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Application Deadline: 7 January 2020

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university.

For 2020 entry, Gates Cambridge will offer 80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round.

The selection criteria are:

• outstanding intellectual ability
• reasons for choice of course
• a commitment to improving the lives of others
• leadership potential

Eligibility

Check if you are eligible to apply.

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

• a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
• applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
  • PhD
  • MSc/MLitt
  • One year postgraduate course (with some exceptions – see below)

The courses not eligible for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship are listed at the bottom of this page.

You can use the form below to quickly check if you are eligible to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and, if so, in which of the two application rounds you must apply. 

Value

A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most generous international scholarships available. It covers the following costs:

Core components

• the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
• a maintenance allowance for a single student (£17,500 for 12 months at the 2020-21 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for PhD scholars the award is for up to 4 years
• one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
• inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge

Discretionary components

The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:

• Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
• Family allowance – up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2020-21 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
• Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee).
• Maternity/Paternity funding – should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
• Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties

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A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most generous international scholarships available. It covers the following costs:

Core components

• the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
• a maintenance allowance for a single student (£17,500 for 12 months at the 2020-21 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for PhD scholars the award is for up to 4 years
• one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
• inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge

Discretionary components

The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:

• Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
• Family allowance – up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2020-21 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
• Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee).
• Maternity/Paternity funding – should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
• Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties

How to apply

​Apply for admission to a postgraduate degree, a College place and various sources of funding (including Gates Cambridge) via the University’s Graduate Applicant Portal.

For the majority of courses you can apply for admission and multiple funding opportunities (including Gates Cambridge) at www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Gates Cambridge Scholarships Programme 2020