Young leaders who possess outstanding intellect and character, the Rhodes West Africa scholarship has opened its portals to give you the chance for your postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. Individuals who are interested in this scholarship must also be motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future.

The Rhodes West Africa Scholarship has been in existence since 1903 and it is one of the oldest international scholarship programme in the world. It offers 100 fully-funded scholarships every year for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.

Selection Criteria

To get the Rhodes West Africa Scholarship, these are the broad selection criteria:

• Academic excellence – specific academic requirements can be found under the ‘Eligibility criteria’ column.
• Energy to use your talents to the full (as demonstrated by mastery in areas such as sports, music, debate, dance, theatre, and artistic pursuit, including where teamwork is involved).
• Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness, and fellowship.
• Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in your fellow human beings.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality/citizenship: You have to be a citizen of any of the following countries: 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 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 following criteria:

i. You must be aged 18-24 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. you must have been born after 1 October 2000 and before 2 October 2007).
OR for medical, dental, pharmaceutical, law and engineering students, to allow you to complete your professional internship –
ii. You must be aged 18-25 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. you must have been born after 1 October 1999 and before 2 October 2007)
OR for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual –
iii. You must be under the age of 27 on 1st October 2025 (i.e. have been born after 1 October 1998) AND you must also have completed your first undergraduate degree on or after 1 October 2024*.
*we would normally consider the date on your degree certificate as your graduation date.

• Academic Achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree (usually 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. Candidates must also have achieved a distinction in at least three of the five following subject areas:
  o Medicine & surgery
  o Pathology
  o Pharmacology
  o Gynaecology
  o 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).

Benefits

• The Rhodes West Africa Scholarship covers Oxford University course fees, as well as providing an annual stipend.
• For the 2025-26 academic year, the stipend is £19,800 per annum (£1,650 per month) from which Scholars pay all living expenses, including accommodation. Please note: this is not sufficient to cover partners or dependents.

Following selection for the Scholarship, the Rhodes Trust will also cover:

• The fee required to apply to study at the University of Oxford
• Fees for a student visa and associated International Health Surcharge (IHS), which enables international students to access the UK’s National Health Service
• Two economy class flights to and from the UK, for the beginning and end of studies in Oxford.

Important Documents

To apply for the Rhodes West Africa Scholarship, you need to upload copies of the following documents. Kindly note that all documents should be submitted in English. If they are not in English, you must upload English translations. Also 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):
  i. A certified copy of your birth certificate (or an affidavit of birth)
  ii. A National Identity Card.
  iii. A valid passport (with translation, if necessary)
  iv. A voter’s card
  v. 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:
  o 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. TOEFL/IELTS)
  o 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.
• Information for Candidates – West Africa
• Guidance for Referees – West Africa
• Courses covered by the Rhodes Scholarship

For more details, kindly visit the official website of the Rhodes West Africa Scholarship