Clarendon Annual Reception 2019
Credit: John Cairns

The Fund's purpose

The Clarendon Fund’s purpose is simple; to assist academically outstanding graduate students through their studies at the University of Oxford.

Originally established to support Overseas students, the Clarendon Fund first welcomed scholars to Oxford in 2001. The scheme was expanded in 2012 to include students from the UK and EU, therefore providing funding for all fee statuses. Throughout this period, the Fund’s aim has remained unchanged; to assist academically outstanding graduate students through their studies at the University of Oxford.

Clarendon scholarships are competitive, prestigious and highly sought-after. Like all fully-funded Oxford scholarships, Clarendon covers course fees, and provides a generous grant for living expenses. This funding helps reduce the financial barriers that may stand in the way of the best students, from across the world, coming to study at Oxford.

I want to thank Clarendon for providing this amazing scholarship for students in Oxford. I have met interesting people with diverse backgrounds and the interdisciplinary discussions I have had with other students were truly intellectually stimulating. On top of that, the Clarendon community organises a lot of events which are simply a lot of fun to attend.

Felix Homma, DPhil Interdisciplinary Biosciences – Plant Sciences

Clarendon aims to offer a increasing number of new scholarships each year - with over 210 for 2023/24 entry! Currently, there are over 450 on-course scholars at Oxford, making Clarendon the University’s largest scholarship scheme. There are no quotas by nationality or degree level. Every student who submits their application by the relevant January deadline for their course will automatically be considered. The majority of Clarendon scholars are working towards a DPhil, Oxford’s name for a PhD. Scholarships are also awarded for two-year graduate degrees, such as the MPhil or BPhil, or one-year degrees, such as MSc, MSt, MBA or MFE. For more information please see our Full-time applicants and Part-time applicants pages.

To ensure the scholarship remains true to its purpose, the Fund is overseen by the Clarendon Fund Steering Group, consisting of representatives from across the University. The Steering Group acts as board of management and is designed to ensure its effective running and to provide consistency across the academic divisions and Department for Continuing Education.
 
When selecting Clarendon scholars, the University has only one goal in mind: to choose the best students worldwide, as decided by experts in each student’s field. Future potential is an essential part of the Oxford process. Oxford believes that by selecting and nurturing the brightest and best minds, it will pave the way for future leaders in any given field. Clarendon scholars are increasingly taking on leadership roles and applying their knowledge and skills to the wider environment outside Oxford.

Furthermore, the selection process means that the Clarendon community is composed of students from across the University. This diversity provides great opportunities for interdisciplinary interaction amongst the scholars. It also means that Oxford can attract and retain the highest achieving applicants, helping the University to maintain its position as a world-leading, research-intensive academic institution.

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