College News
Mansfield wins global award for campaign to secure its future as the leader in widening participation to Oxford University
2025
Mansfield leads at Oxford and globally on widening participation in world-class education for undergraduates, and this new cohort of scholarships is an important first step towards extending this leadership to graduate study. With few externally funded scholarships available—especially for UK students—many of the most talented candidates are unable to take up their places. Without meaningful financial support, graduate study risks becoming inaccessible to all but the most privileged.
The Oxford-Foster Scholarships respond to this challenge. They will provide full funding for up to five graduate students at any one time, supporting study in the Humanities—English, History, Philosophy, and Theology—and in Politics, an area of particular strength and demand at Mansfield. The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic excellence, and the first Oxford-Foster Scholars will begin their studies in the 2026–27 academic year.
Chris Foster has pledged £4.7 million to endow the Oxford-Foster Scholarships in the Humanities and Politics at Mansfield College in perpetuity. This generous gift – made as part of the College’s For Mansfield. Forever. campaign –has unlocked 2:1 match funding through the University of Oxford’s Graduate Endowment Matched Scholarship (GEMS) scheme, bringing the total fund for the Oxford-Foster Scholarships to over £7 million.
Chris’ gift is in addition to his previously announced £25 million lead benefaction to kick-start the For Mansfield. Forever. campaign, and reflects his continued leadership and deep commitment to advancing Mansfield’s mission of access and academic excellence.
Principal of Mansfield College, Helen Mountfield KC, said:
“This is a moment of enormous significance for Mansfield. These scholarships not only create a permanent legacy that will support generations of talented graduate students, they also strengthen our mission to support academic excellence and inclusion at every level and will help us lead the sector in tackling the growing inequity in access to graduate study.”
“We are deeply grateful to Chris Foster for his exceptional generosity and vision, and to the University of Oxford for matching this gift through the Graduate Endowment Matched Scheme.”
"Graduate students play a vital role in Oxford’s academic community - driving research, mentoring undergraduates, and contributing to intellectual life. With this new cohort of scholars, Mansfield is building a flagship programme that advances knowledge across a wide range of fields.”
“My time at Mansfield changed my life, and I am proud to help ensure that more students, whatever their background, have the same kind of opportunity. These scholarships are about removing barriers—making sure that talent, not privilege, determines who gets to pursue graduate research at Oxford.”
“Graduate study in Humanities is vital to the world we live in—it gives us the tools to interpret the past, understand the present, and shape the future. It is the first step in building a career researching and making art, as well as communicating its value. Funding for graduate study in these subjects is increasingly scarce, and many prospective students face financial barriers. Our research communities will not flourish if we do not open them to everyone regardless of privilege.”
"The Oxford-Foster Scholarships will enable brilliant students to pursue their study and research at the highest level—and to do so as part of Mansfield’s inclusive, dynamic academic community.”
Full details about eligibility and how to apply for the Oxford-Foster Scholarships will be published later this year on the University’s graduate funding webpages and on Mansfield College’s graduate scholarships webpages.
Read more about For Mansfield. Forever.
Meet our lead benefactor, Chris Foster
Read about Chris’ £25M gift to Mansfield here
