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The Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge—the largest ever single donation to any university in the UK.
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About the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, UK
Each year Gates Cambridge offers eighty fully-funded 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 Ph.D. 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 the choice of course
- a commitment to improving the lives of others
- leadership potential
You check other criteria here
No International students should miss these scholarships in Canada
Benefits of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, UK
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding. The coverage components are:
- the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate
- a maintenance allowance for a single student (£18,384 for 12 months at the 2022-23 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for Ph.D. 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 discretionary components are:
- 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 – currently up to £10,420 for one child and up to £14,870 for two or more children (2022-23 rate tbc). 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
Apply for Schwarzman Scholarship at Tsinghua University, China
Eligibility for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, UK
You are welcome to apply for the 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, MPhil/MLitt, One year postgraduate course
See Chevening Masters Scholarship in the UK
The courses below are not eligible for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship in the UK:
- Any Undergraduate degree, such as BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (a second BA)
- Business Doctorate (BusD)
- Master of Business (MBA)
- Master of Finance (MFin)
- PGCE
- MBBChir Clinical Studies
- MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
- Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
- Part-time degrees
- Non-degree courses
Application Document for the Scholarship
When applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship at the University of Cambridge UK, you will be asked to provide the following documents:
- Statement of Purpose
- Research proposal (for Ph.D candidates only)
- Two academic reference letters
How to Apply for the 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. Gates Cambridge has access to the full application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.
See the detailed application process
See the list of Application fees waiving US graduate schools
Application Timeline
Application for the Gates Cambridge scholarship at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom will open on September 15, 2022. The closing date varies with your program of choice.
