Scholarship FAQs

Apply directly to Saïd Business School for the Oxford MBA during stages 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the admissions process.

The scholarship is intended to cover the Oxford Saïd MBA course fees. Additional funds are provided as a contribution towards living expenses. In rare cases, partial scholarships may be offered.

The Skoll Centre typically awards up to four scholarships every year.

The Skoll Scholarship is funded by a generous grant from the Skoll Foundation and is administered by the Skoll Centre, which is based at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Yes, it is only for the full-time, one-year MBA programme. It does not provide funding for the part-time EMBA programme or other postgraduate programmes.

Upon being offered a Skoll Scholarship, successful candidates will receive a letter of agreement which outlines what is expected during and after the MBA. Examples include acting as ambassadors for the Skoll Centre, supporting classmates with entrepreneurship projects, recruiting future Skoll Scholars, serving on the Skoll Scholar Alumni Board, and responding to media enquiries.

Of course! Typically only four students receive scholarships, but countless students are interested in pursuing careers that bring together business and social goals. The Skoll Centre offers many opportunities and programmes for students who are eager to start or grow their own social ventures or work in the growing ecosystem of organisations pursuing systemic change. The only difference between the Skoll Scholars’ opportunities and other MBA opportunities is the funding and access to the Skoll Scholar alumni network.

To be eligible for the Skoll Scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:

• Started a new social venture or an initiative within an existing organisation, or pursued positive change as an impact career professional (ie someone who has used entrepreneurial approaches to address the same social/environmental issue with a clear core thread that unites their work) for three or more years by the time you apply for the MBA;
• Demonstrated evidence of personal qualities strongly resonating with entrepreneurial leadership;
• Demonstrated how a business education will help further your career goals; and 
• Demonstrated the need for financial support.

We define a social venture or initiative as one that combines innovation, resourcefulness, and opportunity to address a critical social and/or environmental challenge. You may have set up a venture as a for-profit or not-for-profit organisation, or you may have initiated and led a programme/project within a larger organisation – in either case, your primary objective is to create sustainable systems change, and you have measured your success towards that objective.

An impact career professional is someone who has used entrepreneurial approaches to address the same social or environmental issue and can demonstrate they have a clear core thread that unites their work throughout their career. These professionals are able to demonstrate a commitment to social change in a particular area through this thread of work.

To be eligible for the Skoll Scholarship, candidates should have a minimum of three years’ experience by the time they apply for the MBA.

You need to have started and grown a single social venture/initiative or pursued an impact career focusing on one social/environmental issue for a period of at least three years. You can, of course, have worked on other social initiatives in addition to this experience.

Yes! We welcome applicants who intend to join the 1+1 programme (which consists of a one-year Master’s degree followed by an MBA). However, please note that the Skoll Scholarship only covers funding for the MBA year of the programme. You may want to consider other scholarships specifically designed for 1+1 students, such as the Pershing Square Scholarship.

No, there are no age restrictions to apply for the scholarship.