Reach Oxford Scholarship 2027: Course Fees, Living-Cost Grant, and Airfare for Undergraduate Students
The Reach Oxford Scholarship supports around two to three new Oxford undergraduates from low-income countries who cannot study for a degree in their own country, providing course fees, a grant for living costs, and one return airfare per year.
Reach Oxford Scholarship 2027: Course Fees, Living-Cost Grant, and Airfare for Undergraduate Students
The Reach Oxford Scholarship is a University of Oxford award for a small number of new undergraduate students from low-income countries. It is intended for applicants who cannot study for a degree in their own country because of political or financial circumstances, or because suitable educational facilities do not exist there. The award covers course fees, provides a grant for living costs, and pays one return air fare per year. Oxford says that around two to three awards are made each year.
There is an important status distinction for anyone researching the 2027 entry cycle. Oxford’s official Reach Oxford page says that applications for 2026 entry are closed. It also says that instructions for 2027 entry will be made available on that page in January 2027. The 2027 scholarship deadline has therefore not been published. The deadline in this page’s metadata is the confirmed 2026 scholarship deadline, 4 February 2026, and historicalReference = true marks it as a closed-cycle reference rather than a current 2027 deadline. Do not use that archived date as the date to submit a 2027 scholarship form.
Key details
| Item | Current confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Provider | University of Oxford |
| Award | Reach Oxford Scholarship, formerly called the Oxford Student Scholarship |
| Study level | Undergraduate; new students |
| Subjects | All subjects in Oxford’s course listing except Medicine |
| Eligible nationality | Nationals of countries receiving official development assistance from the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) |
| Award value | Course fees, a grant for living costs, and one return air fare per year |
| Duration | Three or four years, depending on course length |
| Number of awards | Around two to three per year |
| 2027 scholarship deadline | Not yet published; Oxford says 2027 application details will appear in January 2027 |
| 2026 scholarship deadline | 4 February 2026, now closed |
| Oxford admissions deadline for 2027 entry | 15 October 2026 at 6pm UK time; this is the UCAS deadline, not the scholarship deadline |
The separate Oxford admissions timeline is the source for the 15 October 2026 UCAS date. It applies to the undergraduate application for 2027 entry. It does not replace the scholarship deadline, and submitting UCAS materials by that date does not itself submit a Reach Oxford application.
What the award covers
Oxford describes the value in three parts: course fees, a grant for living costs, and one return air fare per year. The course-fee element addresses the academic charges for the degree. The living-cost grant is intended to help with the everyday costs of studying and living in Oxford. The annual return flight provides travel support between the scholar’s home country and the United Kingdom.
The stated duration is three or four years, depending on the length of the chosen course. The official page lists around two to three awards per year, so this is a very small and highly competitive scheme. Oxford also says that receipt of the award in subsequent years is subject to satisfactory academic progress. A prospective applicant should therefore understand the award as continuing support linked to progress on the course, not as an unconditional payment made without further academic expectations.
The page does not publish a 2027 cash figure for the living-cost grant, nor does it provide a separate 2027 fee schedule on the scholarship page. Avoid treating an old monetary estimate as a current promise. The reliable current description is the one Oxford gives: course fees, a living-cost grant, and one return air fare per year.
Who can be considered
Nationality is a central eligibility condition. Applicants must be nationals of countries that receive official development assistance from the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee. Oxford publishes the relevant country list on the Reach Oxford page. Check that list directly because nationality eligibility is not the same thing as simply being an international applicant, living in a lower-income country, or needing financial assistance.
The scheme is for new undergraduate students. Oxford lists the level of study as undergraduate and the year of study as new students. It gives priority to applicants who have not studied at undergraduate level before. The subject rule is broad but not unlimited: all subjects in Oxford’s course listing are eligible except Medicine.
An Oxford offer is required before a candidate can be considered for a Reach Oxford Scholarship. The official page states that students must apply for admission to the University first and that Oxford cannot consider scholarship applications from students who have not been offered a place. This means that scholarship planning cannot substitute for a strong Oxford admissions application.
Oxford identifies the following selection considerations: the highest academic ability, financial need, social commitment, and a lack of ability to study for a degree in the applicant’s own country. Applicants should also intend to return to their country following their studies. These criteria are more specific than a general claim of financial hardship. A good preparation record should explain the academic case, the financial barrier, the reason a comparable degree is not realistically available at home, and the way the applicant’s future work will serve their community or country.
How the application works
The process has two linked parts, but they are not the same application.
1. Apply for Oxford admission through UCAS
Begin with the Oxford undergraduate application for the course you want to study. Oxford’s admissions timeline says applicants should choose a course, choose a college or make an open application, write a personal statement, organise an academic reference, check whether an admissions test is required, and submit the application from early September. For 2027 entry, the final UCAS deadline is 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026.
Course-specific requirements matter. Oxford’s timeline says applicants should check whether they need a UAT-UK test, or UCAT for Medicine or LNAT for Law. It also says that some courses require written work, which must be submitted with a cover sheet to the college by 10 November. These are Oxford admissions requirements, not Reach Oxford scholarship requirements, so follow the instructions for the particular course rather than assuming that every applicant submits the same materials.
2. Secure an Oxford offer and wait for the scholarship instructions
The Reach Oxford page says that 2026 applications are closed and that details on how to apply for 2027 entry will be placed on the page in January 2027. The scholarship form, exact deadline, and any cycle-specific instructions should be taken from that official page once published. As of this update, there is no confirmed 2027 scholarship deadline.
The archived 2026 cycle had a scholarship deadline of 4 February 2026. That date is useful for understanding the separation between the Oxford application and the later scholarship process, but it is not a forecast or a substitute for the 2027 date. Do not submit a form, email documents, or rely on a February date until Oxford publishes the 2027 instructions.
Oxford’s page also says that it can consider only applicants who have been offered a place. An applicant should therefore monitor the admissions result and then follow the scholarship instructions for the relevant entry year. Oxford’s admissions timeline lists the 2027-entry offer decision date as 12 January 2027; the scholarship page separately says that 2027 scholarship details will be available in January 2027. Keep those two communications distinct: an admissions offer is not automatically a scholarship award.
What to prepare now
While the 2027 scholarship form is unavailable, prepare the parts of the application that are already knowable.
- Confirm that your nationality appears on Oxford’s OECD DAC recipient list.
- Choose a course for which you can present strong academic evidence, and check its admissions test and written-work requirements.
- Build a clear academic record for the UCAS application, including the reference and subject-focused personal statement.
- Record the financial facts that explain why you and your family cannot meet the cost of study at Oxford.
- Write a specific explanation of why you cannot study an equivalent degree in your home country. The explanation should address access and circumstances, not merely say that Oxford is preferred.
- Collect examples of social commitment and describe the contribution you intend to make after your studies.
- Keep copies of transcripts, predicted grades, reference details, and any course-specific materials so that you can complete the scholarship form promptly when Oxford publishes it.
The scholarship page does not currently list a 2027 document checklist. Do not invent one from an older cycle or assume that every item above will be uploaded to the scholarship form. Some preparation belongs to the UCAS application, while the scholarship form may ask for different information about finances, access to education, and future plans. Use the January 2027 instructions as the controlling source.
Timeline and date discipline
The practical sequence is straightforward even though the scholarship date is pending. Prepare and submit the Oxford UCAS application by 6pm UK time on 15 October 2026. Complete any course-specific tests or written-work submissions on the schedule given by Oxford and the relevant college. Monitor Oxford’s admissions communications, including the listed 2027-entry decision date of 12 January 2027. In January 2027, return to the official Reach Oxford page for the 2027 scholarship instructions. Only after Oxford publishes the form and deadline should you treat that date as a commitment.
The 4 February 2026 date belongs to the closed 2026 scholarship round. It is retained in the page metadata as a real historical deadline, not presented as an upcoming opportunity. The 15 October 2026 date belongs to the Oxford UCAS admissions process. Keeping these dates separate prevents the most serious error in this listing: sending a reader to the wrong deadline for a highly competitive scholarship.
Common mistakes to avoid
Calling the UCAS deadline the scholarship deadline. The 15 October 2026 date is for the Oxford application for 2027 entry. The scholarship deadline has not been published.
Assuming that a UCAS application is enough. Oxford says applicants must have been offered a place before they can be considered for Reach Oxford.
Reusing the 2026 scholarship date. The 4 February 2026 deadline is closed. It should be treated as an archive reference only.
Ignoring the subject exclusion. Medicine is excluded, even though many other undergraduate subjects are eligible.
Skipping the nationality check. Eligibility is tied to the OECD DAC official-development-assistance list. Check Oxford’s current list rather than relying on a broad regional label.
Treating the award as guaranteed for every year. Oxford says continued receipt is subject to satisfactory academic progress, and the scheme makes only around two to three awards annually.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Reach Oxford Scholarship 2027 deadline known?
No. Oxford says that 2026 entry applications are closed and that details for 2027 entry will be made available on the official scholarship page in January 2027. The 2027 scholarship deadline should not be guessed from the 2026 date or from the UCAS admissions calendar.
What is the confirmed date shown in this listing?
The metadata records 4 February 2026, the confirmed deadline for the now-closed 2026 entry scholarship round. It is marked as a historical reference. The separate 15 October 2026 date is the UCAS deadline for Oxford’s 2027-entry admissions application.
What does Reach Oxford provide?
Oxford lists course fees, a grant for living costs, and one return air fare per year. The award lasts three or four years depending on course length, and subsequent years depend on satisfactory academic progress.
Can someone apply before receiving an Oxford offer?
They must apply for Oxford admission first, but Oxford says it cannot consider a Reach Oxford Scholarship application from a student who has not been offered a place. Follow the 2027 scholarship instructions when they are published.
Are postgraduate students eligible?
No. The official scheme is for new undergraduate students. Priority is given to applicants who have not previously studied at undergraduate level.
Is Medicine eligible?
No. Oxford lists all subjects in its course listing except Medicine.
Official links and next steps
Read the Reach Oxford Scholarship page for the eligibility rules, award description, closed 2026 status, and the January 2027 publication notice. Use Oxford’s admissions timeline for the 2027-entry UCAS deadline and course-application steps.
The immediate task for a prospective 2027 applicant is the Oxford application, not a scholarship form that has not yet been released. Check the course requirements, prepare the academic reference and personal statement, and submit through UCAS by 15 October 2026 at 6pm UK time. Then revisit the Reach Oxford page in January 2027, verify the newly published scholarship deadline, and follow those instructions exactly. Until Oxford publishes that information, the scholarship deadline remains unconfirmed.