Oxford is one of the world’s most famous universities. It began in the 1100s. In 1999 — 2000 it had over 16 300 students in 35 colleges and 5 private halls. Each college has its own buildings, teachers, and students. But the university grants the degrees, not the colleges. Oxford has students from over 130 countries. Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships are among the ways foreign students may attend Oxford. Competition for admission and financial aid is intense, but students of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Oxford has won a national innovation award and formed an international distance education partnership with Stanford and Yale. Oxford is a leader in research, while also promoting good teaching with individual tutorials and small group interactions.