Eligibility
Is there an age limit?
No. The Trust is explicit that there is no upper age limit. Most scholars have five or more years of professional experience by the time they apply, but prior employment is not a formal requirement.
Do I need to already be admitted to Oxford?
You need to apply for and secure an offer of admission on an eligible course. Eligibility for the scholarship is assessed alongside your graduate application, your Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement and, if shortlisted, your interview, but you must have an offer of admission to be considered.
What counts as my eligible country?
Your country of ordinary residence, not only your passport nationality, assessed from the "Nationality and ordinary residence" section of the Oxford graduate application form. Check the published list of eligible countries and courses before you apply; both must be eligible.
Can current Oxford students apply?
Not unless they are already Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholars. The scholarship funds a new course of study, not a continuation of one you are already on.
Can I apply if I hold a deferred offer to start in 2027-28?
No. This scholarship is not open to applications from candidates who hold deferred offers to start in 2027-28.
Which degrees are funded?
One-year, full-time, taught master's courses. The scholarship does not support applications for a DPhil or other research degree.
The application
Is there a separate WHT application?
No separate application process exists outside Oxford's own system. You select the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the Scholarships section of Oxford's graduate application form, and submit your course application by the relevant December or January deadline for your chosen course.
What is the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement?
A short form, distinct from your Oxford personal statement, covering your education history, two most significant jobs, two most significant voluntary roles, any other scholarships you have applied for, and five essay questions of up to 200 words each. You complete it once and upload it as a PDF with every course application you submit.
What if I apply to more than one course?
You only fill in the Statement once, but you must upload a copy of it with each graduate course application you submit, if you apply to more than one.
Does the deadline really matter that much?
Yes. Only applicants whose course application is considered against the relevant December or January deadline are eligible for scholarship consideration. If your application is held over to be assessed against a later March deadline, or placed on a waiting list, you are not eligible for the scholarship that cycle, regardless of whether you are eventually admitted.
How many references do I need?
References are part of Oxford's standard graduate application, not a separate WHT requirement. The number required varies by course, so CHECK your specific course page on the Oxford application guide rather than assuming a fixed number across all courses.
Selection and interviews
Who assesses the application?
Your department assesses you for course admission first. Only candidates who are offered a place, within the relevant deadline, are then considered for the scholarship itself. Shortlisted candidates are contacted by WHT for interview. The panel includes University academics from partner Colleges and Departments, alongside WHT staff, advisors and alumni.
What is the interview like?
Interviews are likely to be held online, around April. Scholars who have been through it describe a conversational format rather than a scripted one, with both assertive questions ("what are your greatest strengths?") and behavioural questions ("tell us about a time you faced an ethical dilemma"), testing whether you are, in the words of one scholar, "the person behind the application."
When will I hear back?
Decisions are expected by the end of May. If you have not heard by then, the Trust asks you to assume your application was unsuccessful; due to volume, it is not able to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or give feedback.
What happens if I am successful?
You attend a compulsory introduction to the Leadership Programme shortly before the academic year starts, arrive at Oxford before the September start of term, and remain through July after Trinity Term, when most other students have already left. You are also likely to be transferred to one of the scholarship's partner colleges, which contribute part of the funding, rather than necessarily your first college preference.
Funding and the Leadership Programme
What exactly does the scholarship cover?
100 per cent of your course fees, and a living-cost grant of at least £21,805 for 2026-27, for the full duration of your fee liability. The University of Oxford funds 40 per cent of this, and the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust, including its partner Fondation Hoffmann, funds 60 per cent.
What is the Leadership Programme, in practice?
Around 200 hours across the academic year: ethical leadership discussions, an enterprise or business challenge, communication training, and a cohort of scholars from other countries and sectors who stay in touch well beyond the year itself. It is a compulsory part of the award, not an optional extra.
Does applying for this scholarship affect other applications?
By applying for the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarship, you also consent to being considered for partnership awards the Trust runs with the Oxford Pakistan Programme and with Chevening. If you specifically want to be considered for a Chevening-Weidenfeld-Hoffmann award, you must also apply separately through the Chevening website and list Oxford as your first-preference university; Chevening-Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholars are also subject to Chevening's own terms and conditions.
Is there a scholarship specifically for Afghan women?
Yes, a separate endowed scholarship within the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme supports first- or second-generation Afghan women to study at Oxford. Its own application process is published separately on the Trust's website, and current UK visa restrictions on Afghan nationals apply; check the live guidance before assuming the route is open to you.
Final checklist
Before you start
- Your course and country of ordinary residence both appear on the published eligible list
- You are not currently holding a deferred offer for 2027-28
- You know the exact December or January deadline for your specific course, not a general date
The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement
- All five essay questions answered, each within 200 words
- Education history, two most significant jobs and two most significant voluntary roles completed
- Any other scholarships you have applied for are listed
- The Statement is converted to PDF, not left as a Word document
- The Statement is uploaded with every separate course application you submit
After submitting
- Your references are registered and chased well before your course deadline
- You have selected the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the Scholarships section of the Oxford application form
- You are prepared to be available for an online interview around April, and have told your referees and employer you may need flexibility that month