Each year, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funds bill gates scholarship to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. 90 Scholarships are awarded annually. These are prestigious and highly competitive awarded to citizens of any country outside the UK. Bill gates scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge.
Note: Applications for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship for October 2014 entry will open on 1 September 2013.
Study Subject (s): Scholarships are awarded to study any subject at postgraduate level offered by the University of Cambridge.
Course Level: Scholarships are available to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
Scholarship Provider: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Scholarship can be taken at: UK
Eligibility:
- a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom.
- applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge: PhD (three year research-only degree); MSc or MLitt (two year research-only degree); or a one year postgraduate course (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)
- OR already a student at Cambridge and want to apply for a new postgraduate course. For example, if you are studying for an MPhil you can apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to do a PhD. However, if you have already started a course, you cannot apply for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to fund the rest of it.
- OR already a Gates Cambridge Scholar and want to apply for a second Scholarship. You must apply by the second, international deadline and go through the same process of departmental ranking, shortlisting and interviewing as all other candidates.
Scholarship Open for Students of Following Countries: Citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom can apply for these bill gates scholarships.
Scholarship Description: The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious international scholarships in the world. The programme was established in 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge; this is the largest ever single donation to a UK university. Gates Cambridge Scholarships are prestigious, highly competitive full-cost scholarships. They are awarded to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.
Number of award (s): 90 Scholarships each year are offered.
Duration of award (s): Scholarships award amounts depending on the length of the chosen degree course or Study project, 12 to 24 months. Initially, scholarships are for a given academic year and have performed well according to the duration of the study program extended on request.
What does it cover? A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge.
- The University Composition Fee and College fees at the appropriate rate
- a maintenance allowance for a single student (£13, 300 for 12 months at the 2012-13 rates; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months)
- one economy single airfare at both the beginning and end of the course
The Trust also considers applications for several types of additional funding on a discretionary basis:
- Family allowance – up to £7,775 for a first child and up to £1,200 for a second child. No funding is provided for a partner.
- Conference attendance: up to £500 a year if you are presenting.
- Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD.
- Some fourth year funding for PhD Scholars may be provided – but the termly maintenance allowance reduces per term for up to a year
- Hardship funding – if there are unforeseen difficulties.
Selection Criteria:
- outstanding intellectual ability
- leadership potential
- a commitment to improving the lives of others
- a good fit between the applicant’s qualifications and aspirations and the postgraduate programme at Cambridge for which they are applying.
Notification: Not Known
How to Apply: The mode of applying is electronically or by post.
Scholarship Application Deadline: Applications for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship for October 2014 entry will open on 1 September 2013. The deadlines are as follows: Round 1 (US citizens based in the USA) – 15 October 2013 and Round 2 (all other eligible candidates) – 3 December 2013.
