Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship supporting exceptional students from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. The scholarship includes full tuition, a maintenance stipend, and flights to and from Oxford at the beginning and end of tenure. Scholars may pursue any full-time postgraduate degree (subject to limited restrictions) offered by the University of Oxford for two or three years.
Up to 11 Rhodes Scholarships are awarded annually in Canada. Three of these are in the Prairie Region of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
The University of Winnipeg acknowledges that the history and legacy of Cecil Rhodes prompts important discussions and reflections about racism both past and present please see the statement issued by the Rhodes Trust.
2026 competition
- Nationality/citizenship: You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Refugees/asylum seekers currently residing in Canada will also be considered.
- Residency: You must be domiciled in Canada.
- Age: You must meet the following criteria:
- be between 18-23 years of age on October 1, 2026 (i.e., born after October 1, 2002 and before October 2, 2008); or,
- (for older candidates who completed their first undergraduate degree later than usual) be under 27 years of age on October 1, 2026 (i.e., born after October 1, 1999) AND have also completed your first undergraduate degree on or after October 1, 2025.
- Academic achievement: You must have completed an undergraduate degree by July 2025 with an academic background and grade average that - at a minimum - meets or exceeds the specific entry requirements of your chosen full-time course at the University of Oxford.
- Candidates will have a higher chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have:
- A First Class Honours Degree or equivalent, or,
- A GPA of 3.70/4.0 or higher.
- Candidates will have a higher chance of successful admission to Oxford if they have:
Check your eligibility through the Rhodes Trust.
The University has an internal selection process to select one to two students who will receive an official letter of recommendation from the President's Office to include in their Rhodes Scholarship application. To be eligible for this endorsement, you must apply.
UW Rhodes Scholarship ApplicationDeadline for 2026 Competition: TBD (check back later for updates)
Required documents for internal selection (PDF format only):
- Personal Statement (1000 words maximum)
- You must incorporate the following prompts:
- Which Rhodes Scholar quality do you display most strongly, and how are different contexts and people helping you to develop the other qualities?
- Drawing on your past experience of community engagement, how do you hope to contribute to and learn from communities at Oxford?
- From your place in the world, how will you use your energy and talents to address humanity’s pressing challenges?
- Generative AI and support guidance for applicants
- You must incorporate the following prompts:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV) (two pages maximum, 12pt font minimum)
- Include specific details about academic qualifications, publications, prizes, scholarships, positions of leadership, employment positions, involvement in student, voluntary, community or political activities and any cultural, musical or sporting accomplishments.
- Six letters of reference
- at least three must be academic
- two or more as character referees
Use the Information for Candidates and Scholars Guide for Applicants put together by the Rhodes Trust to help you strengthen your application to the UW committee.
2026 Competition (tentative)
Complete details will be available in June.
June 1 - internal application opens
August 2 - deadline for students to apply to UW's internal selection process
August 3 - deadline for referees to submit their letter of reference
early September - selected candidate(s) will be instructed to begin their official Rhodes application
September 24 - deadline for candidates to apply through the Rhodes application portal (reference letters due September 28)