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. 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. 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.
There are approximately 250 Scholars from c. 50 countries studying in Cambridge at any one time who pursue the full range of subjects available at the University and are spread across its departments and Colleges, as well as forming their own distinctive community.
There is also a community of more than 1,700 Gates Cambridge Alumni spread across the world.
The Gates Cambridge mission is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others. It aims to achieve this mission by selecting outstanding scholars, providing them with financial and non-financial support at one of the world’s leading universities and facilitating community building at and beyond Cambridge.
Pursue your studies in UK. Good news! Gates Cambridge Scholarship is currently open. In this article we will explain in detail about this scholarship, its benefits and step by step application process.
Summary
- Level of Study: Masters, PhD
- Institution(s): University of Cambridge
- Study in: UK
- Opportunity Focus Areas: All the available courses at University of Cambridge except the courses listed below
- Program Period: Two years for masters and three years for PhD
- Deadline:
- For US Citizens: Wednesday 11 October 2023 (Time 12:00, noon in local US time zone)
- For International Students: Dependent on your course – either 5 December 2023 or 4 January 2024 (see Course Directory)
Courses which are NOT eligible for Gates Cambridge Scholarships:
- 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
Scholarship Coverage
Gates Cambridge Scholarship provides the recipient with the following benefits:
- The University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate
- A maintenance allowance for a single student (£18,744 for 12 months at the 2022-23 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
- 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 £10,944 for one child and up to £15,612 for two or more children (2022-23 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
Eligibility Criteria for Gates Cambridge Scholarship
To qualify for Gates Cambridge Scholarship, candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements below:
- Required Language: English
- Eligible Countries: All world countries.
- Academic excellence.
- You should be able to make a strong case for a particular postgraduate degree at Cambridge.
- A commitment to improving the lives of others.
- A capacity for leadership.
- Applicants must be from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree.
How to Apply for Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
Please follow the following application instructions to apply for Gates Cambridge Scholarship:
- Apply for admission to a course and a College place and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section.
- Build up an account on the website.
- Fill in your personal information
- Submit these documents:
- Gates Cambridge Statement: In no more than 3000 characters (approximately 500 words) please explain why you are applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet the four main criteria.
- CV/Resume
- Research proposal (PhD applicants only)
- Gates reference: In addition to two academic references for admission, Gates Cambridge applicants submit a reference about their fit with the scholarship.
- Answer the application questions.
- Submit the application
Website
To know more about Gates Cambridge Scholarship, please visit official website: