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Black Advisory Hub

 

Home and international students

Home fee status students are eligible to take out a government loan at both Masters and PhD level. However, in contrast to undergraduate study, there are many more opportunities to secure scholarships and funding at the postgraduate level, particularly PhD. Details of the funds available at Cambridge can be found on the Postgraduate Admissions website

Click here for more information on the recent opening of Alexander Crummell fully-funded PhD scholarships for students with Black or Black-mixed ethnicity. 

Tips for applying for postgraduate funding:

  • Research early - start researching funding opportunities at least a year before your course begins.
     
  • Apply early - many scholarship deadlines are around early December, for admission in the following year. If your course starts in January or April you may need to apply for funding up to 18 months in advance.
     
  • Get funding or arrange financing before you start studying - without proof of finances you will not be admitted to the University and will not be able to study here. Do not expect to be able to find funding after your course starts.
     
  • Apply for many funding opportunities - both internal and external to the University. If you’re applying for a Departmental award or funded place, do also apply for other funding schemes so you don’t miss their deadlines if the Department does not offer you an award.

How I made 3 successful funding application to Cambridge...

"Funding was a major factor in my Cambridge application. I ensured I had considered all possible funding I might be eligible for. I checked possible Departmental studentships with potential principal investigators, College funding, and the University-wide funding sources - mainly Gates Cambridge and Cambridge Trust and ensured I had prepared my application to be competitive for all the possible funding I was eligible for. I received three different sources of funding for my PhD at Cambridge but had to choose. I eventually was supported by all three because I wanted to be identified as a scholar of all the scholarships, but I received funding to the level that I would ordinarily receive if I was with one. I would therefore encourage any prospective student to ensure you have considered all the funding opportunities, including from external sources."

- PhD student