The Scholarship

Launched in 2021, the Robert Allen Perkins Scholarship is open to successful applicants to New College for entry in 2025 who meet the threshold to qualify for a  University Crankstart Scholarship.  For 2024 entry, this was a household income of £32,500 or less. The successful student will receive a non-repayable bursary of roughly £5,250 each academic year from New College. This will significantly lower the financial burden of attending University.

How to apply

Once candidates have received an offer letter from their College they must supply a statement of between 500 and 1,000 words explaining why the scholarship would be beneficial to their studies at Oxford, how it would help them to achieve their academic goals, and how their education would be of future benefit to their community and/or society. This should be emailed to admissions@new.ox.ac.uk

The selection process for the first year of the scholarship will be undertaken in spring 2025 and applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application in summer 2025.

Scholar reporting

Scholars would be required to submit an annual report to the College, outlining how the scholarship has benefited their studies during the academic year and sharing brief details about how their course is progressing. This information would be shared with the donor funding the scholarship each year to enable them to follow their journey at Oxford and gain an insight into the opportunities the scholarship brings.

Further information

Applicants will be required to have applied to the Student Finance agency in their home region (England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland) for an assessment of their household income and to have agreed for household income to be shared with the University of Oxford. If an applicant is successful in their scholarship application it is their responsibility to cancel their Student Finance loan support.

Priority will be given to successful applicants to New College and to applicants whose household income is assessed as £32,500 or less. 

Scholars will be expected to write a report at the end of their first term as well as an annual report about their academic and social activities, and achievements at the University.

Receipt of the award in subsequent years is subject to satisfactory academic progress which will be monitored through termly tutorial reports.

Scholars will also be assessed to receive an Oxford Bursary or Crankstart Scholarship in addition to the New College Scholarship.

Any other external sources of funding may be taken into account in determining the value of the Scholarship.

The scholarship will be available for those applicants entering University in October 2025.


If you have any questions about the scholarship, or about admissions at New College generally, please email admissions@new.ox.ac.uk