Rhodes East Africa Scholarship 2026 for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom (Fully Funded)

Application Deadline: 28 August 2025

Applications are now open for the 2026 Rhodes East Africa Scholarship. The Rhodes Scholarships for East Africa cover Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi. There are two Rhodes Scholarships for East Africa available this year.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen of Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania or
  Uganda.
• 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: You must meet either of the below criteria:
  i. You must be aged 18-24 on 1 October 2025 (i.e. you must have been born after 1 October 2000
  and before 2 October 2007)
  OR (for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual)
  ii. You must be under the age of 27 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. have been born after 1 October
  1998) AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after 1 July
  2024*
• A university’s policy determines the date of completion of academic requirement for a degree
  and this may be different from when a degree is considered awarded by the university or the
  date of a graduation ceremony. In ambiguous cases, the decision of the National Secretary is
  final.
• Academic achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a
  Bachelor’s) by July 2026, and you must have an academic background and grade that – at a
  minimum – meets or exceeds the specific entry requirements of your chosen course at the
  University of Oxford
  Candidates will have a higher chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have:
  o A First Class Honours Degree or equivalent,
  o A GPA of 3.70/4.0 or higher,
  o or the equivalent grade*
  *Once you have noted the entry requirements for your chosen course(s), you can check
  international grade equivalencies here
  Please contact the National Secretary if you require further advice about academic
  requirements of the Scholarship.
• English Language proficiency: You must meet the University of Oxford’s English language
  requirements. This means that unless you qualify for a test waiver, you must provide English
  test results with scores that meet the University’s higher level requirement. Please check the
  University of Oxford’s webpage to see which tests are accepted, the scores required, and the
  full conditions for a language test waiver

Benefits

• The Rhodes Scholarship covers Oxford University course fees, as well as providing an annual stipend.
• For the 2025-26 academic year, the stipend is £19,800 per annum (£1,650 per month) from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation. Please note: this is not sufficient to cover partners or dependents.

Following selection for the Scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover: 

• The fee required to apply to study at the University of Oxford 
• Fees for a student visa and associated International Health Surcharge (IHS), which enables international students to access the UK’s National Health Service 
• Two economy class flights to and from the UK, for the beginning and end of studies in Oxford. 

Key Documents:
You will need to upload copies of the following documents. Please note that all documents must be
submitted in English. If your official documents, such as your birth certificate, passport or transcript are
not in English you must also upload English translations. Please note that you may be asked to provide
the original documents at a later date.

• At least two of the following documents to confirm that you meet the citizenship, residency and
  age criteria (listed above):
  i. A certified copy of your birth certificate (or an affidavit of birth)
  ii. A National Identity Card.
  iii. A valid passport (with translation, if necessary)
  iv. A voter’s card
  v. An affidavit notarised by a competent authority confirming that you are a bonafide
  citizen of your country
• An official transcript from the college or university at which you are studying, or have studied,
  showing grades achieved (to date).
• Evidence of residency within the region for at least five of the last ten years, for example official
  school records.
• Evidence that you meet the University of Oxford’s English language requirements:
  o For most candidates you will need to upload a copy of your test results of a
  standardised English test that is recognised by the University of Oxford (e.g. TOEFL
  /IELTS)
  o Alternatively, if you meet the University of Oxford’s criteria for a test waiver, for example
  your undergraduate degree has been taught and assessed in English, you can write and
  upload a brief letter requesting a waiver to this requirement. Your letter should explain
  how you meet the requirements for a waiver, and include any relevant evidence.

• Information for Candidates – East Africa
• Guidance for Referees – East Africa
• Courses covered by the Rhodes Scholarship
• Register to an information session

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Rhodes East Africa Scholarship