How to Apply for the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship 2027–28

The application in six steps

1. 1
   Now

   Pick one eligible course

   Choose from the 40 eligible one-year master’s courses. Open the live course page and note its deadline, its English level and its document list.

2. 2
   Before you start the form

   Confirm your country of ordinary residence

   Oxford reads this from the “Nationality and ordinary residence” section. If you live outside your home country, check that the country you actually live in is on the list.

3. 3
   September – December

   Download and draft the WH Statement

   Get the 2027/28 form from the Oxford scholarship page. It is separate from the course’s statement of purpose and is read by a different audience.

4. 4
   At least two weeks before the deadline

   Complete the Oxford graduate application

   Register three referees, upload the course’s documents, and in the University of Oxford Scholarships section select the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme.

5. 5
   By the course deadline, 12:00 midday UK time

   Upload the WH Statement and pay

   Convert the statement to PDF, as the form instructs, and upload it with the application (with each application, if you apply for more than one course). Taught-course applications cost £75 unless you qualify for a fee waiver.

6. 6
   February – May 2027

   Wait for the course decision, then the WHT

   Only offer-holders from the December or January field are considered. Shortlisted candidates are invited to an online interview, likely in April 2027.

One form, two audiences

Your application is read twice, by different people with different questions. The department reads your transcripts, statement of purpose, written work and references and decides whether to offer you a place. It is asking: can this person do the course? Oxford says course decisions are made by each department, and only candidates offered a place go forward.

The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann selection then looks at the same file plus your WH Statement and, if you are shortlisted, your interview. It is asking a different question: will this person use the degree and the Leadership Programme to make a difference at home? The WHT selection criteria name three things — motivation and purpose, leadership potential, and commitment to the programme.

So do not write the same essay twice. Your course statement should be academic and specific to the course. Your WH Statement should be about impact, leadership and your plans after Oxford.

College choice and the partner-college rule

Every Oxford graduate belongs to a college. You can name a preference or let the University allocate one. It makes little difference here: Oxford says WH scholars are transferred to a partner college that co-funds the scholarship. The Trust names Keble, Lincoln, Mansfield, St Edmund Hall, Trinity, Worcester and St Antony’s, with St John’s joining from 2026–27, on its partners page. Pick the college you like; just do not be surprised if you end up elsewhere.

Chevening and Oxford Pakistan Programme awards

The Trust also runs partnership awards with Chevening and, from 2026, the Oxford Pakistan Programme. By applying for the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann award you consent to be considered for these too; their selection is run separately by the Trust and the partner.

The Chevening-Weidenfeld-Hoffmann route is different. You must apply through the Chevening website and list Oxford as your first-choice university; the WHT FAQ says you must be selected by both schemes to hold the joint award. The Trust says the Chevening partnership currently provides three scholarships a year. Chevening’s 2027/28 window is covered in our Chevening deadline guide.

Application fee and waivers

Oxford charges £75 per taught-course application. Fee waivers exist for applicants from low-income countries and for refugees and displaced people, among others; the rules are on the fee-waiver page and in the “Before you apply” section of each eligible course page. Check before you pay — many WH applicants will qualify.

After you submit

You cannot track the scholarship in a separate system. If the department offers you a place, the Trust may contact you for an interview between March and June. Oxford says decisions are expected by the end of May 2027; if you have heard nothing by then, assume you were unsuccessful. There is no individual feedback. Chevening-linked awards are often not confirmed until June.

Sources: Oxford scholarship page (How to apply), WHT scholarship application and WHT FAQs, checked 6 October 2026.