Fees and funding

Bonavero Institute of Human Rights Summer School scholarships

The Bonavero Institute of Human Rights is pleased to offer three scholarships of £6500 each. These are available to applicants* for the 2025 Summer School to cover tuition costs. Applicants would still need to be able to cover the cost of accommodation and meals at New College themselves (£3000), in addition to insurance and travel from their home country.

*Scholarship applicants must apply to the Summer School through Oxford University.  These scholarships are not open to North American applicants who must apply to the Summer School through George Washington University.

The scholarships aim to support talented individuals who already have an established connection to the human rights field (whether paid or voluntary) and who have the potential to make change. Priority for these awards will be given to those who are ordinarily resident in low income or lower middle-income countries (as defined by the World Bank) and who would be unable to afford the full course fees without assistance.

If you wish to be considered for one of the scholarships, you must do the following by 12 noon UK time on 28 February:

• Complete and submit your course application, ensuring you select ‘yes’ in the 'Funding section' of the application form to indicate you wish to be considered.
• Complete and submit this form about your financial situation (means-assessment form). These guidelines will help you to complete the form.

Only applicants who submit both their course application and financial form by 12 noon UK time on 28 February are guaranteed to be considered for a scholarship if they are offered a course place. Selection will take place in March and all scholarship applicants can expect to be notified of the outcome by 31 March.

Applications submitted after the 28 February deadline will be considered only if one or more of the scholarships remain unawarded after the main selection round. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you submit before the 28 February deadline to guarantee that you are considered for a scholarship if you are offered a course place.

Please note that scholarship applications are reviewed in a separate process to course applications. You can expect to hear first about the outcome of your course application. If you are offered a place, you will then need to wait for the outcome of any scholarship application. If you are not offered a course place, any application for a scholarship cannot be considered further.

Other funding

You may wish to investigate the institutions below who have funded applicants in previous years or have provided assistance in searching for funding. 

• The British Council in your home country
• The British Embassy or High Commission in your home country (click here to find contact details)
• Agencies within the United Nations (primarily for their employees)

Successful applicants who accept their offer of a place on the Summer School will be provided with instructions to pay the programme fee online. Full payment will be due by 1 May 2025 but earlier payment is strongly recommended as class choices are allocated on a first-come first-served basis according to payment date, in the event of oversubscription.

Late applicants (see 'Application deadline' in Applications) are normally required to pay the full fee within 7 days.

Please note that:

• An applicant's place on the summer school is not confirmed until their fees have been paid in full.
• Under no circumstances will students be admitted to the summer school unless their fees have been paid in full.
• Places will not be held for students whose fees are not paid in full by the due date.
• Students are expected to take out vacation cancellation insurance to cover the programme fee and travel costs (see Cancellation policy for further information);

Your place on the summer school is confirmed as soon as your payment is received. When you make payment, you should receive a receipt followed by confirmation of your place and further information about the course. This will include access to the course website and how to prepare for the course and for your arrival in the UK (e.g. what to bring, travel, arrival and departure times, college facilities, dress code etc.). If you live outside the UK you will also receive a letter confirming your enrolment on the summer school which may be used to support your application for a visa. Please see Immigration and visas for further information.

All enrolments are subject to the terms and conditions set out below.

A contract between Oxford University Bonavero Institute for Human Rights and a student comes into being when a student accepts an offer of a place on the summer school.

You have the right to cancel this contract at any time within 14 days, beginning on the day you accepted the offer.

Please be aware that if you cancel your place at any time after the expiry of the 14-day period you will not be entitled to a full refund of the price paid for the summer school.

If you wish to cancel your place on the summer school you must inform the Course Administrator by email at ihrl-events@law.ox.ac.uk.

We strongly recommend that all applicants read the full cancellation policy before applying.

You are expected to take out vacation cancellation insurance to cover the programme fee and travel costs, and you should consult your travel agent and/or insurer for information and advice. Oxford University does not provide any insurance cover.

Oxford University reserves the right to alter details of any course should illness or any other emergency prevent a tutor from teaching, and to cancel a course or seminar if exceptionally low enrolment would make it educationally unviable.

The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2025. If it is likely that individual seminars or the course may be cancelled, all those affected will be notified by email within 7 days, and possible options clearly explained.

If you have not heard from Oxford University by 8 May 2025, you should assume that the course and all seminars will be running (though we cannot guarantee you will be in your first choice of class); there is no need to contact us to confirm.