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The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship for international students. This scholarship is available for students pursuing Master's and PhD studies.
This scholarship provides a £21,000 stipend per annum, health insurance, academic development funding up to £2,000, and a family allowance up to £16,548.
Scholarship Summary
Institution(s): University of Cambridge
Degree level: Master’s, PhD
Scholarship Coverage: Fully Funded
Eligible Nationality: All Nationalities
Award Country: UK
Deadline: Dependent on your course, either 3 December 2025 or 7 January 2026
Courses Exempted
Any Undergraduate degree, such as a BA (undergraduate) or a BA affiliated (a second BA)
Business Doctorate (BusD)
Master of Business (MBA)
Master of Finance (MFin)
PGCE
MBBChir Clinical Studies
MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
Part-time degrees
Non-degree courses
Scholarship Benefit
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.
The University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate
A maintenance allowance of £21,000 for 12 months at the 2024-25 rate (pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) is available for PhD scholars. The award is for up to 4 years.
One economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
Inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge
Academic development funding, from up to £500 to up to £2,000, depending on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
Dependent Children Allowance: up to £11,604 for one child and up to £16,548 for two or more children (2024-25 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
Fieldwork: you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs, as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee).
Maternity/Paternity funding: should you require it, you may apply to interrupt your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
Hardship funding: for unforeseen difficulties facing the scholar
Eligibility Criteria
You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:
a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
Applying to pursue one of the following courses at the University of Cambridge:
PhD (full-time or part-time)
MLitt (full-time)
One-year postgraduate course (full-time), with some exceptions
Criteria For Selection
There are four key criteria for selection:
Evidence of academic excellence (through their transcripts, references, experience, and the potential to succeed in the chosen course).
Reasons for the choice of the course
A commitment to improving the lives of others (evidence of their past, current, and future commitment to the societies in which they will live and work).
A leadership capacity (evidence of their leadership experience to date, indicating how their leadership skills may have an impact on their future careers).
How to Apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Apply for admission to a course and a College place (via the University’s Graduate Application Portal) and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section.
Submit these documents:
Gates Cambridge Statement: In no more than 3000 characters (approximately 500 words), please explain why you are applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and how you meet the four main criteria.
CV/Resume
Research proposal (PhD applicants only)
Gates reference: In addition to two academic references for admission, Gates Cambridge applicants submit a reference that assesses their suitability for the scholarship.
Answer the application questions.
Submit the application
Application Deadline: Dependent on your course, either:
3 December 2025 or
7 January 2026
Official link: https://www.gatescambridge.org/programme/the-scholarship/
Meet the Author!
Hi, I’m Nzube Ohalete, the voice behind ScholAfrica. I am pursuing a fully funded Ph.D. in Data Science at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, USA. I have received over $439,508 in scholarships, and I’m on a mission to help 1 million African scholars achieve the same.
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