Deadline: October 15, 2025 (US Citizens) / January 7, 2026 (Other Applicants)
Applications are open for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship Programme 2026/2027. The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university.
Each year Gates Cambridge offers c.80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round.
Scholarship
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. It also provides additional, discretionary funding.
Core components
- the University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate*
- a maintenance allowance for a single student (£21,000 for 12 months at the 2024-25 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – 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
* The University Composition Fee varies for different types of students; applicants should see the Graduate Studies prospectus for full details about precise amounts. Where a student has been successful in gaining a fee award from public authorities (such as the UKRI) they should accept this award, and the Trust will not pay their fee or may share their fee and maintenance costs.
Discretionary components
The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:
- Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent 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 intermit 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
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
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria are:
- outstanding intellectual ability
- reasons for choice of course
- a commitment to improving the lives of others
- leadership potential
Application
Applicants submit their application for admission and funding (Gates Cambridge and other funding) via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.
To be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you must complete the section to apply for admission to a course and a College place and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section. Gates Cambridge has access to the full application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.
Deadline:
- US citizens resident in the USA: 15 October 2025 (Full application must be submitted by 23:59 GMT)
- All other eligible applicants: Dependent on your course – either 2 December 2025 or 7 January 2026 (see Course Directory Full application must be submitted by 23:59 GMT)
For more information, visit Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
