Rhodes West Africa Scholarships 2026 for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom (Fully Funded) – Opportunities For Africans

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Application Deadline: 28 August 2025.

Applications are actually open for the 2026 Rhodes West Africa Scholarships. The Rhodes Scholarships, established in 1903, are the oldest worldwide scholarship programme in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the programme provides 100 fully-funded Scholarships every year for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom – one of the world’s main universities. Rhodes Scholarships are for younger leaders of excellent mind and character who’re motivated to have interaction with international challenges, dedicated to the service of others and present promise of turning into value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future.

The broad choice standards are:

• Academic excellence – particular educational necessities might be discovered beneath ‘Eligibility Criteria’ beneath.
• Energy to make use of your abilities to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas corresponding to sports activities, music, debate, dance, theatre, and creative pursuits, together with the place teamwork is concerned).
• Truth, braveness, devotion to responsibility, sympathy for and safety of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness, and fellowship.
• Moral drive of character and instincts to guide, and to take an curiosity in your fellow human beings.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality/citizenship: You should be a citizen of one of the following nations:
  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia,
  Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, the island of Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé
  and Principe and Togo.
• Residency: You should have been resident in a number of of the nations listed above for at
  least 5 of the final ten years.
• Age: You should meet both of the beneath standards:
  i. You should be aged 18-24 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. you should have been born after 1
  October 2000 and earlier than 2 October 2007).
  OR for medical, dental, pharmaceutical, regulation and engineering college students, to help you
  full your skilled internship –
  ii. You should be aged 18-25 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. you should have been born after 1
  October 1999 and earlier than 2 October 2007)
  OR for older candidates who accomplished their first undergraduate diploma later than
  traditional –
  iii. You should be beneath the age of 27 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. have been born after 1
  October 1998) AND you should even have accomplished your first undergraduate diploma on
  or after 1 October 2024*.
  *we might usually contemplate the date in your diploma certificates as your commencement date.
• Academic achievement: You should have accomplished an undergraduate diploma (often a
  Bachelor’s) by the application deadline, and you should have an educational background and
  grade that could be a First Class Honours Degree or equal.
  In the case of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy programs, the highest classification your
  University awards, e.g. a Distinction can be thought of equal to a First Class Honours
  Degree. Candidates should even have achieved a distinction in at least three of the 5 following
  topic areas:
  o Medicine & surgical procedure
  o Pathology
  o Pharmacology
  o Gynaecology
  o Paediatrics
  Candidates could have a larger probability of profitable admission to Oxford if they’ve:
  o An Honours diploma (or have taken an Honours 12 months) from a University exterior of your
  nation or when you’ve got studied to Masters degree inside your nation (with the exception
  of these learning in Nigeria and Ghana, and, for some nations, these learning
  medication).

Benefits

• The Rhodes Scholarship covers Oxford University course charges, in addition to offering an annual stipend.
• For the 2025-26 educational 12 months, the stipend is £19,800 every year (£1,650 per thirty days) from which Scholars pay all residing bills, together with lodging. Please notice: this isn’t ample to cowl companions or dependents.

Following choice for the Scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will even cowl: 

• The charge required to apply to study at the University of Oxford 
• Fees for a pupil visa and related International Health Surcharge (IHS), which permits worldwide college students to entry the UK’s National Health Service 
• Two financial system class flights to and from the UK, for the starting and finish of research in Oxford. 

Key Documents:
You might want to add copies of the following paperwork. Please notice that each one paperwork should be
submitted in English. If your official paperwork, corresponding to your delivery certificates, passport or transcript are
not in English you should additionally add English translations. Please notice that you could be be requested to offer
the authentic paperwork at a later date.

• At least two of the following paperwork to substantiate that you just meet the citizenship, residency and
  age standards (listed above):
  i. An authorized copy of your delivery certificates (or an affidavit of delivery)
  ii. A National Identity Card.
  iii. A sound passport (with translation, if mandatory)
  iv. A voter’s card
  v. An affidavit notarised by a reliable authority confirming that you’re a bonafide
  citizen of your nation
• An official transcript from the faculty or college at which you’re learning, or have studied,
  exhibiting grades achieved (so far).
• Evidence of residency inside the area for at least 5 of the final ten years, for instance official
  faculty information.
• Evidence that you just meet the University of Oxford’s English language necessities:
  o For most candidates you’ll need to add a duplicate of your take a look at outcomes of a
  standardised English take a look at that’s recognised by the University of Oxford (e.g. TOEFL
  /IELTS)
  o Alternatively, should you meet the University of Oxford’s standards for a take a look at waiver, for instance
  your undergraduate diploma has been taught and assessed in English, you possibly can write and
  add a short letter requesting a waiver to this requirement. Your letter ought to clarify
  the way you meet the necessities for a waiver, and embody any related proof.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Rhodes West Africa Scholarships