territories and Australia at large)
Bermuda 1
Commonwealth
Caribbean 1
Canada 11 (Two each from Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes region; three from the Prairies region; one each from Newfoundland and British Columbia)
Germany 2
India 5
Jamaica 1
Kenya 2
New Zealand 3
Pakistan 1
Southern Africa 10 (One each from four Cape Schools and Natal, as specified in the Will of Cecil Rhodes; four elected on a regional plan from South Africa-at-large; one from states neighbouring South Africa)
USA 32 (Elected on a regional plan which aims to secure equal opportunities of competition in all the 50 States of the Union)
Zambia 2
Zimbabwe 2
Thus some 82 Rhodes Scholars come to Oxford each year, the number in residence at any one time being about 230.
Candidates must be between the ages of 19 and 25 (the upper age limit varies by constituency). Rhodes Scholars must have graduated from a university and resided for a number of years in their country of origin.
Rhodes Scholars are chosen by local Selection Committees in each constituency. Selection Committees usually contain a proportion of those who have themselves been Rhodes Scholars. There is no formal written examination; Scholars are chosen for their academic and all-round qualities on the evidence of testimonials from responsible persons, and after personal interview (which is indispensable) by the Selection Committee concerned. Elections usually take place between October and December, and the Scholars come into residence at Oxford in the following October.
After election, application is made on behalf of Scholars for admission to individual faculties, departments and colleges in Oxford. The election is not confirmed by the Rhodes Trustees until the Scholar-elect has been accepted for admission by the University and by a college. The annual stipend of the Scholarship is expected to cover all maintenance costs. Fees are paid by the Trust direct to the University and the colleges.
Scholars are normally elected for two years in the first instance. They may, however, hold the Scholarship for only one year. Those Scholars who embark on a recognised route to the DPhil at the time of admission may apply for a third year on stipend.
A Rhodes Scholar may apply to any one of the graduate courses of study available at the University of Oxford (with the exception of the MBA), or for a second undergraduate degree (over two years).
All applications should be made to the Secretary of the local Selection Committee. A separate memorandum explaining the regulations in detail is published for each country. Full application and contact details for the local secretaries may be found on the Rhodes Trust website:
www.rhodestrust.org
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