Postgraduate funding

You should begin looking for funding at least a year before your course starts.

If you're planning to start your course in January (Lent term) or April (Easter term), you should begin your search even earlier. You may need to apply for funding up to 18 months before the start of your course. 

Many courses have the same funding deadlines as courses starting in October (Michaelmas Term). As a result, applicants will need to submit their course application by December or January to be considered for funding, even if their course starts later.

Almost all funding is reserved for incoming students. By confirming your admission, you have confirmed that you have enough finances to support yourself at Cambridge. You should not expect to find funding once your course begins. 

Your funding deadline depends on the course you are applying for. Check your course page to find the deadline that applies to you. 

For 2027/28 entry, the main University funding deadlines are:

• Tuesday 8 December 2026
• Wednesday 6 January 2027

If you're a US citizen applying for a Gates Cambridge scholarship, the deadline is Wednesday 14 October 2026.

Some funders may have different deadlines. You can find these using the Funding Search.

To be considered for funding, you must submit your complete application, including references, by 23:59 GMT on the relevant deadline.

Most University scholarships and studentships are listed in the Postgraduate Funding Search.

Other sources of financial support

• Department websites for funding in your subject area not listed in the Funding Search
• College websites for College funding not listed in the Funding Search
• Doctoral training programmes at Cambridge for information about Research Council funding
• Funded studentships and research projects for University studentships not listed in the Funding Search
• Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre website for funding to support disability-related costs
• External funding and loans for regional funding opportunities, government loans, and other resources

Note about College funding

The Colleges offer some financial support to students, but the majority of funding is not provided by them.

Many College funds require you to select their College as a first or second preference in your application. Some Colleges may consider you for funding regardless of your preference, if you are eligible.

If you are offered funding by a College, you will need to transfer to that College to accept the funding.

College preference criteria can be found in the Funding Search. You can also find College funding information on College websites.

Apply via the Applicant Portal

Most University funding is applied for through your course application in the Applicant Portal. 

You just need to tick the box: 'Yes - I wish to apply for funding' in the funding section of the portal.

• If you're eligible, you'll be considered for a range of funds based on the information you have entered in your application. You’ll see a list of these funds in the portal. 
• For some funds, we'll need more information from you. You can choose the additional funds you'd like to be considered for in the portal. You’ll then be prompted to answer further questions or given more information on how to apply for the fund.
• To be considered for these funds, you will need to apply by your course funding deadline.

Applying for other funds

Some University funds require a separate application form because they're administered separately.

Many of these are listed in the Postgraduate Funding Search, where you can find details about eligibility, how to apply and application deadlines.

These deadlines may be different from your course funding deadline, so check the listing carefully. 

External funders will have their own arrangements, and you should contact them directly for guidance.

Once you have applied:

• Your department will assess your course application.
• Your department will then consider your application for funding.
• Your application will be passed to funding providers to be considered for any funding opportunities you're eligible for. 

Funding decisions

Offers of funding and offers of admission are usually made separately.

Whilst offers of admission are made in November at the earliest, offers of funding will only begin considering applications from February. The peak awarding period is March-April, and funding will continue to be awarded until late June.

If you have not received a funding offer by July, you should assume your University funding application has been unsuccessful. In most cases, you will not receive confirmation of this.

To check the status of your funding application, contact the individual funding body directly. You can also use the Funding Search to find information about when specific University funds typically make offers.