StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was established in 2000 through a donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. It is one of the world’s most prestigious international postgraduate scholarships, awarded each year to outstanding applicants from outside the UK who show the potential to become leaders committed to improving the lives of others.
Each year the Trust offers around 70 full-cost scholarships in any subject available at Cambridge, with roughly 55 in the international round and about two-thirds of all awards going to PhD students. Selection rests on four criteria: outstanding intellectual ability, reasons for choice of course, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and leadership potential. There is no separate scholarship application — the Gates Cambridge section lives inside your Cambridge postgraduate application.
Eligibility
- Be a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom (including India).
- Apply for an eligible full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge: PhD (full-time or the part-time pilot), MSc, MLitt, or eligible one-year postgraduate courses (e.g. MPhil, LLM).
- Not eligible: undergraduate degrees, part-time courses (except the PhD pilot), non-degree courses, and some specific courses such as the MBA and MFin — confirm in the Course Directory.
- Meet the academic and admission criteria of your chosen Cambridge course — the Trust does not admit students; the University does.
- Demonstrate the four selection criteria: intellectual ability, a credible reason for choosing the course, commitment to improving lives, and leadership potential.
Benefits
- University composition fee and College fees covered in full.
- Maintenance allowance for a single student (indicative £23,152 for 12 months at 2026-27 rates; pro rata for shorter courses).
- One economy single airfare to the UK at the start of the course and one back at the end.
- Visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge covered.
- Discretionary funding: academic development funding (conferences, courses) and a dependants allowance where applicable.
Documents required
- Cambridge Graduate Application with the Gates Cambridge funding section completed.
- Gates Cambridge statement (~500 words on why you are applying and how you meet the four criteria) plus written answers to the selection-criteria questions.
- Gates Cambridge reference — separate from your two standard academic references; it should speak specifically to your fit with the scholarship.
- CV / resume and all course-specific documents (transcripts, written work, English-language evidence).
- Research proposal for PhD applicants, where the course requires one.
How to apply
- Choose an eligible courseUse the Cambridge Postgraduate Course Directory to pick your programme and note its exact course funding deadline — 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027.
- Start the Cambridge applicationApply through the official University of Cambridge Applicant Portal for admission, a College place and funding together.
- Complete the Gates Cambridge sectionIn the funding section, opt into the Gates Cambridge Scholarship; write your statement and answers to the criteria questions.
- Line up three referees earlyTwo academic references for admission plus your Gates Cambridge reference — all must submit by the same funding deadline, and referees are the part of the application you cannot control.
- Upload everything and submitTranscripts, CV, research proposal (PhD), English evidence — submit the complete application before 11:59 pm UK time on your course’s funding deadline.
FAQs
No. You apply once through the Cambridge Graduate Application Portal; the Gates Cambridge section (statement, criteria questions, Gates reference) is part of that application.
The U.S. round deadline was 14 October 2026. If you missed it, you cannot be considered for 2027-28 entry.
Whichever is the “course funding deadline” shown on your specific course’s page in the Cambridge Course Directory. Check the course, not the rumor.
No. Gates Cambridge funds postgraduate study only — not undergraduate, part-time (except the PhD pilot), or non-degree courses.
Yes. A previous unsuccessful application does not affect future consideration.
Around 70 full-cost scholarships per year, with roughly 55 in the international round and about two-thirds going to PhD students.
Verified 23 Oct 2026: opportunitystation.com (2027-28 guide) — applications opened 11 Sep 2026, US round 14 Oct 2026, international round 8 Dec 2026 / 6 Jan 2027 course-dependent, ~70 full-cost awards (~2/3 PhD), selection on intellectual ability / course fit / commitment to improving lives / leadership; scholarhunter.com (verified 30 Sep 2026 against gatescambridge.org) — official how-to-apply and timeline pages, Cambridge Applicant Portal route, referees by the same deadline; pontly.africa — coverage (composition + college fees, maintenance, airfare, visa + IHS, discretionary funding), eligibility (non-UK citizens; eligible full-time postgraduate; MBA/MFin excluded). Queue deadline “8 December 2026” confirmed as the main international date.
