The Clarendon Scholarship: A Complete Guide for Prospective Applicants

Is the Clarendon Scholarship Open to Indian and UAE-Based Applicants?

Yes, to both, with no restrictions whatsoever. Oxford's own official guidance states plainly that there are no restrictions by nationality or country of ordinary residence, and describes its current scholar community as spanning the world, "from the USA to Australia, Venezuela to Vietnam and from Norway to Nigeria." This is one of the most genuinely unrestricted scholarships covered in this guide.

What Is the Clarendon Scholarship?

Clarendon supports graduate scholars across every subject at Oxford, with no field restrictions, and covers both Master's and DPhil (Oxford's term for a PhD) study. It's built into the standard graduate admissions process itself rather than sitting alongside it as a separate competition, meaning every strong applicant to a Master's or DPhil course is automatically considered, no extra forms, no separate essays specifically for Clarendon. Since 2001, Clarendon has supported over 700 on-course scholars at any given time, drawn from around 70 different countries.

Who Is Eligible for the Clarendon Scholarship?

According to Oxford's own official guidance:

• Applying for a new, full-time or part-time Master's or DPhil course at Oxford, all degree-bearing graduate courses are eligible, though standalone Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma courses are not
• No restrictions by nationality, country of ordinary residence, or field of study
• No age limit
• Outstanding academic merit and potential, assessed through the standard Oxford graduate admissions process itself, not a separate scholarship-specific review
• Not eligible if you hold a deferred graduate offer, or if you're a current Oxford student continuing the same degree into the next year, though current Master's students reapplying for a DPhil, or applying for a second Master's course, remain eligible

Meeting the relevant December or January admissions deadline for your specific course, this is the one hard procedural requirement, missing it removes you from Clarendon consideration entirely, regardless of how strong your application is

What Does the Clarendon Scholarship Cover?

• Full course and college fees, for the duration of your period of fee liability, applies to both Home and Overseas fee status students
• An annual living expenses grant, at least £15,009 a year for full-time scholars at the 2025-26 rate, generally sufficient to cover a single student's living costs in Oxford
• Funding for the full period of fee liability: one year for a taught Master's, three to four years for a DPhil
• Some Clarendon awards are co-funded with specific colleges, departments, or external partners, which can bring additional benefits beyond the standard package, assigned individually depending on your field and department

Continuation charges, fees that can apply after your standard fee liability period ends, are not covered by the Clarendon Fund, even in cases where some divisions extend living-expense-only funding slightly beyond that period.

How Do I Apply for the Clarendon Scholarship?

1. Choose your graduate course at Oxford and check that course's specific admissions deadline, either 2 December or 8 January depending on the programme
2. Submit your standard Oxford graduate application through the university's Graduate Admissions portal, including transcripts, CV, personal statement, references, and a research proposal if you're applying for a DPhil
3. That's it, there's no separate Clarendon form or additional documentation required. Submitting a complete, strong graduate application by the relevant deadline automatically puts you in consideration
4. Your department reviews your course application first, assessing academic quality and suitability, and makes the actual decision on your graduate admission
5. In parallel, your department nominates its strongest candidates for Clarendon to its academic division, based on academic merit and future potential
6. Each division reviews departmental nominations, typically meeting in February or March, and shortlists top-ranked candidates
7. Successful candidates receive an offer letter (a "CB1"), typically by the end of April, confirming funding, contingent on meeting the conditions of your Oxford place offer. Due to application volume, unsuccessful candidates generally aren't individually notified, if you haven't heard by mid-June, it's safe to assume you weren't selected

Why Doesn't Clarendon Have a Separate Application?

This is a deliberate structural choice, not an oversight. Because Clarendon funding decisions run directly through the same departmental and divisional review that decides your actual course admission, Oxford avoids asking applicants to essentially argue their case twice, once for a place, once for funding. The tradeoff is that your entire Clarendon chances rest on the strength of your original course application, there's no way to improve your scholarship odds separately from improving your actual admissions application.

FAQs About the Clarendon Scholarship

Do I need to submit a separate application for the Clarendon Scholarship?

No. Applying for a Master's or DPhil at Oxford by the relevant deadline automatically puts you in consideration, there's no additional form.

Are Indian and UAE citizens eligible?

Yes. Oxford explicitly states there are no restrictions by nationality or country of ordinary residence.

How much does Clarendon cover?

Full course and college fees, plus a living expenses grant of at least £15,009 a year at the current rate, for the duration of your fee liability period.

Is there an age limit?

No.

When will I know if I've received a Clarendon Scholarship?

Most initial offers go out by the end of April. If you haven't heard by mid-June, it's safe to assume you weren't awarded one, unsuccessful applicants generally aren't individually notified given the volume of applications.

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Sources: Official University of Oxford Clarendon Fund website (ox.ac.uk/clarendon), including its eligibility, full-time applicant, and scholarship timeline pages.