Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a Clarendon Scholarship?

The Application process section of this website explains how you can apply.

Am I eligible for a Clarendon Scholarship?

The Eligibility criteria section of this website has full details about who is eligible.

Who sponsors the Clarendon Fund?

Oxford University Press sponsors the Fund, and the first awards were made in 2001. The Clarendon Fund was established to help support the most academically able international students to come and study at Oxford. See also the History of the Clarendon Fund section of this website.

Will I be able to meet the sponsor and the other award holders?

A Welcome Event is organised before the start of the first term each year as an informal opportunity for new scholars to meet each other. A formal reception for Clarendon Fund scholars and donors is held each year, usually in November.

The Clarendon Scholars’ Council will also provide many informal opportunities to meet your fellow scholars and get involved in representing the scholarly community at Oxford. The University and the Clarendon Scholars’ Council jointly maintain several email mailing lists (e.g. for new scholars, for all scholars, for Council members, and for alumni) which are used to keep you informed about activities, news and events for Clarendon scholars.

How many Clarendon scholars are there at Oxford, and where are they from?

In 2009-10 there are 294 scholars studying at Oxford. This includes students studying one-year Master's degrees, two-year research Master's degrees and three or four-year DPhil courses. The scholars come from a wide range of countries. 35 nationalities are currently represented, with the largest number coming from the United States, Australia, Canada, India and China.

How competitive is the scholarship?

For entry in 2009-10, we received 1,815 eligible applications for the Clarendon award. Of this, 124 awards were taken up, which makes the success rate 7%; so it is a very competitive scholarship!

What expenses do university (tuition) and college fees cover?

University fees cover your tuition fees in full. College fees are for the provision of academic and social facilities and do not include accommodation or meal charges. University and college fees do not include additional training courses or laboratory/fieldwork costs.

Do I need to make any arrangements to pay my university (tuition) or college fees?

No. Your college will be able to see on the student database that you have a Clarendon Scholarship, but you may like to take your offer letter along to the registration session to remind them. The university and college fees will be paid directly by Graduate Admissions & Funding and you do not need to make any further arrangements.

How much is the grant for living expenses?

Scholars on a full-time course also receive a tax-free annual grant that is normally sufficient to cover the living expenses of a single student living in Oxford. The grant for living expenses in 2010-11 is GBP£13,590 and the 2011-12 rate will be slightly higher than this (to be confirmed in spring 2011).

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.

When will I receive my grant for living expenses and how do I collect the money?

For full-time scholars, the Clarendon Scholarship contribution to your grant for living expenses will be paid to you in three equal termly instalments in the week before each term starts (called “0th week”) for each year of your scholarship, subject to the terms of your funding offer letter. You will need to budget accordingly for each term and the vacations. If your scholarship is co-funded by a college, department or external organisation, they will make separate arrangements to pay you their portion of the award.

In your first term, you will receive a cheque (check), which you will need to collect in person and which must be paid into a UK bank account. In your second and subsequent terms, payments can be made directly into your UK bank account if you complete our bank account details form after you arrive, or can continue to be paid by cheque. The University has information about opening a bank account in the UK.

Part of your first term’s grant for living expenses will be paid to you as an “open cheque”. This is a special kind of cheque that can be exchanged for cash, and it does not get paid into a bank account. You can cash your open cheque immediately at the Barclays Bank branches on Little Clarendon Street and Cornmarket Street, both of which are in central Oxford.

Separate arrangements will be made directly with scholars studying for a part-time course.

If you will be living in college-owned accommodation, you may need to pay your college a deposit before you arrive, and you will need to arrange this directly with the college. 

Under what circumstances can my Clarendon Scholarship offer be amended?

Graduate Admissions & Funding may amend your funding offer in the light of subsequent scholarships you may be awarded (for example, if a college or external donor decides to offer you funding to cover the same costs as this Scholarship offer). Your offer of funding from the University will not be reduced as a result of any revisions; you are guaranteed funding at the level proposed in your original funding offer letter. A subsequent funding package may be linked to a college that you are not currently placed at or you did not list as your preference (if you chose to state a preference), so you would take up a place at the college to which the funding is linked. You may also find Awards linked to the Clarendon Fund helpful.

Does the Clarendon Fund offer financial assistance for study-related needs to scholars with a disability?

Yes. Students with disabilities in receipt of a Clarendon Scholarship are eligible for an allowance towards study related support. To identify what support is required you would attend a study needs assessment and reasonable recommendations would be funded by the allowance. To discuss this please contact Graduate Admissions & Funding in the first instance. Visit the Disability Advisory Service website for more information on support for disabled students at Oxford.

Can the Clarendon Fund pay for other expenses?

Unfortunately the Clarendon Fund does not cover additional fees for travel, training courses or laboratory/fieldwork costs. If you are seeking such expenses you should check with your department or college for possible funding, or look at the University's Prizes page.

As a new scholar, when should I submit my first term scholarship report?

At the end of the first term of your first year you will be asked to write a short report about your academic and social activities and achievements to date. This report is used to confirm that you are settling in to your studies, and is also sent to the scholarship donor(s). You may include a message/letter in your report specifically for the donor. Information about how to complete the report will be sent to you by email in December.

When should I submit my annual scholarship report?

All scholars must complete an annual scholarship report, in which you give us a description of your academic and extra-curricular activities that year. We will also ask you to give us an update on your funding situation, as it is a condition of the scholarship that if you receive external funding, the amount of your scholarship may be adjusted. Information about how to complete the report will be sent to you by email in June.

If my scholarship is valid for more than one year, how do I renew it?

If your scholarship lasts for more than one year, the annual scholarship report is used to renew your award for the next year. Once we have received your report and have confirmed that you are making satisfactory academic progress, Graduate Admissions & Funding will confirm to you by email that your scholarship has been renewed. Please note that your scholarship will not be renewed unless we receive your annual scholarship report.

What if I am not making satisfactory academic progress?

If you are not, in the University's opinion, making satisfactory academic progress, Graduate Admissions & Funding will coordinate a review to decide whether your scholarship should be continued.

If my Clarendon scholarship is for a Master's and I continue to DPhil, can my existing Clarendon award be extended?

Unless you have been awarded a Clarendon Scholarship specifically stating that it is for Master's and DPhil study, your award can not be extended. Your Clarendon Scholarship is awarded to you to follow a particular course of study only, and the length of the award will be shown on your offer letter. If you choose to re-apply to Oxford to study for a DPhil, then you may re-apply to the Clarendon Fund for a new scholarship.

Can I change courses/subjects and keep my scholarship?

It is not normally possible to transfer courses e.g. from an MSt/MSc to a DPhil. It may be possible to transfer between subjects, and you will need to have the support of your current and future supervisor/Department if you wish to do so. You should then contact Graduate Admissions & Funding so your transfer request can be reviewed. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

Can the award be suspended if I have to suspend or defer my status?

You can suspend your award if you have the approval of your Department, College, and Graduate Admissions & Funding to suspend your studies. You will need to send Graduate Admissions & Funding a copy of your GSO17 letter confirming your suspension of status.

You may apply to defer your award to start in a later term or the next academic year only if you have the approval of your department, college, and Graduate Admissions & Funding. Deferral of entry for graduate study is only possible in exceptional circumstances. Before a deferral can be granted you must have received a confirmed offer with no conditions outstanding. This includes any financial conditions that may have been set by your college.

I am a current Clarendon scholar and I am pregnant. Does the Clarendon Fund offer maternity leave?

Yes, if the Clarendon Scholarship is still tenable during the period that would be affected by maternity leave.

For research students, the Clarendon Fund offers two terms of paid maternity leave with the option to take an additional term of unpaid maternity leave immediately following the paid period, a total provision of up to three terms.

Scholars studying for a taught course are offered two terms of paid maternity leave with an obligatory term of unpaid maternity leave immediately following the paid period.

Clarendon scholars who wish to take maternity leave should be aware that you will need to suspend your studies during this time, and that if you have a visa to study in the UK, you must ensure that you abide by the regulations of their visa during the period of suspension. This will mean leaving the UK or changing your visa status. 

For full details of the Clarendon Fund maternity leave provision, or to request a face-to-face appointment to discuss your situation, please contact Graduate Admissions & Funding. 

I am a current Clarendon scholar and my wife/partner is pregnant. Does the Clarendon Fund offer paternity leave?

Yes, if the Clarendon Scholarship is still tenable during the period that would be affected by paternity leave.

For more information about the Clarendon Fund paternity leave provision, or to request a face-to-face appointment to discuss your situation, please contact Graduate Admissions & Funding.

Who can I contact if I have further questions?

Go to the Contact us section of this website.