Gates Cambridge Scholarship

What the funding covers

• The University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate.
• A maintenance allowance of £22,050 for 12 months (the 2025–26 rate), pro rata for shorter courses and for up to four years for a PhD.
• One economy airfare at the start and end of the course, plus inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
• Discretionary extra funding, such as for academic development or family costs, may be available.

Who can apply

• Citizens of any country outside the UK.
• Applying for a full-time postgraduate degree at Cambridge — for example a PhD, MPhil, MSc or MLitt. Check Gates Cambridge's list of eligible courses.
• Selection is on outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential, commitment to improving the lives of others, and a good fit between you and your course.

How to apply

1. Apply for your course through the University of Cambridge's graduate application portal.
2. In the funding section, select Gates Cambridge and write the Gates statement explaining how you meet its criteria.
3. Make sure at least one referee comments on your fit with the Gates criteria.
4. Deadlines for 2027 entry: 14 October 2026 for US citizens resident in the US; 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 for everyone else, depending on the course.

Before you apply: things to know

• Your Gates deadline is your course's funding deadline — check the course directory to see whether it is 8 December or 6 January.
• Being admitted to Cambridge is a separate decision from winning Gates; many admitted students are unfunded.
• About 80 scholarships are awarded each year across all countries, so apply for other funding in parallel.

A working timeline

Counting back from the next typical deadline (≈ Oct 14, 2026). Steps marked NOW are already due if you start today.

Related routes

Sources

• Gates Cambridge — Application timeline and deadlines
• Gates Cambridge

Page reviewed Sep 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official source.