If you’ve dreamt of studying in the United Kingdom, it is now very possible to actualize those dreams. With the Gates Cambridge scholarship, you can financially study in the UK with minimum stress. The good news is you don’t just study without financial burdens but also study in a friendly, conducive environment.
This post will give you full details on everything you need to know about the Gates Cambridge scholarship. There’ll be so much information that you will need when pursuing this scholarship. Therefore, stick to this post to the end and eventually increase your chances of success.
About the Gates Cambridge Scholarships
In October 2000, a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donation gave the Gates Cambridge Scholarship program. The grant was worth $210m, making it the most enormous single contribution to a UK university.
The scholarship covers the total cost of studying several courses at Cambridge. Additionally, there is other discretionary funding.
Gates’ opportunity is open to only 80 students who have proven exceptional. It is after students from countries outside the UK and is available to postgraduate programs.
However, the platform will offer approximately two-thirds of the awards to Ph.D. students. There’ll also be 25 awards available in the US round and 55 in the international round.
Scholarship Benefits
There is so much to benefit from the Gates Cambridge scholarship. These benefits include:
- The coverage of the University fees
- Maintenance allowance for a single student. This allowance can be worth as much as 17,000 euros for 12 months.
- Single economy airfare at the beginning and end of the course
- Coverage of visa costs and Immigration Health Surcharge costs
On a discretionary basis, the agenda may give the additional funding:
- Family allowance of up to $10,000 to children
- Maternity or Paternity funding
- Academic development funding of 500 euros up to 2,000 euros as the course may tarry
- Funding for unforeseen circumstances
Scholarship Eligibility
To apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, you must meet specific criteria. Before applying, ensure you are:
- A citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom. Any country aside from the UK is eligible.
- Applying for one of the full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge. These programs include Ph.D., MSc/MLitt, or one-year postgraduate course though there are exceptions.
Aside from these mentioned above, there are also specific selection criteria the Trust considers. Ensure your entire application directs towards:
- an outstanding intellectual ability
- a show of leadership potential
- a commitment to improving the lives of people around the world
- a strong reason for pursuing the course you chose
Other Notes on Eligibility
- You are still eligible if you are presently studying at Cambridge and wish to apply for a new postgraduate course. For instance, you may be studying an MPhil and can use it to pursue a Ph.D.
- If you are already studying in Cambridge with a Gates Scholarship, you may apply for a new degree. The Trust will consider you in round two.
- If you are studying in Cambridge already and wish to apply for the scholarship, you may. However, you cannot use this program to fund the remainder of your running course.
- Some courses are not eligible for the program. This includes any undergraduate degree or BA affiliated.
- Business Doctorate (BusD), Masters of Business, Master of Finance, PGCE, MBBChir Clinical Studies, and others are not eligible. Part-time degrees and non-degree courses are also not accepted.
How to Apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarships
Applying for the Gates Scholarship is simple and straight to the point. You should be through with the entire process in less than five minutes.
To apply, visit the Cambridge University website and navigate the application form. There will be two sections that you must complete when seeking consideration for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. They are:
- The section for admission to a course and a College place. This section contains details for a typical application to partake in a course in the school.
- The section for the Gates Cambridge funding. This section consists of the necessary details for the scholarship fund.
Applicants should ensure they fill all necessary fields of the forms with the correct information. Complete and crosscheck your work before submitting it via the University’s Graduate Application Portal.
Finally, keep in mind that the scholarship deadline differs regarding the course you put. There are two types of deadlines: US citizens residents and all other eligible applicants. For more information on the application process and further details, visit the scholarship Trust official site.
About the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is one of the most popular universities you can find in the United Kingdom. It is the wealthiest university in Europe, having a total income of billions of euros.
Founded in 1209, it is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the fourth-oldest university worldwide today. In 1231, Henry III granted the university a royal charter. It resulted from an association of scholars who left the University of Oxford after a dispute.
The university comprises several institutions. They include 31 semi-autonomous constituent colleges with hundreds of academic departments, faculties, and other bodies. They are all organized into six schools, working independently and controlling their membership with their other operations.
The university structure is diverse as it doesn’t have the main campus but has colleges and facilities around the city. Its intensive and in-depth teaching patterns are one of the cores of the undergraduate education program. Every student in Cambridge is a member of a college.
It also has the Cambridge University Press and Assessment, the oldest university press globally. It has one of the world’s leading examining bodies that assess over eight million learners yearly.
Cambridge also has eight cultural and scientific museums with top establishments like the Fitzwilliam Museum. It is also the home of the world’s oldest debating society – the Cambridge Union.
If you want to get wowed beyond your expectation, take a visit to one of Cambridge’s libraries. With over 100 libraries, they hold over 16 million books. They are also among the top in technology, business, health, and other sectors.
Today, Cambridge is among the most prestigious universities in the world.