University of Oxford Rhodes Scholarships for Indian students for postgraduate studies


Keen to study a postgraduate program abroad in the UK with a fully-funded scholarship? This article provides complete information on the Rhodes Scholarships offered to Indian students to study a PG program abroad in the UK at the University of Oxford. Details of the eligibility requirements and the online application procedure have been provided.

The oldest and one of the most prestigious global scholarships, the Rhodes Scholarship is for students who wish to pursue an academic program at the University of Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarships for India is a collaborative initiative between the Rhodes Trust (the University of Oxford) and the Second Century Founder, John McCall MacBain O.C. Each year, there are up to five Rhodes Scholarships for Indian students who are holding an undergraduate degree to fully fund their postgraduate study at the university.

Applications are still open for Indian students till 1st August 2022 for entry to the University of Oxford in October 2023. Getting this scholarship is a huge achievement as the selection process can be quite stringent, and only those who are both academically bright and have excellent characteristic traits, and also are keen to participate in dealing with global challenges are shortlisted. The scholarship tenure is for a minimum of two years, depending on continuing academic performance and personal conduct. It cannot be carried forward or deferred to a later academic year. You are also allowed to apply for a third year to complete the DPhil. at the university, but the Rhodes Trust will not pay for living expenses beyond the third year of the scholarship.



Rhodes Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

Nationality

You must be a citizen of India, hold an Indian passport, or have any other equivalent proof of citizenship. A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder is ineligible to apply. However, applications from refugees/asylum seekers in India will also be considered.

Educational Qualifications

You should have completed your formal academic studies at a recognized educational institution in India for a minimum of four years of the last 10 years.

It is also mandatory to have either completed a school leaving exam (10th or 12th standard or any other equivalent exam) at a school in India, or you should be in the final year, or have completed an undergraduate degree at, a university in India. That is, you should be completing the bachelor's degree by July 2023. An Honours Degree with a First Class would be highly advantageous and would greatly boost your prospects to be shortlisted for the scholarship.

Age criterion

As of 1st October 2022, you should have completed at least 18 years of age and have not reached your 24th birthday (that is, you must have been born after 1st October 1998 and on or before 1st October 2004). If you are older, then as of 1st October 2022, you must not have reached your 27th birthday (that is, have been born after 1st October 1995) and should also fulfil all the academic requirements for completing your first undergraduate degree on or after 1st October 2021.

English language skills

It is mandatory to have English proficiency as per the University's standard or higher level.

Learn better English & Improve your communication skills

Important requirements when applying

The online application for Rhodes Scholarships for India requires the submission of two statements in support of the application. The first one is a personal statement and the second is an academic statement of study. These should be written by you only and should not be reviewed or edited by anyone else before submission. These and other documents that are required to be submitted in English are-
  1. Your birth certificate or valid passport to confirm that you meet the age criterion. Misplaced the birth certificate? Learn how to apply for a duplicate birth certificate

  2. A valid passport or equivalent proof of citizenship such as a Voter ID (with translation, if necessary) to confirm that you meet the citizenship criteria.

  3. An official transcript or mark sheets from the college or university at which you are studying, or have studied, showing all the grades achieved to date.

  4. The official transcripts or mark sheets from your 10th and 12th standard (or equivalent) school/junior college/pre-university college leaving Board exams.

  5. If you are neither a graduate of a university located in India nor in the final year of undergraduate study at a university located in India, then you are required to submit valid supporting proof of formal study at an educational institution in India for at least four of the last 10 years as of the date of application and completion of a school leaving exam at a school/junior college/pre-university college in India (either the 10th or the 12th standard exam or equivalent exam).

  6. A complete C.V. (Curriculum Vitae) that mentions all details about academic qualifications, prizes, scholarships, leadership roles, employment positions, involvement in activities, whether voluntary or related to community work or student-related ones or political ones, and any accomplishments in the cultural, musical or sporting fields. The entire C.V. should not exceed two A4 pages in length (use 12pt font size). There is no need to include a photo in the C.V.

  7. A clear head-and-shoulders colour photo in jpg format.

  8. A personal statement of maximum of 750 words. Learn how to write a brilliant Scholarship Essay

  9. An academic statement of study of no more than 350 words.

  10. A list of a minimum of four people as referees (not more than five should be submitted). At least three of the referees should be academics who have formally taught and graded you in your undergraduate studies (or postgraduate studies if applicable). One or two referees should testify to your character and/or your involvement in extra-curricular/service or leadership activities. Note that it is important that you take their permission before listing them as referees, and you must provide the email addresses of all of them.




Additional notes: In case any document is not in English (e.g., birth certificate), then you must submit it along with an English translation. In case you are shortlisted for a personal interview, you may be required to produce all originals, so ensure that these match the ones you submitted in the online application process. If English is not your first language, please also see Oxford University's English language requirements - http://www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/englishproficiency.

It is very important to give accurate and authentic information in your C.V. and valid documents. Do not put in any fake information in your C.V. or exaggerate the activities you participated in or the roles that you took up, as stringent checks are made and it can lead to the application being disqualified, and if detected later, the rescinding of the scholarship.

Rhodes Scholarship Application Procedure

Applications will be accepted only in online mode at the official Rhodes Scholarship application portal.

There is no application fee for the submission of the application form. Ensure that you fulfill all the required eligibility criteria before starting to fill up the online application form and read all the detailed guidelines and instructions (refer to the useful resources at the end of this article). Shortlisted candidates will go through a selection process that will include online/personal interviews at the campus.



Important dates

The last date to submit online applications for the Rhodes Scholarship India is 1st August 2022, 23:59hrs. (Indian Standard Time).
The last date to upload references is 16th August 2022, 23:59hrs. (Indian Standard Time).

Relevant and useful official guidelines

Information for candidates-
https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/media/46331/information-for-candidates-india.pdf

Guidelines for referees and for submission of the letter of recommendation- https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/media/46360/guidance-for-referees-india.pdf

Useful tips-
https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/media/45958/unofficial-guide-rhodes-india-2022-23.pdf

Permitted Degrees/Degree combinations, and exceptions-
https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/media/46693/final-conditions-of-tenure-2020-21.pdf

University of Oxford English language proficiency-
www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/englishproficiency

List of courses-
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/courses-a-z-listing

FAQs-
https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/any-questions/

All the best for your scholarship application!

Contact information

In case you have any queries that are not covered by the FAQs or you could not confirm them through any of the pages on the official website, you can send an email to scholarship.queries@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk
Postal address-
Rhodes House
South Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3RG
United Kingdom
Website: https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/

Did you get that prestigious Rhodes scholarship? Congratulations! Get some handy packing tips for your UK study program and do share your tips and experiences in the comments box below.


Article by Vandana
Vandana is based in India with over 15 years experience as a freelance writer. Writing, no doubt, is her primary passion! Having learned the art of blogging from ISC, Vandana is enjoying the thrills of blogging, taking pleasure in sharing information & getting good pageviews at her various blogs.

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