Felix Scholarship

The Felix Scholarship Has a Non-Indian Track That Almost Nobody Talks About

The Felix Scholarship is primarily India-specific, but there is a second route that most guides bury or omit entirely:

Oxford also awards one place each year to a non-Indian student ordinarily resident in a low-income country.

SOAS runs a parallel Felix Non-Indian Scholarship as its own named award. This means students from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, and similar countries are not automatically excluded though non-Indian places are very limited

The Felix Scholarship enables outstanding students from India to pursue graduate studies in any subject at the University of Oxford, the University of Reading and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS). Felix has been supporting students at Oxford since 1991.

The Felix Scholarship supports academically talented but financially disadvantaged students from India and selected developing countries. Each year, the program awards approximately 20 deserving students this prestigious scholarship, covering a wide range of courses except medicine.

And the procedural point that decides whether your application even exists:

Oxford automatically considers you for the Felix Scholarship when you apply for your graduate course by the December or January funding deadline. No separate form, portal, or submission is needed. At SOAS and Reading, a separate Felix application is mandatory after receiving an admission offer.

Oxford: no separate form. SOAS and Reading: separate form, mandatory. Getting this backwards costs people the scholarship.

What the Felix Scholarship Is

Established in 1991, the scholarship aims to empower talented, underprivileged students by providing exposure to diverse academic, cultural, and social experiences. Awarded based on academic excellence and financial need, the Felix Scholarship has supported over 400 scholars.

The Felix Scholarship funds academically outstanding but financially disadvantaged students to pursue postgraduate study at three UK universities. Its defining characteristic is that financial need is not a tiebreaker, it is a core eligibility requirement. A brilliant student whose family can afford UK fees is not the target.

The Anonymous Donor

The donor for the Felix Scholarship wishes to remain anonymous. The three partner universities — SOAS University of London, University of Oxford, and University of Reading — administer the scholarship with support from the Felix Trustees and their agents in London.

The funder has never publicly revealed their identity. The three universities and the Felix Trustees run the scholarship together.

The Three Partner Universities

What the Scholarship Covers

The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees, a grant for living costs (around £19,000) and one return flight from India to the UK. Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.

Core Package

Living Grant by University

The living grant figure matters a lot for your budget planning. Oxford’s £19,000 is higher than Reading’s £17,894 because London and Oxford cost more.

⚠️ Sources report a yearly stipend of around £17,800, though figures vary between sources and cycles. Verify the current rate on each university’s official Felix page before budgeting.

Additional Benefits (Reported)

Full tuition fees during your master’s degree; yearly stipend to cover living expenses; a return flight from the student’s home country to the UK; student visa application fees for non-EU students; research paper allowance to support academic work; additional funds for attending conferences; membership of the Felix scholar community.

⚠️ Third-party sources report these additional benefits, so confirm with your specific university what it actually includes.

❌ Not Covered

Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding for Pre-sessional.

Pre-sessional English courses are not funded. If your offer is conditional on English, you must fund any pre-sessional programme yourself or meet the English requirement directly.

❌ Excluded Subject

Covering a wide range of courses with the exception of medicine.

Medicine is excluded.

Eligibility — The Indian Track

To qualify as an Indian applicant, you need a first-class undergraduate or master’s degree from an Indian university, no existing degree from outside India, and a genuine inability to fund your studies without support.

You need a first-class undergraduate degree (for master’s applicants) or master’s degree (for DPhil applicants) from an Indian university, no prior degree from outside India, genuine financial need, and an intention to return to India after your course.

⚠️ The “No Degree From Outside India” Rule

This catches strong candidates out. If you already hold any degree earned outside India, a UK master’s, an American bachelor’s, a Singapore diploma-level degree, you are not eligible for the Indian Felix track.

Felix exists to give a first international opportunity to students who have not had one.

Eligibility — The Non-Indian Track

Oxford also makes one award each year to a non-Indian student ordinarily resident in a low-income country outside India.

SOAS runs its own Felix Non-Indian Scholarship with these conditions:

Candidates must demonstrate financial need. Graduates are expected to return to work in their home country. Candidates must have submitted a complete application for admission by the scholarship closing date. Candidates must have an offer of admission by the time shortlisting takes place. We may give priority to applicants with an unconditional offer of admission. The scholarship assesses candidates on academic merit and also considers financial need.

⭐ Get Your English Test Done Early

If your offer is conditional on English, please arrange your English test and ensure you meet the English requirements as soon as possible.

Having an outstanding IELTS or TOEFL score can convert a conditional offer into an unconditional one, which may improve your scholarship position since Oxford may prioritize applicants with unconditional offers.

Sit your English test before you apply, not after.

⚠️ The Application Process Differs by University

This is the most important operational section of this guide.

Oxford — No Separate Application

Oxford automatically considers you for the Felix Scholarship when you apply for your graduate course by the December or January funding deadline.

There is no separate Felix application beyond your course application, which for 2027 entry falls in December 2026 or January 2027.

Applying to your Oxford graduate course by your course’s funding deadline places you automatically in consideration exactly as with the Clarendon Fund.

SOAS and Reading — Separate Application Mandatory

SOAS and Reading require a distinct Felix application after receiving an admission offer.

Apply for the scholarship by 12 noon (UK local time) on 2 March. You must apply for this scholarship via the admissions portal. Applicants must have submitted a complete admission application by the scholarship application deadline. The panel will be considering your scholarship application together with your online application for admission.

At SOAS and Reading you must submit a separate Felix scholarship application through the admissions portal and your admission application must already be complete by that same deadline.

Deadlines for 2027 Entry

For the 2027 entry cycle, Oxford’s Felix deadline falls in December 2026 or January 2027, depending on your course, with SOAS and Reading deadlines typically following between January and March 2027.

The 2026 cycle is closed. For 2027 entry: Oxford’s deadline is December 2026 or January 2027 (course-specific). SOAS and Reading deadlines are expected to be around January to March 2027. Check each university’s official page from October 2026 for confirmed dates.

⚠️ Oxford’s deadline is course-specific. Check your individual course page, do not assume a university-wide date.

⚠️ Confirm all dates from October 2026 on each university’s official Felix page.

The Interview

The interview lasts 30 minutes. Oxford and Reading hold in-person interviews in New Delhi or Bangalore for Indian applicants. No travel expenses are reimbursed. SOAS conducts online interviews via the Felix Trust members, not SOAS staff.

⚠️ Travel to interview is not reimbursed. Indian applicants outside Delhi and Bangalore must fund their own travel to the interview. Budget for this.

⭐ SOAS interviews are online no travel cost at all, which may matter if you are far from Delhi or Bangalore, or applying from outside India.

What the Interview Assesses

Assessors look at academic ability, financial need, English command, and your commitment to returning to India.

The return commitment is assessed directly in interview. Vague intentions will not convince. Name the sector, the kind of institution, the problem you intend to work on.

Practical Application Strategy

Apply to more than one Felix university

Oxford, SOAS and Reading each award separately. Applying to two or three multiplies your chances but note that only Oxford is automatic; the others need their own forms.

Secure an unconditional offer before shortlisting

Because priority may go to unconditional offer holders, resolve English conditions early.

Make financial need explicit and documented

Felix is need-based by design. Understating your circumstances to appear self-sufficient works against you here. Be accurate and complete.

If you already have a foreign degree, check carefully

The Indian track excludes applicants with any prior degree from outside India.

Budget for interview travel (Oxford and Reading)

If you are an Indian applicant outside Delhi or Bangalore, factor in unreimbursed travel.

Felix vs Clarendon at Oxford

Both are automatic at Oxford. Both cover full fees plus a living grant.

Apply to Oxford by your course deadline and you are in the running for both. There is no reason to choose.

Quick Reference

FAQ

Which universities offer the Felix Scholarship?

The University of Oxford, the University of Reading and SOAS, University of London.

What does it cover?

100% of course fees, a grant for living costs (around £19,000) and one return flight from India to the UK, for the full duration of your fee liability.

Can I apply if I already have a degree from outside India?

No, the Indian track requires no existing degree from outside India.

Is financial need required?

Yes, candidates must demonstrate financial need.

Free Application Tools

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• CV: Free CV Builder
• Reference Letter: Reference Letter Generator
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