Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2025 in UK
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by an historic donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge.
The first class of scholars came into residence in October 2001. Since then, the Trust has awarded over 2,000 scholarships to scholars from more than 100 countries.
Each year Gates Cambridge offers c.80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
The Gates Cambridge mission is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship aims to assist outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
Recipients of this prestigious scholarship will be exempted from university tuition fees at Cambridge University and will be offered an annual allowance of £20,000.
Additionally, the scholarship covers flight fees, health insurance, and several other allowances.
Summary of the Scholarship
- Type: Postgraduate, Masters, PhD Scholarships
- Country to Study: United Kingdom (UK)
- School to Study: Cambridge University
- Sponsor: Gates Cambridge Scholarship
- Eligible Countries: All Countries
- Benefits: Full Scholarship, £20,000 per year, Travel Costs, Children Allowance
- No IELTS Required
- Application Opens: September 2024
- Deadline: January 4, 2025
Eligibility Requirements
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 courses at the University of Cambridge:
- PhD (full-time or part-time)
- MLitt (full-time)
- One year postgraduate course (full-time), with some exceptions
- If you are currently studying at Cambridge and wish to apply for a new postgraduate course you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Scholarship Benefits
Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.
Core components
- the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate.
- a maintenance allowance for a single student (£20,000 for 12 months at the 2023-24 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.
The University Composition Fee varies for different types of students; applicants should see the Graduate Studies prospectus for full details about precise amounts.
Where a student has been successful in gaining a fee award from public authorities they should accept this award and the Trust will not pay their fee or may share their fee and maintenance costs.
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.
- Dependent Children Allowance – up to £11,604 for one child and up to £16,548 for two or more children (2023-24 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 facing the scholar
Selection Criterias
- Outstanding Academic excellence: transcripts, references, experience and the potential to succeed on the chosen course
- Reasons for choice of course
- A commitment to improving the lives of others
- A capacity for leadership
How to Apply
To apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship;
- Applicants submit their application for admission and funding (Gates Cambridge and other funding) via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.
- To be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you must complete the section to apply for admission to a course and a College place and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section.
- In the admission section, you are applying to a specific graduate course and a College place.
- You will provide all of the usual details about yourself, your academic background, plans, and suitability for the proposed course.
- In the funding section, you can apply for a range of funding offered by the University and associated bodies, including the Gates Cambridge Scholarships, which has its sub-section.
- Gates Cambridge has access to the full application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.
- Review and selection of successful applicants will be done by panels, and shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Deadline: 4th January, 2025.