Road and red-brick university buildings on the University of Manchester campus.

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Felix Scholarship

The Felix Scholarship was established in 1991 to support outstanding postgraduate students from India and other developing Commonwealth countries — Sri Lanka is explicitly on the list. Tenable at the University of Oxford, it covers full tuition, college fees, and a generous annual stipend, with a strong preference for candidates who plan to return home and contribute professionally. Around 25 new Felix Scholars are selected each year across the partner universities (Oxford, Reading, SOAS).

Open for 2027 entry — apply by Oxford's January gathered field deadline

University of Oxford

External Organization-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Stipend

£18,180/year (2025-26 rate)

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Duration

Full course (1-3 years)

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Tuition

100% University + College fees

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Eligibility

South Asian (Sri Lanka inc.) nationals

info How this award actually works

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This is a separate, highly competitive application

Awards from external organisations like this one run their own selection round against applicants from across the world, and success rates are usually in the low single digits. Lanka Scholar does not administer it and cannot submit it for you. Treat it as a bonus on top of a funded study plan — never as the plan itself.

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Who awards it

University of Oxford — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

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How you are considered

Through a separate application round run by the funder, with its own forms, deadlines and shortlisting. You submit it yourself — it is not part of a university admission application.

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What it covers

Full Tuition + £18,180/year Stipend. Read the terms carefully: even fully-funded awards rarely cover every cost, and any shortfall is yours to fund.

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Where we come in

We help you judge whether this award is worth your time, and build a realistic admission plan that works whether or not you win it.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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South Asian Nationality

Open to nationals of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, or other developing Commonwealth countries who have not previously studied outside their home region.

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First-Class Bachelor's

A first-class Bachelor's degree (or equivalent — strong upper-second / first from a Sri Lankan university) is the academic floor. Most successful candidates also have a Master's or substantial research output.

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Demonstrable Financial Need

Felix is explicitly need-based — applicants must show that without the award they could not self-fund Oxford. A short financial declaration is part of the application.

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Return-Home Commitment

Awardees are expected to return to their home country / region after Oxford to use their training. There is no formal bond, but assessors weight this heavily during interviews.

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No Prior Western Study

Candidates who have already studied or worked for an extended period in the UK, US, EU, Australia, or other developed economies are typically not considered.

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Apply to an eligible Oxford course

Submit your Oxford graduate application by the January gathered field deadline (most arts/social sciences and many sciences). Felix funds taught Master's, MPhil, and DPhil candidates — check the Felix-eligible course list before applying.

Tick the Felix Scholarship box

On the Oxford application's funding section, select Felix Scholarship and complete the additional financial-need declaration. No separate Felix application form is required.

Department + Felix Trust review

Your chosen department first ranks you academically. Strong nominees are forwarded to the Felix Trust, which screens for nationality, need, and return-home commitment.

Interview & final decision

Shortlisted Felix candidates are interviewed (typically online for Sri Lankan applicants) between February and April. Final offers come through April-May for the October start.

Why Felix at Oxford?

Oxford is consistently ranked in the world's top 5 universities. Felix Scholars become part of a tight South Asian alumni network with regular London / Delhi gatherings, mentoring, and reunion events organised by the Felix Trust.

~25

New Scholars / Year (all unis)

#3

QS World Ranking 2026

Since 1991

Programme Running

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

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