Various scholarships in the United Kingdom, such as the Gates Cambridge Scholarships, are awarded to native and international students.
Suppose you are interested in securing a scholarship in an institution such as Cambridge University, then this is your chance. This post will address the essential particulars of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship detailing the pros and cons.
Studying at Cambridge university has many benefits, considering that Cambridge is one of the best and most beautiful cities in the world with an excellent educational environment.
And also it offers students the incredible opportunity to live, work and study alongside some of the finest examples of Tudor, Victorian and medieval buildings in the country.
It is important to note that the gates Cambridge scholarship is one of the most competitive and prestigious in the world, so with this, it is one of the universities with a slim acceptance rate; around 1.3% of applicants received an award in recent years.
So, interested students must meet the specified requirements of the scholarships to prevent disqualification. Proceed to the post to learn more about the Gate Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
Table of Contents
Description
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. The first class of scholars came into residence in October 2001.
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 in the US and 55 in the International round.
There are at least 225 Scholars from c. Fifty countries studying in Cambridge at any time pursue the full range of subjects available at the University and are spread across its departments and Colleges, as well as forming their distinctive community.
There is currently a community of more than 1,700 Gates Cambridge Alumni spread worldwide. The Gates Cambridge mission is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others.
It aims to achieve this mission by selecting outstanding scholars, providing them with financial and non-financial support at one of the world’s leading universities and facilitating community building at and beyond Cambridge.
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria are:
- Outstanding intellectual ability
- Reasons for the choice of course
- A commitment to improving the lives of others
- Leadership potential
Funding
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the total 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 (£18,744 for 12 months at the 2024-23 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 students; applicants should see the Graduate Studies prospectus for full details about precise amounts. Where a student has successfully gained a fee award from public authorities (such as the UKRI), they must accept this, and the Trust will not pay these fees.
What is not covered
The Scholarship covers most costs, but Gates Cambridge does not cover bench fees or the costs of scientific equipment or similar academic resources. The Trust expects such core course costs to be covered by the academic department at Cambridge.
Who can apply
Below are some of the criteria to which one can apply:
- 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
For October 2024 entry, Gates Cambridge is piloting a scheme which allows applicants to apply for funding for a part-time doctoral degree.
Current a student at Cambridge
And as for those current students at Cambridge who wish to apply for a new postgraduate course, such student is also eligible to apply for the gates Cambridge scholarship. For more understanding, i will give an example; For example, if you are currently studying for an MPhil, you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD.
Current Gates Cambridge Scholars may also apply for a second scholarship if they apply for a new degree. All current Cambridge students will be considered for the second international round. However, if you have already started a course (e.g. you are currently part way through a PhD), you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the remainder.
Courses which Gates Cambridge does NOT consider
- Any Undergraduate degree, such as BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (a second BA)
- Business Doctorate (BusD)
- Master of Business (MBA)
- Master of Finance (MFin)
- MASt courses
- PGCE
- MBBChir Clinical Studies
- MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time, Home students only)
- Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
- Part-time degrees other than the PhD
- Non-degree courses
How to Apply
A combined application form
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, a College place, and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section. Gates Cambridge has access to the complete application for admission and funding when reviewing applications.
The admission section
In this section, you are applying to a specific graduate course and a College place. You will provide the usual details about yourself, your academic background, plans and suitability for the proposed course.
The funding section
In this section, you can apply for a range of funding offered by the University and associated bodies, including the Gates Cambridge Scholarships, which has it’s own sub-section. When applying for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, you will be asked to provide the following:
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. Full details about how to apply, including selection criteria and guidance on completing this statement, can be found at: www.gatescambridge.org.
Research proposal (PhD applicants only)
Gates Cambridge requires PhD applicants only to submit a research proposal as part of their funding application. Most PhD applicants will upload a research proposal as part of their application for admission, but where this is not the case, a research proposal is required to apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. To learn more on how to apply for the scholarship, click Here.