Fully Funded Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Organization: Gates Cambridge Trust, University of Cambridge

Type: Scholarship

Location: Global

Deadline: December 8, 2026

Funding: Fully Funded

The Gates Cambridge Trust, set up in 2000 with a US$210m gift from the Gates Foundation, offers around 70 full-cost scholarships a year for people from any country outside the UK to do a PhD, MPhil, MLitt, LLM or other one-year postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge. It looks for academic excellence, a strong reason for the chosen course, a commitment to improving the lives of others and leadership potential. Most applicants apply through the University's normal course application by their course funding deadline, 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027; US citizens living in the US have a separate, earlier round that closes on 14 October 2026. **What you get:** - The full University Composition Fee (tuition) at the rate that applies to you - A maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026-27 rate, pro rata for shorter courses, for up to 4 years on a PhD - One economy airfare at the start and one at the end of your course - Inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge - Discretionary extras you can apply for: academic development funding of up to £750 to £4,000 depending on course length, a Dependent Children Allowance of up to £12,793 a year for one child or £18,244 for two or more, maintenance during PhD fieldwork, up to 6 months of paid parental leave, and hardship funding - A place in a community of around 250 Scholars in Cambridge and more than 1,700 alumni from 116 countries **What you'll do:** - Apply for your Cambridge course and for funding together in the University's Graduate Application Portal, completing the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section - Answer four short Gates Cambridge questions (200 to 300 words each) on academic excellence, why this course, your commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership - Arrange a separate Gates Cambridge reference on top of your two academic references, plus a research proposal if you are applying for a PhD - If your department nominates you, sit a 25 to 30 minute interview, in person in Cambridge or online **Key dates:** - Applications opened 11 September 2026 - US round (US citizens living in the US only): full application and all references by 14 October 2026, 11:59pm UK time - International round (everyone else): by your course's funding deadline, either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, 11:59pm UK time; check your course in the Cambridge Course Directory - US round: outcomes by 14 December 2026, interviews 22 and 23 January 2027, offers by early February 2027 - International round: outcomes by 8 March 2027, interviews 22 and 23 March 2027, offers by early April 2027 - Offers must be accepted within 72 hours **More information:** - Eligibility: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/eligibility/ - Timeline and both rounds: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/timeline/ - How to apply and the Gates Cambridge reference: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/how-to-apply/ - Course funding deadlines: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses - University application fee and waivers: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/application-fee-waiver

Gates Cambridge Trust, University of CambridgeScholarship

Fully Funded Gates Cambridge Scholarship

Dec 08, 2026 23:59:00 GMT

Opportunity type

Scholarship

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Global

Deadline

Dec 08, 2026 23:59:00 GMT

About this opportunity

What you get:

The full University Composition Fee (tuition) at the rate that applies to you
A maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026-27 rate, pro rata for shorter courses, for up to 4 years on a PhD
One economy airfare at the start and one at the end of your course
Inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge
Discretionary extras you can apply for: academic development funding of up to £750 to £4,000 depending on course length, a Dependent Children Allowance of up to £12,793 a year for one child or £18,244 for two or more, maintenance during PhD fieldwork, up to 6 months of paid parental leave, and hardship funding
A place in a community of around 250 Scholars in Cambridge and more than 1,700 alumni from 116 countries

What you'll do:

Apply for your Cambridge course and for funding together in the University's Graduate Application Portal, completing the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section
Answer four short Gates Cambridge questions (200 to 300 words each) on academic excellence, why this course, your commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership
Arrange a separate Gates Cambridge reference on top of your two academic references, plus a research proposal if you are applying for a PhD
If your department nominates you, sit a 25 to 30 minute interview, in person in Cambridge or online

Key dates:

Applications opened 11 September 2026
US round (US citizens living in the US only): full application and all references by 14 October 2026, 11:59pm UK time
International round (everyone else): by your course's funding deadline, either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, 11:59pm UK time; check your course in the Cambridge Course Directory
US round: outcomes by 14 December 2026, interviews 22 and 23 January 2027, offers by early February 2027
International round: outcomes by 8 March 2027, interviews 22 and 23 March 2027, offers by early April 2027
Offers must be accepted within 72 hours

More information:

Eligibility: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/eligibility/
Timeline and both rounds: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/timeline/
How to apply and the Gates Cambridge reference: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/how-to-apply/
Course funding deadlines: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses
University application fee and waivers: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/application-fee-waiver

Who can apply

A citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom; dual citizens of the UK and another country are eligible
Applying to start one of these at the University of Cambridge: a PhD (full-time or part-time), a full-time MLitt, or a full-time one-year postgraduate course such as an MPhil, MRes or LLM
Not eligible: undergraduate degrees, MASt, MSt, PGCert, PGDip, MBA, EMBA, MFin, BusD, Doctor of Education, PGCE, MD, the Graduate Course in Medicine, MBBChir Clinical Studies and the Master of Conservation of Easel Painting
US citizens who live in the US must apply in the October US round and cannot use the later round; US citizens studying or working abroad apply in the later round
Current Cambridge students may apply for a new degree, and are considered in the international round, but cannot get funding for the rest of a course they have already started
No minimum GPA and no age limit is stated; you must meet the University's own English language requirement
Your full application, both academic references and the Gates Cambridge reference must all be in by the deadline, and an application cannot be edited after it is submitted

AI Verification

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Good to know

+Covers the full cost of a Cambridge postgraduate degree: tuition, a £23,152 a year maintenance allowance, flights, visa and the Immigration Health Surcharge
+Open to citizens of every country outside the UK, in any subject Cambridge offers
+Selection explicitly rewards a commitment to improving the lives of others and leadership, not grades alone, and there is no minimum GPA
+Gates Cambridge charges nothing of its own, and you apply for it in the same form as your Cambridge course

Worth checking yourself

!US citizens living in the US must apply by 14 October 2026 at 11:59pm UK time (6:59pm in New York) and cannot use the later round. Everyone else applies by their course's funding deadline, 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, listed for each course in the Cambridge Course Directory
!The University of Cambridge charges an admission application fee that Gates Cambridge does not cover: £20 per applicant per year for doctoral courses, £85 per application for all other postgraduate courses. It is waived automatically for nationals of about 50 listed lower-income countries who have lived there since birth; waiver requests must be in by 24 November 2026 for the 8 December deadline or 11 December 2026 for the 6 January deadline
!Very competitive: around 70 scholarships a year worldwide, and only applicants nominated by their Cambridge department reach interview
!You must hold or win a place on the course itself, including the University's English language requirement
!Not covered: bench fees, scientific equipment and similar course costs, which the Trust expects the department to pay. Maintenance can be reduced if you have a salary or another substantial scholarship
!References count toward the deadline: all three referees must submit by the same date as you

Sources checked

GAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyGAgatescambridge.orgApplyPOpostgraduate.study.cam.ac.ukOfficialPOpostgraduate.study.cam.ac.ukOfficialPOpostgraduate.study.cam.ac.ukOfficialPOpostgraduate.study.cam.ac.ukOfficialPOpostgraduate.study.cam.ac.ukOfficial

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