TThe Felix Scholarship Trust
Fully funded
Felix Scholarships
The Felix Scholarship Trust, United Kingdom
Scholarship overview
The Felix Scholarships fund gifted, financially disadvantaged students from India, and a small number from other developing countries, to take a postgraduate degree in the UK. The trust was set up by an anonymous founder and has supported students at Oxford since 1991. Awards are based on outstanding academic merit together with financial need.
The scholarships are offered at only three universities: the University of Oxford, the University of Reading and SOAS University of London. The universities run the scheme with the support of the Felix Trustees, and each has its own application route and deadline. All subjects are considered except medicine.
Scholars are expected to return to their home country after their studies to contribute to its culture and welfare, and sign a letter of undertaking to that effect.
Awards at each university (2026 entry)
- Oxford: up to 7 awards for full-time master's and DPhil courses, including one each year for a non-Indian student from a low-income country.
- Reading: up to five awards for Indian citizens (master's or PhD) and one master's award for a student from a developing country.
- SOAS: any full-time taught master's or PhD programme; part-time programmes are not eligible.
Award Information
Indian applicants
- Be an Indian national, ordinarily resident in India and not currently living or studying outside India.
- Hold at least a first-class bachelor's degree from a recognised Indian university or comparable institution (Oxford also accepts a first-class master's degree from an Indian university). At SOAS, an upper second-class bachelor's may exceptionally be considered if you hold a first-class master's.
- Not hold a degree from a university outside India, and not have studied outside India for one year or more (study as a Felix scholar excepted).
- Be applying to start a new full-time master's or doctoral course at Oxford, Reading or SOAS; part-time courses and medicine are excluded.
- Not already hold a degree at the level you are applying for (e.g. a master's holder cannot get a master's scholarship). At SOAS you must not have already taken up a PhD scholarship at an Indian university.
- Demonstrate financial need: you must be unable to take up your place without financial help.
- Have a good command of spoken and written English and meet your course's English requirements.
- Be expected to return to India after your studies.
Non-Indian applicants
- Not be a national of India or an EEA country, and hold at least a first-class bachelor's degree from a recognised university, with a recommendation from your chosen university.
- Oxford: one award for a national of, and ordinary resident in, a country classed as Other Low Income or Least Developed on the DAC List of ODA Recipients.
- Reading: one master's-level award aimed primarily at candidates from Africa, excluding all Western countries (including most of the European Community) and China/Taiwan; other nationalities need Trustee approval. You must not hold a degree from a university outside your home country.
- Non-Indian candidates do not apply directly; the university selects them.
Married applicants may apply, but no extra allowance is paid for spouses.
- Tuition fees at the international rate for the period of fee liability (100% of course fees at Oxford).
- Grant for living costs: around £19,000 at Oxford (2026 entry) and around £17,894 at Reading.
- One return air fare between India (or your home country) and the UK.
- At Reading, allowances for clothes and books are also paid.
- Awards last for the duration of the course, up to three years at Reading.
- Not covered: spouses' or family costs, pre-sessional English courses, course extensions and fieldwork expenses beyond the maintenance allowance.
- Oxford (2026 entry): apply for your course by its December or January funding deadline; decisions were expected by the end of May 2026.
- SOAS (2026 entry): deadline 2 March 2026; shortlisted candidates notified by March 2026 and interviewed online by the Felix Trust between April and May 2026.
- Reading (2026 entry): now closed; shortlisting in March and April 2026, interviews in India between April and May 2026.
- Awards for September/October entry cannot be deferred.
- Choose a full-time master's or doctoral course at Oxford, Reading or SOAS and apply for admission by the relevant deadline.
- Oxford: there is no separate Felix form; submitting the graduate application by the January funding deadline for your course is enough, with accurate nationality and residence details.
- Reading: once you hold an offer of admission, complete the Felix scholarship application form on the me@reading portal.
- SOAS: follow the SOAS scholarship procedure through your admissions portal; you need a firm (unconditional) offer by the time the Scholarship Panel meets.
- The university draws up a shortlist; Indian shortlisted candidates are passed to the Felix Selection Committees and invited to interview.
- Successful candidates are told directly by their university; unsuccessful candidates are not informed.
Official links
How selection works
- Each university shortlists candidates who hold a confirmed offer of admission.
- Indian shortlisted candidates are interviewed separately for each university, in New Delhi or Bangalore, or online (in person or via Skype/Zoom for Reading; online by Felix Trust members for SOAS). No award is made without an interview.
- Interviews last about 30 minutes and test academic ability in your discipline, personality, financial need and suitability.
- No travel or accommodation expenses are paid for attending interviews.
- Non-Indian candidates are selected by the university itself.
