General University and College funding

This section provides an introduction to some of the general sources of funding provided by the University and Colleges to graduate and postgraduate students.

Please note that eligibility criteria, application procedures and deadlines for applying vary according to the funding provider, so it is essential that you contact the relevant administering office to obtain the precise details for each award for which you wish to apply.

The University has two principal funding bodies which provide full and part funding to students of all disciplines: The Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust and The Gates Cambridge Trust.

Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust

The aim of the Trust is to provide funding to students who would not otherwise be able to take up their offer to study at Cambridge.

The Trust offers part and full cost funding to selected students in all subjects and at all colleges of the University. The majority of awards currently offered by the Trust are for non-EU overseas students, with a more limited number of awards being available to UK and EU students.

Some scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit alone but most schemes also take account of financial need. Some scholarships are specifically for law students, such as the Prathiba M Singh Cambridge Scholarship for LLM students, but the majority are not subject-specific.

How to apply: For the majority of Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust funding, those who have received an offer of admission from the University will automatically be considered for the awards for which they are eligible. However, for certain scholarships which the Trust offers in conjunction with partner organisations, prospective students will need to make a separate application.

For further information please see the Cambridge Trust website.

Gates Cambridge Trust

The Gates Cambridge Trust provides prestigious, highly competitive full-cost scholarships. They are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at Cambridge.

For further information please see the Gates Cambridge Trust website.

College Funding

For information about possible funding opportunities at colleges, please see the website of the relevant college. Many colleges offer some non-law specific funding for which prospective LLM students are eligible to apply. The colleges each have their own website which can be found using the index of colleges.

Postgraduate Admissions Office Funding Web Pages

The Postgraduate Admissions Office website contains useful information about funding, including a funding database which prospective students can search to find sources of funding for which they are eligible according to various criteria.