Gates Cambridge Scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Trust, affiliated with the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, is inviting applications for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for the 2027/28 academic year. The scholarship provides comprehensive financial support to outstanding international applicants pursuing postgraduate education at Cambridge.

The award covers the full cost of study at the University of Cambridge, including tuition fees, an annual maintenance allowance of £23,152 (at the 2026–27 rate), airfare, and visa expenses. PhD candidates can receive maintenance support for up to four years.

Application deadlines depend on the applicant’s citizenship, country of residence, and chosen course. For US citizens residing in the United States, the deadline is 14 October 2026. For all other international applicants, the deadline is course-dependent, falling on either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027.

What is funded

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship funds the full cost of postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge. This comprehensive award covers University tuition fees, airfare, visa expenses, and a living allowance.

The maintenance stipend is set at £23,152 for a 12-month period based on the 2026–27 rate, calculated pro rata for shorter programmes. For students pursuing a PhD, maintenance funding is granted for up to four years, alongside eligibility for additional discretionary funding.

Eligible programmes include full-time or part-time PhD degrees, Master of Letters (MLitt) degrees, and one-year postgraduate courses.

Who can apply

The scholarship is open to individual applicants who are citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom. Citizens of Ukraine and other non-UK nations are fully eligible to apply.

Candidates must be applying to pursue an eligible postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge for the 2027/28 academic cycle. UK citizens are not eligible for this scholarship programme.

Conditions and requirements

Applicants are evaluated across two separate application rounds based on nationality and residency status. US citizens resident in the United States must apply during the early round in October, while all other eligible candidates follow the University’s standard postgraduate funding competition timeline.

All documentation, including academic references, must be fully completed and submitted before the designated cutoff times. The trust enforces strict deadlines, requiring submission by 11:59 pm UK time on the specified date.

Practical tip. Check the Course Directory to verify whether your specific degree deadline is 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, and confirm all letters of recommendation are uploaded before the cutoff date to avoid administrative rejection.

How to apply

Applications for the 2027/28 entry open on 11 September 2026. US citizens residing in the US must submit complete application packages by 14 October 2026, with outcome notifications sent by 14 December 2026 and selection interviews held in late January 2027.

All other international applicants must submit their full application by 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on their course funding deadline. Departmental ranking takes place between December and February, followed by outcome notifications by 8 March 2027.

Final selection interviews for non-US round applicants occur on 22 and 23 March 2027, with scholarship offers issued by early April 2027. Successful recipients must formally accept their scholarship offers within 72 hours of notification.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: gatescambridge.org.