Gates Cambridge Scholarship: Eligibility and Application Process

If you want to study at the University of Cambridge on a fully-funded scholarship, then you might want to consider applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is a fully-funded scholarship program for students all over the world to study at the University of Cambridge.

In this article, you will learn more about this scholarship and how you can apply.

An Overview of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most competitive scholarships in the world. It was established by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000.

The scholarship allows students to study for a Master’s degree/PhD with all expenses covered. It is eligible to anyone from any country with the exception of United Kingdom (UK).

Also, the scholarship is conditional on getting an offer to study in Cambridge university for a PhD, Masters or a one-year postgraduate course. This means you must first apply to study for a Master’s degree/PhD/one-year post graduate course at Cambridge.

What are the selection criteria for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

Students for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship are chosen based on:

1. Academic Excellence

You must have excellent academic records with at least a first class or its equivalent in your undergraduate degree.

2. Choice of Course

You must be able to strongly articulate how studying your selected course will contribute your career plans.

3. Commitment to Improving the Lives of Others

You need to show that you care deeply about helping people and provide evidence of it from your past, present or future roles and activities.

4. Leadership Ability

You must show that you have strong leadership qualities through your past roles, activities and experiences.

What are the Eligibility Requirements for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

1. You are not a UK citizen i.e you must be from a country outside the United Kingdom.
2. You are applying to study one of the following courses at the University of Cambridge:

• A PhD (either full-time or part-time)
• An MLitt (Master of Letters, full-time only)
• Specified one-year postgraduate courses (full-time only)

What Courses Are Not Eligible for The Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

If you are studying any of these courses below, you will not be eligible for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship:

• Any undergraduate degree, such as BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (a second BA),
• Master of Business Administration (MBA),
• Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) and Global EMBA,
• Master of Finance (MFin),
• Executive Master of Accounting.
• Part-time degrees other than the PhD.
• Non-degree courses, etc.

You can find the full list of ineligible courses here.

Also Read: ERP Study Scholarship: Fully Funded Master’s in Germany

How to Apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

Here is a step-by-step guide to applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship:

Step 1

The first step is to apply to study on the website of the University of Cambridge for a post-graduate degree, specifically a Master’s, PHD or a one-year postgraduate course.

You must submit an application for admission and funding (Gates Cambridge Scholarship) through the University of Cambridge graduate application portal. In the application, you must complete the admission to a course section, college place section and the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section.

Some of the details you will fill in these sections include:

• A Gates Cambridge statement to show why you want the scholarship and how you meet the selection criteria.
• Your research proposal (for PhD students)
• One reference for the scholarship (different from the references for the normal admission to the university)

Step 2

After your application, it is up to the academic departments of the university of Cambridge to assess and nominate eligible students for the scholarship. The list of nominees is then sent to the Gates Cambridge trust.

Step 3

The applications of nominated candidates will be reviewed by the shortlisting committed based on the selection criteria. Out of the nominees, selected candidates are invited for an interview (25-30 minutes). It could be virtual or in-person.

If you are not called for the interview, it means your application was rejected.

You can learn more about the details of the interview here.

Step 4

After the interview, the candidates for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship will be chosen.

What does the Gates Cambridge Scholarship Cover?

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers:

1. Your tuition fees at the correct rate for your course.
2. Living expenses of £21,000 per year (or less if your course is shorter). If you’re doing a PhD, this support can last up to 4 years.
3. A one-way economy flight ticket to the UK at the start of your course and back home at the end.
4. Your visa application cost and the Immigration Health Charge (which gives you access to UK healthcare during your stay).
5. Discretionary funds like Academic Development Funding, Dependent Children Allowance, Fieldwork support, Maternity/Paternity Support, hardship finding, etc.

This is discretionary which means it is not guaranteed.

To learn more about the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, visit the application website.