The Rhodes scholarship is an award for post graduation and it offers transformative education opportunities for outstanding all-rounder students at the Oxford University for 2 years by paying all tuition fees and providing a living allowance. This is the oldest and maybe the most venerable international scholarship program for graduates in the world. A foundation established in 1903 by Cecil Rhodes, provides the fund for Rhodes scholarships. The dream of Rhodes in founding the Scholarship was to create exceptional leaders who would be aggravated to encourage international sympathy and peace, to respect the performance of public duties as their uppermost aim and to fight 'the world's fight'.

Rhodes scholarship covers a personal stipend, all College and University fees and 1 economy class flight ticket to Oxford at the beginning of the Scholarship, as well as 1 economy class back airfare to the home country of scholar at the end of the Scholarship.

A class of 83 Rhodes scholars has been selected annually from United States, Australia, New Zealand, India, Hong Kong, Canada, Jamaica and Commonwealth Caribbean, Kenya, Germany, Bermuda, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Southern Africa (including South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, and Swaziland).

Rhodes scholars can join more than 20,000 students from over 140 countries at Oxford which is the oldest university in the world of English-speaking. At Oxford, they are enriched by the rigorous and stimulating education and the vibrant humanity and cultural life. More than 7,000 Rhodes Scholars have gone on to hand out the front position of government, commerce, research, the professions, education, the arts and other domains.

Rhodes scholars are exceptional young men and women of different interests and backgrounds who show strong potential for being humanitarian leaders for the future of world. The Rhodes Trust select the Rhodes Scholars regardless of religion, color, social background, marital status, caste, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, race, gender or gender identity.

The committee for the selection of each Rhodes constituency consists of alumni of Rhodes and eminent non-Scholar community members. Almost all the criteria for selection are identical across all countries, but there are some eligibility necessities that vary.

Information about application, general eligibility requirements and the courses available for study with Rhodes scholarship are described below. Get information of specific eligibility requirements and contact details of the National Secretaries who can give further information for potential applicants for each specific country, here.

Selection criteria for Rhodes

The Will of Cecil Rhodes outlines four criteria for the selection of scholars across all Rhodes constituencies. The criteria are:

• Academic and literary attainments
• Energy to utilize individual's talents to the full
• Instincts to lead, and to take an interest in individual’s fellow beings, and moral force of character
• Courage, truth, loyalty for duty, protection of and sympathy for the weak, kindliness, fellowship and unselfishness

On the whole, committees will choose applicants of exceptional character, leadership, intellect, and commitment to service.

Eligibility criteria for Rhodes

The eligibility criteria applied on all applicants for the selection of scholars are:

• Age: Each constituency varies in age limits. The age limits range from a minimum of 18 to a maximum of 28 at 1st October of the year for subsequent election. The age limit is 24 or 25 in most constituencies. Before applying, check the exact age requirements for your constituency carefully.
• Residency & citizenship: Each candidate must fulfill the residency and citizenship necessities of the Rhodes constituency for which country they are applying. The detailed information can be obtained from each country’s link of Rhodes.
• Education: Each candidate must have achieved academic status adequately or advanced to promise completion for a degree of bachelor by the October, for subsequent election. Oxford University has very competitive entry requirements, so academic status of applicants must be adequately high to ensure the admission and they have to give confidence that they will perform a high academic standard there. You can check detailed information for individual constituencies through the country links. Some constituencies necessitate an undergraduate degree.

Submission requirements

• Evidence of academic record / in progress or complete transcript of undergraduate degree and any postgraduate study
• Evidence of age / passport / birth certificate
• Curriculum vitae / list of principal activities or resume
• Proficiency of English Language where English is not the 1st language
• Photograph
• Essay or personal statement (including a clear statement of applicants what they wish to study at Oxford and why)
• List of referees except the relatives of applicant, who can prove in confidential references to the intellect and character of the applicant, including personal, academic, leadership and extra-curricular achievements

Visit the country pages for further detailed application requirements of each constituency. Generally, all constituencies require the above materials in different forms.

Practical steps to make an application for the Rhodes Scholarship

Applications for 2012 have been closed and the 2012 Rhodes scholars class is being selected now. Applications for 2013 Rhodes Scholarships will start in mid-2012.

• First, completion of online application form for the Rhodes Scholarship is required. You can contact the Rhodes Secretary of constituency for a paper application form, if online application is not available in constituency.
• Successful applicants will be asked to give original copies of educational transcripts and other supporting documents as needed. They may check references during application review and if any application deemed fake, it will be rejected.
• Once a Rhodes scholarship is confirmed, a successful applicant is provided by a place in a Faculty or Department of the University and in a college.

Conditions of tenure and Available courses of study at the Oxford University

• Rhodes Scholars will be provided with any full-time postgraduate degree at the Oxford University with limited restrictions.
• The scholarship’s basic tenure is 2 years and it requires satisfactory personal conduct and academic performance.
• The scholarship may be expanded for a 3rd year at Trustees’ discretion, for those scholars who take a documented route to the DPhil. The Masters of Financial Economics (MFE) and the Masters of Business Administration (MBA) are valid only in the 2nd year of the Scholarship.

You can get detailed conditions for tenure, including qualifications and exceptions to the above, here.

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