Gates Cambridge Scholarship Programme to study in the United Kingdom 2020

Published: 03 Sep 2019 2,274 views

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge, recorded as the largest ever single donation to made to a UK university.

The sole aim of the Gate Cambridge programme is to build a global network of future leaders committed to improving the lives of others. This vision has been upheld since 2000 through scholarships that are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the United Kingdom to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

On that note, applications for the UK/Gates Cambridge Scholarship Programme 2020 to study in the United Kingdom are now open.

For its 2020 entry, Gates Cambridge will offer 80 full-cost scholarships to applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.

An approximate two-third of these awards will be offered to PhD students, with up to 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round.


To qualify for Gates Cambridge Scholarship, you must be a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom.

Gates Cambridge Graduates

Application Deadline	January 7, 2020
Funding Type	Fully Funded
Country to study	United Kingdom
School to study	University of Cambridge
Type	Graduate Programme
Sponsor	Gates Cambridge
Gender	Men and Women

Benefits of Gates Cambridge Graduates

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most generous international scholarships available. It covers the following costs:

1. The University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate
2. A maintenance allowance for a single student (£17,500 for 12 months at the 2020-21 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months) – for PhD scholars the award is for up to 4 years
3. One economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
4. Inbound visa costs & the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge

The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:

1. Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses
2. Family allowance – up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2020-21 rate). No funding is provided for a partner
3. Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee)
4. Maternity/Paternity funding – should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
5. Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties

Requirements for Gates Cambridge Graduates

You can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship if you are:

1. A citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
2. Applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
   1. PhD
   2. MSc/MLitt
   3. One year postgraduate course (with some exceptions – see below)

Courses which are NOT eligible for Gates Cambridge Scholarships:

1. Any Undergraduate degree such as BA (undergraduate) or BA affiliated (a second BA)
2. Master of Business (MBA)
3. Master of Finance (MFin)
4. MBBChir Clinical Studies
5. MD Doctor of Medicine degree (6 years, part-time)
6. Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)
7. Part-time degrees

• Non-degree courses

Selection Process

The selection criteria are:

1. Outstanding intellectual ability
2. Reasons for choice of course
3. A commitment to improving the lives of others
4. Leadership potential

Application Deadline

January 7, 2020

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Gates Cambridge on apply.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk to apply