Clarendon offer holders
Why Clarendon? Because we offer more than just funding, we offer a community, for you, by you.
Past Clarendon Scholars' Council addressing the scholars
Why Clarendon?
Clarendon scholarships not only provide students with a life-changing opportunity to study at Oxford, but also the chance to form long-lasting social, academic and professional connections within a lively community.
If you’ve been offered a Clarendon scholarship, it is because the University believes that you are an outstanding applicant. But what distinguishes Clarendon from other funding schemes? Here are just five of the many reasons.
Fully-funded scholarships
Clarendon offers fully-funded scholarships covering course fees as well as a grant for living expenses for the period of fee liability. We support our scholars by reducing the financial barriers to graduate study, enabling our scholars to focus on their studies. Furthermore, by offering living expenses, it provides our scholars with the opportunity to live an active life within Oxford and, most importantly, the time to relax and socialise away from their studies.
Academic calibre
With our sole focus on selecting the best students in their fields of study from across the world, Clarendon scholars are among the best and brightest. For this reason, Clarendon scholarships are highly competitive and coveted by the Oxford graduate community.
A diverse community
By removing barriers for selection, the Clarendon community has one of the most diverse populations in Oxford. Clarendon strives to celebrate these differences by admitting students from any discipline, from anywhere in the world. Whether it’s African Studies or Zoology, Afghanistan or Zimbabwe, Clarendon will always support the highest-achieving applicants. This diversity provides great opportunities for interaction and collaboration which enhance our Clarendon community and contribute to the collegiate University more broadly.
A vibrant community
Funding isn’t everything that Clarendon offers. Scholars benefit from membership to the lively Clarendon Scholars’ Association, run by the scholars themselves, who strive to enrich their members’ time by fostering a positive and stimulating community.
Normally, your fellow scholars are the first people you meet when you get to Oxford to begin your studies. The Scholars' Association helps you meet and get to know your fellow scholars as well as providing a platform for sharing ideas, experience, skills, and creating initiatives. To hear what our scholars have to say visit the Scholar Stories page.
We aim to be different
Clarendon aims to be different from other funding schemes which just pay your way; by creating a community of the brightest minds, we offer you a graduate experience that will inspire you to excellence. We can’t wait to welcome you to Oxford!
“One of the major impacts of the Clarendon Scholarship on me and my DPhil project is the academic freedom it provides. This freedom has provided me with a platform where I can design my project in a way that I am in control of my experiments and starting material.”
While you're a Clarendon scholar
How the Fund operates
The Clarendon Fund scholarship scheme is managed by a small team within the University’s Student Fees and Funding Department consisting of the Student Funding Manager, the Student Funding Officer and the Student Funding Administrator, with support from the Deputy Head of Student Fees and Funding.
The Clarendon Administrative Team manages the annual award allocation round, liaising with funding partners, crafting funding packages and drafting funding letters. The administrative team also hosts a welcome event for new scholars and an annual reception for all scholars and friends of the Fund, ensures scholarships are paid in a timely manner, supports on-course scholars, provides guidance to the Scholars’ Association Council, services the Clarendon Fund Steering Group, maintains the Fund’s website, and much more.
The Clarendon Welcome event
Your fellow Clarendon scholars are normally the very first people you meet when you start at Oxford for your graduate course.
The Welcome Event is timed to coincide with the Clarendon Scholars' Association (CSA) Clarendon Freshers Week, put on by the CSA Council during -1st week. The Welcome Event is hosted by the Clarendon Fund and gives us a chance to introduce ourselves and tell you more about the Clarendon Fund.
Over the years, we have held the Welcome Event at many of Oxford’s iconic venues such as the Weston Library, Oxford University Press, the Museum of Natural History and the Ashmolean Museum, to name a few. This informal welcome is a great opportunity to get to know each other as well as the Clarendon Scholars’ Council over drinks and nibbles.
The Clarendon Annual Reception
The Clarendon Annual Reception is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work of the Clarendon scholars over the previous year, as well as to thank all our partners and friends from the University, its colleges, Oxford University Press and beyond for their continued support and assistance in ensuring the success of the scholarship. The event has been held at numerous Oxford venues including the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford University Press and the Blavatnik School of Government, as well as the Town Hall. Usually hosted by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education with representatives of Oxford University Press (OUP) attending, this event celebrates all the individuals and organisations across the University that support Clarendon.
“I am extremely grateful to be part of the Clarendon community. Not only does it support me with my studies, but it’s also a great opportunity to find friends and peers, to exchange ideas and opinions and spend time outside both the college and the department.”
Clarendon Scholars' Association
One of the many benefits of being a Clarendon scholar is membership of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association (CSA), which plays an integral part in ensuring the Clarendon community spirit. Although the community has evolved over time, the purpose has remained the same. The CSA seeks to advance the education of members by providing opportunities in leisure time activities, social welfare and, in particular, their personal, physical and cultural development. Although this can sound daunting, the principle is to ensure Clarendon scholars experience a range of educational and personal opportunities and activities depending on their preferences. This network for engagement is separate from those of academic departments or college affiliations, and brings together uniquely like-minded people for the formation of life-long friendships and shared intellectual curiosity.
Clarendon Scholars' Council
The Clarendon Scholars’ Council is at the heart of the Clarendon community and vital to the ongoing success of the scholarships. The Council’s goal is to foster a positive, stimulating and inspiring academic community which serves as a launch pad for the future.
Term cards normally include a range of activities such as Clarendon lectures and symposiums, cultural and historical trips, and a wide range of sports and recreational activities. The Council also aims to facilitate opportunities for personal and professional development, as well as opportunities to build connections with partnership scholarship groups and professional networks.
Whether it’s ballet or football, opera or graffiti art, charity runs or community outreach programmes, formal dinners or library study dates, the Clarendon Scholars’ Council has got an event for you or if not, they soon will do with your input!
Visit the Clarendon Scholars' Association website for scholar profiles and information about the Council, activities and events, and much more.
Clarendon Scholars' Council roles
The Clarendon Scholars’ Council is made up of a number of annually elected positions and includes the Official Member, a permanent representative from the University.
“The Clarendon Scholarship is not only a life-changing opportunity to study at Oxford, but also a chance to form lasting social, academic and professional networks. It was the determining factor of choosing to study at Oxford. Indeed, it would not have been possible for me to study here without the financial support of a scholarship. I can focus on my studies and be more productive, without having to worry about financial issues. More than that, at Oxford, the first event I attended was the welcome reception organised by the Clarendon community. There, I made my first friends here, and one of them has become a very good friend of mine. In short, it opened up a lot of doors for me and I am very grateful for it.”