Bursaries, Scholarships and Grants

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 and scholarships support our commitment to excellence and equality by attracting and supporting the most talented students regardless of their abilities to pay. In the Campaign there are opportunities to establish named bursaries and scholarships as well as to fund academic support.

Undergraduate bursaries

Through bursaries, St Hilda’s is able to attract and support talented students and ensure that students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds can make the most of their time at St Hilda’s. Bursaries provide funds for books, vacation residence, internships and work placements. Beneficiaries can access additional support for vacation residence to prepare for final examinations, and pursue study and research opportunities in the long vacation. These represent a significant advance on the previous level of support for our students, but they cannot be funded without help from our alumnae and friends, so donate now to make a difference to our undergraduates.

A named undergraduate bursary can be established with a commitment of £1,250 per year for three years.

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 – full scholarships (and partial scholarships to cover fees) help the College to attract the most talented students from all over the world. Your support may also attract sources of matched funding within the University to create fully-funded scholarships. It is crucial to St Hilda’s that we can offer the same benefits as other Oxford colleges, to enable us to attract the best scholars to study at our College in the face of increasing competition.

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 new 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.

Donate now to help us to continue to support our graduate students and become students’ top choice for further studies.

A named graduate scholarship can be established with a minimum commitment of £8,000 per year for at least two years, while a donation of £14,000 – £17,500 can cover the College’s contribution to the Refugee Scholarship Programme and can provide a named scholarship.

Travel and Research Grants

Travel and research grants assist our students in experiencing places and cultures that feature in their course and exploring future career options during the vacation, and for graduate students to carry out research and attend academic conferences. Grants are also provided to cover 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.

A named research and travel grant can be established with a commitment of £500 per year.

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. Thanks to a generous legacy gift, the College has been able to establish an elective grant programme. Given the success of the grants, this source of funding has been exhausted and we urgently seek new support in order to maintain this important element of the Clinical Medicine programme.

An named elective grant of £800 – £1,000 will enable a student in Clinical Medicine to gain useful practical experience in other healthcare settings.

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

Here you can watch our students speak about the impact of bursaries on their lives, and those of their friends.