In the 15th century the abbey contributed to the upkeep of an Augustinian house of study at Oxford, which later became St Mary's College. The Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate seems to have organised the collection of funds for the project, as it bound itself to repay 40 pounds sterling to Haughmond in the event of failure. However, Haughmond, like other Augustinian houses in the region, was not noted for its scholarship. The only Haughmond canon to achieve academic eminence was John Ludlow, who was a scholar at St Mary's, and headed it as "prior studentium" in 1453 and 1453: he became abbot of Haughmond in 1464. The abbey was supposed to maintain at least one canon at university but was fined 20 shillings in 1511 by the general chapter of the Augustinians for failing to do so.