The University of Oxford invites applications for the Rhodes Scholarship for East Africans for the 2022/2023 academic year.
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest (first awarded in 1902) and perhaps most prestigious international scholarship programme, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford.
One of the founding aims of the scholarship was to identify young leaders from around the world who, through the pursuit of education together at Oxford, would forge bonds of mutual understanding and fellowship for the betterment of mankind. Although the language is old-fashioned, this remains one of the founding aims of the scholarship: to select outstanding young people, with the potential to lead, who will make an impact for good in the world in later life.
Worth of Award
- The Rhodes Scholarship is for two years in the first instance. The Rhodes Scholarship covers Oxford University (and College) fees as well as providing an annual stipend. For the 2021/22 academic year, the stipend is £17,310 per annum (£1,442.50 per month) from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation.
- In addition to the above, the Rhodes Trust will cover two economy class flights – to and from the UK – for the beginning and end of studies in Oxford. On arrival in Oxford, scholars receive a settling-in allowance. For those scholars who transition to the second course of study in Oxford, they will again receive assistance to cover the fee for visa renewal and further application for IHS. Following selection for the scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover the application fee required to apply to study at the University of Oxford.
- A number of research grants are also available to Rhodes Scholars, on application, which enables Scholars to, for example, attend international conferences or conduct additional fieldwork.
Eligibility
- Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen of Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, or Uganda.
- Education/residency: You must have been resident in one or more of the countries listed above, or in Kenya, for at least five of the last ten years.
- Age: Upon October 1, 2022, you must meet either of the below criteria:
i. You must be at least 18 and have not reached your 25th birthday (i.e. you must have been born after October 1, 1998, and on or before October 1, 2004).
OR (for older candidates)
ii. You must have not reached your 27th birthday (i.e. have been born after October 1, 1995) AND you have met or will meet the requirements for completion of your first degree on or after October 1, 2022.
How to Apply
Please note that, if you are invited to an interview for the Rhodes Scholarship for East Africans, you may be asked to bring the originals of all documents with you such as:
- One or more of the following documents to confirm that you meet the nationality, residency criterion, and age criteria: A certified copy of your birth certificate (or an affidavit of birth); a National Identity Card; A valid passport (with translation, if necessary).
- An official transcript from the college or university at which you are studying, or have studied, showing grades achieved (to date). If your official transcript is not in English, you must submit both (i) the original official document issued by your institution and (ii) a translation into English certified by a professional translator, the issuing body of
the original transcript or an authorized notary; - Evidence of residency within the region for at least five of the last ten years, for example, official school records.
- Evidence of English Language Proficiency.
- You should upload a copy of and standardized English test that is recognized by the University of Oxford (e.g. TOEFL / IELTS) along with the test’s marking scheme. Alternatively, you can upload a letter requesting a waiver to this requirement if you meet the University of Oxford’s criteria for a waiver: www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/englishproficiency.
- A full curriculum vitae should include details about academic qualifications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student, voluntary, community, or political activities, and any cultural, musical, or sporting accomplishments. This should not exceed two A4 (12pt font size) pages in length.
Deadline: Applications must be submitted online by 23:59 East Africa Time (EAT) August 31, 2022.