Financial support
Once you have started your studies at Cambridge, you may not be able to apply for funding aimed at prospective students. However, there is funding available to support you if you run into any financial hardship. Some financial support options available for current students across the collegiate University are detailed below.
College Support
Additional sources of funding may be available from your College, such as:
- book and equipment grants to help with specific study-related costs
- scholarships and prizes for academic or other achievements
- travel grants for academic work and personal enrichment
- grants and loans to help deal with unforeseen financial difficulties
- supplementary bursaries for living-costs/maintenance
Information on these funds may be available on your College website or via your College Tutor. You can learn more about College Tutors, and how to reach out to them, on the welfare support page.
Even if a specific fund isn't advertised by your College, it is always worth getting in touch with your Tutorial Office (or equivalent) if you experience any financial difficulty or incur study-related expenses, as they may be able to help you out.
"It’s worth reading your College or Tutorial Newsletter when they're emailed around - these often have details of funding opportunities and how to apply to them." - College Tutor |
Working alongside your studies
The University takes the view that our students shouldn't undertake paid employment during Term-time – it's important that you have an appropriate work-life balance, and we offer a wide range of financial support to help you manage the costs of university study. However, there may be a few opportunities available within the University and Colleges that are exceptions to this, such as working in the College bar, College library or as a student ambassador. More detail about working while you study for all levels of students can be found on the working while you study section of the University website. Talk to your College Tutor to find out what opportunities might be available.
Hardship funding
Hardship funds are available for students who find themselves in need of extra financial assistance or who are otherwise facing exceptional or unexpected financial hardship. There is a range of hardship funds available, as detailed on the fees and funding pages of Cambridge Students. If you are funded, your funding body might also have some hardship funds which you can access. It’s important to note that the eligibility criteria for each of these varies and you would be expected to apply for such funds via your Tutor.
"Honestly, I felt very vulnerable in the process as I worried about fulfilling stereotypes. I didn’t want to affirm stereotypes of Black people so felt I had to be very strategic in how I articulated my situation to my Tutor. I did this via email which made the process much easier, and my Tutor was really supportive throughout, he took my experience as it was and didn’t probe." - second-year undergraduate student |