Every year the University of Cambridge awards over £100m in scholarships to new postgraduate students. This money comes from many generous University and College endowments, as well as government Research Council (UKRI) funds. A lot of our students also fund their studies from external sources such as charities or government schemes and loans.
Anyone who applies to a postgraduate course at Cambridge can also apply to be considered for funding.
Our major internal sources of funding are:
- Cambridge Trust
- Gates Cambridge Trust
- Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme (HDPSP)
- Research Councils (UKRI)
- Colleges and departments
The menu on the left has more information about each of these.
In 2021, 75% of our new PhD students and 25% of our new Masters students received either full or partial funding awards, as detailed in this full breakdown of postgraduate funding.
Top tips
Research early
Start researching funding opportunities at least a year before your course begins.
Apply early
Many scholarship deadlines are in early December and January for admission in the following year. If your course starts in January (Lent Term) or April (Easter Term) you may need to apply for funding 18 months in advance.
Get funding or arrange financing before you start studying
Without proof of finances you will not be able to study at the University. Do not expect to be able to find funding after your course starts.
Apply to every funding opportunity you can
Applying to several funding opportunities will not negatively impact your funding applications. We want you to apply to every funding opportunity possible.
Please also visit our funding FAQs for further information.
