Oxford Clarendon scholarship 2027: funding and how to apply

Oxford’s Clarendon scholarship route for 2027–28 entry is open through graduate course applications, with automatic consideration by the relevant December 2026 or January 2027 funding deadline. Candidates for new master’s and DPhil degrees can be considered from any country, and there is no separate Clarendon application form.

At a glance

• Deadline: the December or January funding deadline for your chosen course. Check the course page for the exact date and time.
• Funding: full course fees, plus a living-expenses grant for full-time scholars or study-support grant for part-time scholars.
• Application cost: the standard Oxford graduate application fee is £75 for taught courses and £20 for research courses; eligible applicants can seek a waiver.
• Who can apply: applicants for a new eligible master’s or DPhil course who meet its entry requirements, without nationality or residence restrictions.
• Official route: select a degree through the Oxford course finder, then use its Apply link.
• Last checked: 27 October 2026.

Who qualifies for a Clarendon scholarship

The Clarendon funding overview covers full-time and part-time master’s and DPhil study across subject areas. Applicants still need to meet the academic and English-language requirements of the particular degree.

Oxford’s scholarship applicant guidance excludes people holding a deferred graduate offer and current students continuing the same Oxford degree. A current Oxford master’s student applying for a new DPhil or a second master’s can be eligible.

Selection considers academic achievement, potential for the proposed course and motivation. References, research proposals and personal statements help academics assess these qualities. Meeting a course’s minimum entry requirements leaves the competitive scholarship decision to Oxford’s selectors.

What the funding covers

Clarendon pays course fees in full for both Home and Overseas fee-status students. Full-time scholars receive a grant for living expenses; part-time scholars receive a study-support grant whose value depends on the course.

Awards normally run for the period during which the scholar is liable for course fees. Oxford’s applicant guidance says continuation charges fall outside Clarendon coverage, and the offer letter confirms the award’s exact duration.

Clarendon also features in CrispNG’s broader master’s scholarships guide. For this award, the application is made through Oxford’s degree admissions process.

Use the funding deadline for your course

Oxford’s graduate deadline instructions distinguish the dates used to assess applications. A course remaining open later does not extend its earlier scholarship deadline.

For example, the Advanced Computer Science page is open for 2027–28 entry and gives a deadline of 12 noon UK time on 6 January 2027. Its funding section says applications submitted by that January deadline are considered for Oxford scholarships if a course offer is made.

That is an example, rather than a universal Clarendon closing date. Use the deadline printed on the page for your own degree.

Budget for the application and prepare the documents

Oxford’s international applicant guidance gives the £75 taught-course and £20 research-course application fees. It identifies possible waivers for eligible residents of low-income countries and refugees or displaced people; check the applicable waiver instructions before paying.

The supporting document instructions make the course page the authority on required materials and word limits. Required documents and references must meet the deadline. Extra documents that the course has not requested should be left out.

Check each file before submission. Oxford says documents cannot be revised once an application is ready for assessment. Some degrees use a separate application process, so follow the route on the course page rather than assuming every programme uses the standard form.

How to apply

1. Choose the degree and funding deadline. Use the Oxford course finder to check entry requirements, current application status and the December or January deadline.
2. Prepare the required evidence. Follow the course’s document list and the supporting document instructions. Contact referees early enough to meet the same deadline.
3. Submit the course application. Start through the course’s Apply button and complete the graduate application portal. New users must create an account; no separate Clarendon form is required.
4. Check completion after submission. Use the applicant self-service login and self-service instructions to review course-application status and submitted references.

What we don’t know yet

The checked Clarendon pages do not give a fixed living-grant figure for 2027–28. Their historical annual figures should not be used as a confirmed budget for that entry year. The award’s terms and duration will be specified in the offer.

Scholarship selection also has no guaranteed outcome for an individual applicant. Oxford’s decision timeline says Clarendon offers are usually sent by early April, and only successful scholarship applicants are notified.

Before the deadline

Oxford recommends aiming to complete an application at least two weeks before the relevant deadline. Put the document and referee dates in your plan alongside the course deadline, so the application is complete when funding consideration takes place.

Sources

• University of Oxford: Clarendon funding overview and scholarship applicant guidance.
• University of Oxford: graduate application guide, graduate deadline instructions and international applicant guidance.
• University of Oxford: Advanced Computer Science page and supporting document instructions.
• University of Oxford: decision timeline and applicant self-service guide.