Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa 2027 | Fully Funded Oxford University Scholarship

The West Africa Rhodes Scholarship, introduced in 2017 in partnership with the Oxford-Morland-West Africa Graduate Scholarship, provides three fully funded scholarships each year for outstanding candidates from eligible West African countries. Applications are now open for the Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa 2027, one of the world's most prestigious fully funded postgraduate scholarships.

Administered by the Rhodes Trust, the scholarship gives exceptional young leaders from eligible West African countries the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

Each year, three outstanding scholars are selected from the West Africa constituency to join a global community of Rhodes Scholars known for academic excellence, leadership, integrity, and a commitment to making a positive difference in society. 

Scholarship Overview

Scholarship Name: Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa 2027

Host Institution: University of Oxford

Scholarship Sponsor: Rhodes Trust

Study Location: United Kingdom

Scholarship Type: Fully Funded Postgraduate Scholarship

Number of Scholarships: 3 Scholarships

Eligible Countries: West African Countries (See full list below)

Eligible Study Level: Postgraduate (Master's, Second Bachelor's where applicable, DPhil/PhD depending on Oxford course eligibility)

Application Opens: 1 June 2026

Application Deadline: 27 August 2026

Reference Letter Deadline: 3 September 2026

Scholarship Benefits

The Rhodes Trust takes care of almost every major expense you'll need while studying at the University of Oxford.

Here's what the scholarship covers:

• Full University and College Fees

The scholarship pays your University of Oxford tuition fees as well as the required college fees for your chosen course.

• Annual Living Stipend

Rhodes Scholars receive an annual stipend to help cover living expenses such as accommodation, food, transport, and other day-to-day costs while studying in Oxford.

For the 2025/2026 academic year, the stipend was £20,400 per year, which is approximately £1,700 per month. The Rhodes Trust reviews this amount every year, so the figure for the 2027 intake may be adjusted. 

It is worth noting that this allowance is intended to support one scholar only. It is not designed to cover the expenses of a spouse, partner, or children. 

• Oxford Application Fee

If you're selected for the scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover the application fee required to apply for your chosen course at the University of Oxford. 

• Student Visa Fees

The scholarship covers the cost of your UK Student Visa, removing one more financial burden from the application process.

• Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)

International students studying in the UK are required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which gives access to the UK's National Health Service (NHS).

The Rhodes Scholarship pays this fee on your behalf for the duration of your scholarship. 

• Economy Flights

The scholarship provides two economy-class flights:

One flight to the United Kingdom at the beginning of your studies.

One return flight to your home country after completing your scholarship.

• Settling-in Allowance

When you arrive in Oxford, you'll receive a one-time settling-in allowance to help with your initial expenses as you get established in your new environment. 

Support for Longer Programmes

Some postgraduate programmes at Oxford, such as eligible DPhil (PhD) programmes, can last longer than two years.

Where applicable and subject to the Rhodes Trust's Conditions of Tenure, scholars may receive funding for up to three years, depending on the course they pursue. 

Joining the Rhodes Community

Beyond the financial support, becoming a Rhodes Scholar means joining a lifelong global network of scholars, professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and leaders from around the world.

Rhodes Scholars also have opportunities to participate in leadership activities, networking events, and collaborations that continue long after they graduate from Oxford. 

Eligible Countries

The Rhodes Scholarships for West Africa are not open to applicants from every African country. They are specifically for candidates who meet the nationality and residency requirements of the West Africa constituency.

For the 2027 scholarship, eligible applicants must come from one of the following countries:

• Benin
• Burkina Faso
• Cabo Verde
• Côte d'Ivoire
• The Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Liberia
• Mali
• Mauritania
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
• Senegal
• Sierra Leone
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Togo

Applicants must also satisfy the residency requirements stated by the Rhodes Trust. Simply holding the nationality of an eligible country may not be enough if you do not meet the residency conditions.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen of one of the following countries:

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Senegal, Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Principe and Togo.

• Residency: You must have been resident in one or more of the countries listed above for at least five of the last ten years.
• Age: You must meet either of the below criteria:

✓ You must be aged 18-24 on 1st October 2026 (i.e. you must have been born after 1 October 2001 and before 2 October 2008).

OR for medical, dental, pharmaceutical, law and engineering students, to allow you to complete your professional internship.

✓ You must be aged 18-25 on 1st October 2026 (i.e. you must have been born after 1 October 2000 and before 2 October 2008).

OR for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual.

✓ You must be under the age of 27 on 1st October 2026 (i.e. have been born after 1 October 1999) AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after 1 October 2025.

They would normally consider the date on your degree certificate as your graduation date.

• Academic achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually a Bachelor’s) by the application deadline, and you must have an academic background and grade that is a First Class Honours Degree or equivalent.

In the case of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy courses, the highest classification your University awards, e.g. a Distinction would be considered equivalent to a First Class Honours Degree. In addition, candidates must also have achieved a distinction in at least two out of five main subject areas such as:

• Medicine & surgery

• Pathology

• Pharmacology

• Gynaecology

• Paediatrics

Candidates will have a greater chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have: o an Honours degree (or have taken an Honours year) from a University outside of your country or if you have studied to Masters level within your country (with the exception of those studying in Nigeria and Ghana, and, for some countries, those studying medicine).

Candidates may wish to consider applying to the Rhodes Trust’s sister Foundation, The Mandela Rhodes Foundation to pursue an Honour’s year or a Master’s degree prior to making an application for the Rhodes Scholarship.

Please contact the National Secretary at westafrica.secretary@rhodestrust.com 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.

How to Apply

• To apply for the Rhodes Scholarship, you must complete and submit our online application form before 23:59 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 27 August 2026.
• There is no application fee for submission of the Rhodes Scholarship application. You must submit your application online, before the deadline, and they can’t accept any other form of application.
• You should apply for the Rhodes Scholarship before applying for your proposed course at the University of Oxford. Candidates selected for the Rhodes Scholarship are then required to apply for their chosen course via the University of Oxford’s graduate application form, with support from the team at Rhodes House.
• If unsuccessful in your first application to the Rhodes Scholarships, you may subsequently re-apply only once more (and this must be in the same constituency), subject to meeting the eligibility criteria. An application submitted by the deadline will be considered one submission for the

purposes of this policy. Candidates may only withdraw their application following the deadline in exceptional circumstances, such as medical emergencies, war or conflict. Withdrawals must be formally approved by the National Secretary and the Rhodes Trust.

• You will be asked to declare that your application is wholly accurate and a fair representation of your achievements. You should anticipate that details will be checked for embellishments and inaccuracies. If they suspect any submitted references, transcripts, identity documents or English language test results are not genuine, or if they suspect material misrepresentation of your qualifications, experiences or achievements, the National Secretariat will investigate. This may include contacting you or third parties for further evidence. If they conclude that you have breached the terms of the applicant declaration, your application may be withdrawn, or, where appropriate, an offer of a scholarship may be rescinded.

Before starting an online Rhodes Scholarship application, we advise you to read through the Rhodes Trust data protection policy for applicants.

The Rhodes application form requires you to provide:

• Your details, such as contact information

• Evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria

• Your education history including your university transcripts

• The course(s) you would like to study at the University of Oxford

• A CV (a template is provided within the application form for you to fill out)

• A total of four (minimum) to six (maximum) referees

• An Academic Statement

• A Personal Statement

You can find more details about these requirements and the documents you will need below.

Required 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 official 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):

• A certified copy of your birth certificate (or an affidavit of birth)

• A National Identity Card.

• A valid passport (with translation, if necessary)

• A voter's card

• 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:

    √ 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. IELTS)

   √ 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.

   √ To find out which tests are accepted by the university, or to find out if you meet the requirements for a waiver you can visit the website.

   √ If you request a language test waiver as part of your application and you do not meet the criteria for a waiver, your application may be considered incomplete and not considered by the selection committee for the Scholarship.

•  You will need to complete the CV section of the application form. This will allow you to add the details of any experience, awards, skills and activities that would usually be included in a curriculum vitae (CV). The form will provide you with further guidance about what to include and while you should include as much information as possible (within the limits of the form) we

understand that not all applicants will have experience across all of these areas. The CV section covers the following areas and you may add up to 5 entries for each:

• Professional/research experience

• Volunteering, community involvement and leadership experience

• Publications and presentations

• Awards, prizes and scholarships

• Skills, hobbies and extra-curricular activities

• Other (any achievement that does not fit into one of the above categories)

Please note that the CV section of the form must be completed. You will not be able to upload a separate CV document.

 A head-and-shoulders colour photograph (jpg format). Please note your photo will not show up in the summary of your application, as it will not be available to the selection committee until after final shortlisting decisions have been made. If you are selected, this photograph will be used on the Rhodes Scholar biographies webpage unless or until you provide another version.

•  Please do not upload documents, certificates, testimonials or links/URLs other than those required.

References

You will need to nominate four (minimum) to six (maximum) referees consisting of academic, and character referees, ensure that you seek their permission before listing their details in your application.

You should choose reliable people who are likely to respond to your request for a detailed reference, as their responses will be crucial to your application. Contact and register your referees early, to allow them sufficient time for submission. Remember, a good referee is someone who knows you well, rather than a well-known person who only knows you superficially. Please note that Rhodes Scholarship referees should not normally be personal friends, peers or relatives, or have any other conflict of interest. If a referee fits into one of these categories, they should make the connection clear within the reference.

Selection Conditions

•  Selection for the Rhodes Scholarship is made without regard to financial means. 
• Selection for the Rhodes Scholarship is made without regard to marital status, race, ethnic origin, colour, gender, religion, sexual orientation, social background, disability, caste or other irrelevant distinction. The provision of such information in the ‘Equity and Inclusion’ section of the application form is optional.
• Applications submitted for the Rhodes Scholarship in 2026 are for entry to the University of Oxford in October 2027; the scholarship cannot be brought forward or deferred to a later academic year.
•  No selection will be made if a sufficiently qualified candidate cannot be found.
•  The decision of the Selection Committee is final.
•  The Rhodes Scholarship is confirmed only upon successful admission to the University of Oxford.
•  The Rhodes Trust may contact you some time after the submission deadline to ask for feedback on the application process and any interactions you have had with the Rhodes Trust staff and volunteers.

 An offer of another scholarship does not preclude you from being considered for a Rhodes Scholarship, but you cannot hold another substantial scholarship in conjunction with a Rhodes Scholarship. You must advise the National Secretary if you have been offered another scholarship.

Post-Selection 

If you are selected for the Rhodes Scholarship you will need to apply to the University of Oxford very soon after selection and the team at Rhodes House will be on hand to support you with the application process. We advise you to prepare as much as possible in advance for your application to Oxford. Rhodes House has access to your entire Rhodes Scholarship application, and your references may be re-used, if appropriate.

Full details will be given to you upon selection, however candidates who intend to apply for the following courses should note that the graduate application deadline now usually falls in the first few days of December: the Master of Public Policy (MPP), MSc In Global Governance and Diplomacy, MSt in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, courses in the Medical Sciences, research degrees in Computer Science and/or Engineering. This is not an exhaustive list and you are advised to check the course page of your preferred course(s) carefully and to note the deadlines well in advance.

Application Timeline

Applications Open: 1 June 2026

Scholarship Application Deadline: 27 August 2026

Reference Letter Deadline: 3 September 2026

Selection Process: As communicated by the Rhodes Trust

Studies Begin October 2027 (for successful applicants)

Application Deadline

27 August 2026

Reference letters must be submitted no later than:

3 September 2026