Entitlement (applicant)
If you are an applicant who has or expects to have an employment contract with the University of Cambridge, you may be eligible for the reduced staff fee.
In order to qualify, you must:
- Be a candidate for a research course (ie PhD, MSc, MLitt, CPGS, EdD, or the MPhil by Dissertation). Course information can be found in the Statutes & Ordinances, Chapter VII. The MD course and Master of Studies part-time MSts (Sec.16) are not eligible for staff discount.
- Have a contract of at least 40 per cent full-time employment with the University of Cambridge (this does not include employment in one of the approved University Partner Institutes, nor ESOL, nor CUP, nor Colleges), and that contract must begin before your research course commences.
- Have the support of your Head of Department that the reduced staff fee be charged. Where the employing department is different from the admitting department, the agreement of both Heads must be obtained.
- Be able to demonstrate that your research will overlap almost entirely with your paid employment (for full-time courses) or contribute directly to it (for part-time courses).
- Sign an undertaking form declaring you understand and agree that if the employment contract comes to an end the reduced staff rate will cease and you will at be assessed for the remaining fees/maintenance in the usual way.
Cost of Reduced Staff Fee
The reduced staff University Composition Fee is one third of either the full- or part-time Home Student UCF, for all qualifying students, irrespective of whether they are classified as UK or Overseas.
Application Procedure
- Complete an application for admission to postgraduate study in the normal way, via the course directory and the Applicant Portal
- Complete the Application Form available to download from this page and send it to your departmental postgraduate administrator for signature at their discretion.
- Your department returns the form to the Postgraduate Admissions Office by uploading to your application.
Information for departmental administrators on this process should refer to 'University Composition Fee for Staff' in the Staff section of our website.
Information on the reduced staff fee can be found in the University’s Statutes & Ordinances, Chapter VI, section 11(e).
