What the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship Pays — and What the Leadership Programme Asks
Full fees, a living grant of at least £21,805 and the full cost of your Leadership Programme place. In return: about 200 hours of seminars, training and an enterprise pitch from mid-September to early July.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
3 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
The package
The WHT FAQ says the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann scholarship is fully funded and covers 100% of course fees, a grant for living costs (£21,805 in 2026–27) and the full cost of your individual Leadership Programme place. Oxford’s 2027–28 page puts the living grant at “at least £21,805”. Awards cover the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course — 9 to 12 months — and the length of the Leadership Programme, from a date in mid-September to early July.
| Item | What is covered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Course fees | 100%, at the overseas rate if that is your fee status | Oxford, WHT |
| Living grant | At least £21,805 (stipend) | Oxford, WHT |
| Leadership Programme | Full cost of your place | WHT |
| Induction in Oxford | Accommodation and expenses for the September induction come out of the stipend | WHT |
| Duration | Fee liability for the course (9–12 months); programme mid-September to early July | WHT |
How big the fee cover is
Fees vary by course. Three 2027–28 examples from official course pages, at the overseas rate:
£43,150 overseas (£33,940 home).
£43,150 overseas (£33,940 home).
£40,730 overseas (£22,720 home).
Check the “Funding and costs” section of your course page. The scholarship pays whatever your fee liability is.
Will £21,805 be enough?
Oxford estimates that a single full-time student needs £1,475–£2,175 a month in 2027–28. Our arithmetic: over 12 months that is roughly £17,700–£26,100, and the grant works out at about £1,817 a month. For a one-year master’s plus a programme running from mid-September to early July, that is enough for a careful single student, but not generous.
| Monthly item (Oxford 2027–28) | Lower | Upper |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | £880 | £1,025 |
| Food | £325 | £560 |
| Personal items | £165 | £320 |
| Social activities | £50 | £135 |
| Study costs | £35 | £95 |
| Other | £20 | £40 |
| Total | £1,475 | £2,175 |
Neither Oxford nor the Trust lists flights, the student visa fee or the Immigration Health Surcharge among the covered items. Budget for them yourself unless your offer letter says otherwise. Some courses also have extra costs: the MSc Economics for Development runs a free pre-sessional maths course, but you pay for accommodation that week (the department estimates £250–£500).
The WHT warns that, since UK rules changed for courses starting on or after 1 January 2024, family members can only join you as student dependants if you hold a government award or are on a DPhil or research master’s. For most WH scholars, that means no dependant visas. Read Oxford’s family visa guidance.
The Leadership Programme
The Trust calls it “the unique feature” of the scholarship: about 200 hours of personal skills development, business and entrepreneurship, ethical leadership and networking. It is compulsory and written into your offer letter.
- 1Mid-SeptemberInduction in Oxford
An intensive few days with your cohort before the academic year starts. Compulsory.
- 2Every termMoral philosophy seminars
Discussion of texts “from Aristotle to Mandela” on what makes a leader and a good society, guided by academics.
- 3Through the yearEnterprise Challenge
Teams design a social enterprise for a pressing need, with workshops and mentoring, and pitch to business leaders, entrepreneurs and potential investors.
- 4Through the yearCommunication training
Communicating impact, negotiating, writing and social media.
- 5Early JulyEnd of programme
You leave Oxford after the official end of Trinity Term.
The Trust says one alumna launched her own social enterprise in Belize with seed funding from the Trust after her year. Scholars also get academic and pastoral support from the Weidenfeld Scholarships team throughout.
Partner colleges
You will be moved to a partner college that co-funds the programme. The Trust lists Keble, Lincoln, Mansfield, St Edmund Hall, Trinity, Worcester and St Antony’s, with St John’s joining from 2026–27. Saïd Business School and the Blavatnik School of Government also fund the programme for MBA and MPP scholars.
Sources: Oxford scholarship page, WHT FAQs, WHT Leadership Programme, WHT partners and donors, MSc Economics for Development, MSc Refugee and Forced Migration Studies and MSc African Studies course pages, checked 6 October 2026.