University of Cambridge Scholarships for International Students 2026/27

Cambridge is routinely described as unaffordable for international students — and its published fees, which vary by course group and rise further once the separate College fee is added, explain why. What the fee headlines miss is the funding system behind them. Cambridge operates one of the largest scholarship ecosystems of any university in the world: the Cambridge Trust, which administers a wide portfolio of scholarships for international students; the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, a full-cost award for outstanding postgraduates from outside the UK; the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme, which fully funds talented PhD students in any discipline; and a dense layer of college and departmental awards. For a well-prepared international applicant, these schemes turn Cambridge from a financial impossibility into a realistic — if highly competitive — target.

This guide explains how Cambridge funding works for the 2026/27 cycle: the main schemes and who each is really for, what the funding covers, the single most important mechanic in the whole system (the funding section of the Cambridge application, and the course funding deadlines attached to it), and the timeline you need to work to. It is written for international students — including the many StudyGraduate readers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Nigeria and Indonesia who apply to Cambridge every year. For the university’s courses, rankings and costs in full, see our University of Cambridge profile; for the national picture, see our guide to scholarships in the UK.

One structural fact shapes everything below. At Cambridge, most major scholarships are awarded through competitions that draw on your course application. You apply for admission through the Applicant Portal, you state that you wish to be considered for funding in the funding section of that application, and you submit by your course’s funding deadline — typically in December or early January. Departments rank their applicants, and the funding bodies select from those ranked pools. There is no separate central scholarship portal to register on, and no advantage to “applying for scholarships” anywhere else. Students who internalise this early — and who treat the funding deadline, not the final course deadline, as their real deadline — are the students the system rewards.

Cambridge Scholarships at a Glance

The Main Cambridge Scholarship Schemes

Cambridge Trust — the central scholarship portfolio

The Cambridge Trust is the University’s principal vehicle for scholarships for international students. Rather than one award, the Trust administers a portfolio of scholarships funded by the University, colleges, and external partners and donors — the Trust’s official scholarship listing runs to dozens of awards, filterable by country, level and subject. Some are broad: the Cambridge Trust International Scholarship, for example, is offered to highly-ranked applicants from countries other than the UK or Ireland in any subject, and Trust masters studentships support one-year postgraduate study at both Home and International fee rates. Others are tightly targeted — by nationality (for example the Cambridge Africa Changemakers Scholarship, a full-cost PhD scholarship open to applicants from any African country), by region, by subject, or by college.

The Trust’s awards are made on academic merit, assessed through the departmental ranking process: departments rank their strongest applicants, and the Trust allocates awards against those rankings. The practical implications matter more than the administrative detail. First, there is generally no separate Cambridge Trust application to complete — you indicate in the funding section of your course application that you wish to be considered for funding, submit by the funding deadline, and you are in the pool for the Trust awards you are eligible for. Second, because awards are allocated to highly-ranked applicants, the strength of your course application is, once again, the scholarship application. Third, coverage varies by award: some Trust scholarships are full-cost, others are partial contributions, and partial awards are frequently combined — by the Trust, colleges and departments acting together — into packages. Always read the specific award page on the Trust’s official site for the terms of any award you are offered.

Gates Cambridge — the flagship full-cost postgraduate scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is Cambridge’s best-known international award: each year it offers around 80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK for postgraduate study in any subject available at the University. Approximately two-thirds of the awards go to PhD students, with around 25 awards in the US round and around 55 in the international round. Gates covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge — the University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance (published at £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026–27 rate for a single student, pro rata for shorter courses), one economy airfare at the beginning and one at the end of the course, and inbound visa costs including the Immigration Health Surcharge — with additional discretionary funding for academic development, dependent children, fieldwork, maternity/paternity and hardship. Selection weighs four criteria: outstanding intellectual ability, reasons for choice of course, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential. Because Gates has its own statements within the application and its own interview stage, we cover it in a dedicated guide: Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027: Fully Funded Postgraduate Study at Cambridge.

Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme — fully funded PhDs

The Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme was established in 2019 through a gift from the David and Claudia Harding Foundation — described by the University as the biggest single gift made to a UK university by a British philanthropist — and it provides fully-funded scholarships for the most talented PhD students from the UK and around the world, in any discipline. University pages describe around 40 new scholarships a year across all departments and faculties, with a significant proportion associated with St Catharine’s College (reflecting the donor’s connection) and the rest spread across the collegiate University. Harding scholars receive the full University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance, a personal research allowance, and additional published benefits including visa and health surcharge costs and travel at the start and end of the course, with optional maintenance support in the writing-up period. Eligibility centres on applying for a PhD (including MRes+PhD 1+3 routes), being assessed as academically excellent by your department, and not having already started the PhD. Cambridge department pages currently direct applicants to apply by early December — one official department page states 8 December 2026 for the coming cycle — but your course’s own funding deadline is the date that governs, so check it directly.

College awards

Each of Cambridge’s 31 colleges administers its own studentships, bursaries and prizes, funded by endowments and donors. Many are small; some are substantial; nearly all are restricted in some way — to members of that college, to particular subjects, or to students from particular regions or schools. Two practical consequences follow. Your college choice (or allocation) can affect which awards you can be considered for, and some awards require you to be willing to move to the college offering the funding. When you complete the funding section of the application, name college preferences thoughtfully rather than at random, and check the official pages of any college you list for scholarships matching your profile.

The funding search tool

Cambridge maintains an official Postgraduate Funding Search covering university, college and departmental funding, and the Cambridge Trust maintains its own searchable scholarship listing. Between them, these are the authoritative tools for discovering the long tail of awards — the subject-specific studentships, country-specific funds and college scholarships that no summary article can enumerate. Use them early: some smaller awards have their own deadlines and forms, and you cannot apply for an award you discover in February if its deadline was in December.

Eligibility: Who Can Apply?

Eligibility is scheme-specific, but the gateway conditions are shared. You must be applying for an eligible Cambridge course and be assessed at the relevant fee status — most international schemes, including most Cambridge Trust awards, are for applicants liable for the Overseas rate of fee. Gates Cambridge requires citizenship of a country outside the UK and an eligible full-time postgraduate course (with published exclusions, detailed in our Gates guide). Harding requires a PhD application and departmental assessment of academic excellence, and is open to any nationality. Undergraduate international funding exists mainly through the Cambridge Trust’s undergraduate scholarships and specific college and external awards, and is generally more limited and more targeted than postgraduate funding — undergraduate applicants should read the Trust’s undergraduate pages and their college’s pages carefully, and should not assume a full-cost award is the default outcome.

Across all schemes, the merit bar is the real eligibility criterion. Cambridge departments rank applicants for funding competitions, and awards flow to the top of those rankings. An applicant who meets the formal criteria but is ranked mid-pool will usually receive admission without funding; an applicant at the top of the ranking has a realistic chance of a full package assembled from one or more sources.

What Cambridge Scholarships Cover

A Cambridge-specific budgeting point: the University Composition Fee is not the whole fee story for every student. Undergraduates also pay a separate College fee, and postgraduate fee liability is structured around the composition fee plus college charges as set out in your offer. When you assess any scholarship offer, compare it against your actual fee liability as stated in your admission and funding offer letters, not against a headline tuition figure. Partial funding is common at Cambridge and is not a consolation prize — packages are often assembled from several sources, and a partial award keeps you in the system for top-ups and college support.

How to Apply for Cambridge Funding: Step by Step

1. Find your course and its funding deadline. Every course page in Cambridge’s postgraduate course directory states its application and funding deadlines. The funding deadline — usually in December or early January — is your real deadline.
2. Search the official funding tools. Run the University’s Postgraduate Funding Search and the Cambridge Trust scholarship listing with your country, level and subject. Note any awards with separate forms or earlier deadlines.
3. Build the strongest course application you can. Transcripts, references, and for research degrees a proposal aligned with Cambridge’s research strengths and, where appropriate, a prospective supervisor.
4. Complete the funding section of the application. In the Applicant Portal, indicate that you wish to apply for funding and complete the relevant parts — including, if you are eligible and interested, the Gates Cambridge statements and the Harding section where it appears. This step is what enters you into the Trust, Gates and Harding competitions.
5. Submit the complete application by the funding deadline. References must also be in by the deadline; an incomplete application is not ranked for funding.
6. Apply in parallel for external schemes. Chevening, Commonwealth and similar funders run separate applications and earlier deadlines; the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Cambridge is another route for eligible African master’s applicants.
7. Wait for departmental ranking and funder decisions. Funding offers are made from the spring onwards as competitions conclude. Respond to offers — including any requirement to move college — within the stated windows.

Required Documents

Funding decisions rest on your course application documents: academic transcripts and certificates; two academic references for most postgraduate courses; a research proposal for research degrees; a CV where requested; and evidence of English proficiency where your offer requires it. Gates Cambridge applicants additionally write the Gates-specific statements within the application, addressing its four criteria. Financial-need evidence is required by some Trust and college awards at the point of offer rather than application — provide exactly what is requested, when it is requested. Keep document names, dates and personal details consistent across your passport, transcripts and application to avoid administrative delays.

Deadlines and Timeline for 2026/27

Because deadlines differ by course and competition, no table — including this one — substitutes for your course page. What the table does show is the shape of the year: everything that matters for funding happens between September and early January, and applicants who start in December are already late for the strongest version of their application.

Selection Criteria and How to Improve Your Chances

Cambridge funding selection is, at its core, a ranking exercise. Departments assess academic ability, research potential, references and fit with the course, and rank their applicants; funders then award down the rankings within their criteria. Gates adds its explicit criteria — intellectual ability, reasons for choice of course, commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential — assessed through your statements and, for shortlisted candidates, interview. Harding selects for academically outstanding PhD candidates whose research promises real intellectual and societal value.

What improves your position is therefore unglamorous: a first-class-equivalent record (or clear evidence of trajectory towards it); references that are specific, comparative and enthusiastic; a proposal or statement that shows precise fit with Cambridge’s course or research environment; and a complete application submitted by the funding deadline. For Gates specifically, evidence beats assertion on the service and leadership criteria — a track record of work that improved others’ lives, described concretely, is the substance selectors look for. Browse related opportunities any time on our scholarships hub.

Common Mistakes Cambridge Scholarship Applicants Make

• Missing the funding deadline while meeting the course deadline. The two are different; funding competitions close months earlier.
• Leaving the funding section blank or incomplete. No funding section, no consideration for Trust, Gates or Harding awards — however strong the rest of the file.
• Submitting without references in place. Applications are not complete — and not ranked — until references arrive; chase referees before the deadline, not after.
• Treating Gates as a pure grades competition. Intellectual ability is one of four criteria; the leadership and improving-lives statements are decisive for many shortlists.
• Ignoring the College fee and fee structure. Budget against your actual offer-letter liability, and read whether an award covers fees in full or in part.
• Assuming a partial award is final. Cambridge packages are often assembled from multiple sources; engage promptly with college and departmental funding communications.
• Choosing a college at random. College awards are real money; a preference informed by college scholarship pages can matter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cambridge offer full scholarships for international students?

Yes. Gates Cambridge offers around 80 full-cost postgraduate scholarships a year, the Harding Programme fully funds around 40 PhD scholars a year, and the Cambridge Trust portfolio includes full-cost awards alongside partial ones. All are highly competitive and are awarded through the application and funding-deadline process described above.

What is the difference between the Cambridge Trust and Gates Cambridge?

The Cambridge Trust administers a broad portfolio of scholarships for international students across levels and subjects, with criteria varying by award. Gates Cambridge is a single, highly selective full-cost postgraduate scholarship for citizens of countries outside the UK, selected on intellectual ability, course fit, commitment to improving lives and leadership potential. Both are accessed through the funding section of the Cambridge application.

Do I need a separate application for Cambridge Trust scholarships?

For most Trust awards, no — you are considered by completing the funding section of your course application and submitting by the course funding deadline. Some specific awards have additional requirements, which the Trust’s official scholarship listing states for each award.

When is the Cambridge funding deadline for 2026/27?

Funding deadlines are course-specific, falling in December or early January. Cambridge pages for the current cycle cite dates including 8 December 2026 and 6 January 2027 for different courses and competitions, and the Gates US round closes in mid-October (14 October 2026). Your course page states the deadline that applies to you.

Can undergraduates get Cambridge scholarships?

Yes, but provision is narrower and more targeted than at postgraduate level. The Cambridge Trust offers undergraduate scholarships for Overseas-fee-status students, colleges offer their own awards, and a small number of external schemes (such as the Jardine Scholarship for eligible Asian applicants) fund Cambridge undergraduates. Read the Trust and college pages for your exact eligibility.

What does Gates Cambridge pay?

The full cost of studying at Cambridge: the University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance (£23,152 for 12 months at the 2026–27 rate for a single student), one economy airfare at the start and one at the end of the course, and inbound visa costs including the Immigration Health Surcharge — plus discretionary funding for academic development, dependent children, fieldwork, maternity/paternity and hardship.

Is the Harding scholarship only for PhD students?

Yes. The Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme funds PhD study (including MRes+PhD 1+3 routes), in any discipline and for any nationality, for applicants assessed by their department as academically excellent who have not already started the PhD.

Can I apply to Cambridge and Oxford in the same year?

For undergraduate entry, UCAS rules do not allow applying to both Oxford and Cambridge in the same cycle. Postgraduate applicants may apply to both universities’ courses and funding competitions, and many do.

Sources & Verification

This article was written from the following official sources, checked in October 2026:

• Gates Cambridge Trust — gatescambridge.org: around 80 full-cost scholarships per year, roughly two-thirds for PhD students, around 25 US-round and 55 international-round awards; full-cost coverage components; maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months at the 2026–27 rate as published for the current cycle; four selection criteria.
• Cambridge Trust — official scholarship listing (cambridgetrust.org/scholarships): portfolio of awards including the Cambridge Trust International Scholarship, masters studentships, undergraduate scholarships and country-targeted full-cost awards such as the Cambridge Africa Changemakers Scholarship.
• Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme — official programme site and University of Cambridge pages: fully-funded PhD scholarships in any discipline for students from the UK and around the world, founded on the 2019 Harding Foundation gift; programme benefits including full composition fee, maintenance and research allowances.
• University of Cambridge department and funding pages: funding deadlines in the current cycle (including 8 December 2026 for Harding and departmental funding competitions, the 14 October 2026 Gates US-round date, and December/January course funding deadlines), and the role of the application funding section in Trust, Gates and Harding consideration.

Disclaimer: Scholarship details change yearly — always confirm deadlines, amounts and eligibility on the official website before applying. StudyGraduate is an information portal, not an agency; we do not promise or guarantee selection, admission or visa approval to any applicant.