Purpose
The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest international fellowships, were initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, and bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford in England.

Rhodes Scholars from the United States are selected through a decentralized process by which regional selection committees chooses 32 scholars each year from among those nominated by selection committees in each of the 50 states. In most years, a Rhodes Scholar is selected from an institution which has not formerly supplied a successful candidate.

Details
Intellectual distinction is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for election of a Rhodes Scholarship. Selection committees are charged to seek excellence in qualities of mind and in qualities of person which, in combination, offer the promise of effective service to the world in decades ahead. The Rhodes Scholarships, in short, are investments in individuals rather than in project proposals. Accordingly, applications are sought from talented students without restriction as to their field of academic specialization or career plans, although the proposed course of study must be available at the University of Oxford, and the applicant's undergraduate program must provide a sufficient basis for further study in the proposed field.

Rhodes Scholars are elected for two years of study, with the possibility of renewal for a third year. All educational costs, such as matriculation, tuition, laboratory and certain other fees, are paid on the scholar's behalf. Each scholar receives in addition a maintenance allowance adequate to meet necessary expenses for term-time and vacations. Rhodes Trustees may also cover the necessary costs of travel to and from Oxford, and upon application, may approve additional gants for research purposes or study-related travel.

For more information on the Rhodes Scholarships, visit the Rhodes Scholarship Foundation website at:

http://www.rhodesscholar.org/.