Students

Our commitment to access requires sustained financial support, not only by opening up pathways to Oxford but by ensuring students can flourish academically once they arrive, without distracting financial pressures.

Bursaries, scholarships and grants

Bursaries and scholarships support our commitment to excellence and equality by attracting and supporting the most talented students regardless of their ability to pay.

Undergraduate bursaries

Through bursaries, St Hilda’s is able to ensure that students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds can make the most of their time at St Hilda’s.

Bursaries provide funds for books, vacation residences, internships and work placements. Beneficiaries who access additional support for vacation residence do so to prepare for final examinations and pursue study and research opportunities in the long vacation. This support would not be possible without help from our alumnae and friends.

A named undergraduate bursary can be established with a commitment of £1,500 per year for three years. For gifts in excess of £100,000, there is the option for the College to endow the funds and to establish a named undergraduate bursary that will support St Hilda’s students from low-income families for generations to come. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss the possibility of establishing a named undergraduate bursary.

Graduate scholarships

Our graduate students make a vital contribution to their fields of research, to the intellectual life within the College and to the wider Oxford community. With one in four of our students achieving a distinction at postgraduate level, the College provides an excellent environment for students to achieve their full potential.

For our graduate students, scholarships are essential. Students face high tuition fees and living costs and external funding for graduate courses is highly competitive.  Full scholarships (and partial scholarships to cover fees) enable us to offer the same benefits as other Oxford colleges, helping us to attract the most talented students to study at St Hilda’s. Increasing the funding available to support graduates at St Hilda’s is a priority for the College.

A named graduate scholarship can be established with a minimum commitment of £10,000 per year for at least two years but we are grateful for all contributions. If you would like further details regarding options to support graduates at St Hilda’s, including the possibility of matched funding from the University, please get in touch with the Development Office.

Refugee scholarships

In light of recent world crises, we seek to increase the support we can offer to students whose futures are affected by these events, and to create pathways for them to fulfil their academic ambitions.

With this in mind, we are pleased to be partnering with the University’s Refugee Scholarship Programme to aid graduate students who have been displaced due to conflict or persecution.

These scholarships go further than most, as they cover the cost of course fees, accommodation and food, as well as the more usual living cost and study expense allowances.

A donation of £20,000 per year can provide a named scholarship for a refugee to study at St Hilda's

Travel and research grants

Travel and research grants support our students to experience places and cultures that feature in their course to carry out research and to attend academic conferences.

Grants are also provided to cover the costs associated with work placements and internships to help students prepare for careers beyond Oxford. Your gift can help our students make the most of their time at St Hilda’s and maximise their potential.

Clinical elective grants

The College admits up to six students for Clinical Medicine each year and we are pleased that so many of our pre-clinical graduates opt to stay at St Hilda’s to continue their studies.

Our clinical students undertake electives in their final year allowing them to broaden their experience. Some choose to carry out their elective in other countries, where healthcare resources may be limited. Our clinical elective grants support them to do so.

A named elective grant of £1500 will enable a student in Clinical Medicine to gain useful practical experience in other healthcare settings.

Student wellbeing

Our students have faced a challenging few years, with the pandemic, international conflict and the financial crisis all contributing to a greater need for mental health support.

This support can take many forms, and an area we are keen to expand upon is active wellbeing: the practice of yoga, stretching, meditation, and much more, to allow our students to take some time out of their studies and focus on their mental health and relaxation.

In addition, it is well documented that sport can have a significant positive impact on mental health and academic achievement.

We aim to increase our provision of sports equipment and funding so that all of our students, regardless of their financial situation, can try new sports and make the most of their sporting talent, at any level.

Recently St Hilda’s students have toured Ghana with the OU Rugby League team, set new University records in swimming, and competed in the European University Games in badminton.

We wish to help them, and all of our sportspeople, to perform at their best and continue the great tradition at St Hilda’s of encouraging our students to make the most of their time at Oxford.

We therefore need to upgrade and source new equipment, as well as hire costly but important venues and tuition such as tennis courts and meditation classes. We seek contributions from our alumnae and friends to provide support for these extra activities that make all the difference to an Oxford education.

For £500 you can fund a term of yoga classes while £300 will provide a St Hilda's student with a grant for sports equipment.

Memorial gifts

We also welcome Memorial Gifts made in memory of individuals or groups to name a bursary or scholarship.

Make a gift