University of Cambridge Scholarships

University of Cambridge Scholarships, Applications can be submitted by individuals who would like to study for degrees at the University of Cambridge. For further information regarding the courses available and the application process, read through this handy brochure about Admissions and Funding for African Students.

You can also visit:

The Graduate Admissions website at: www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/how-do-i-apply
The Undergraduate Admissions website at: http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying
Note: Charge for accessing the graduate application form

There is an application charge of (GBP sterling) £70 per application unless you are from a (low-income) country that is eligible for a fee waiver. A list of other eligible courses and further information can be found at https://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/how-do-i-apply/application-fee. You can make the payment by providing your credit card details to a secure server when you submit your online application. There are alternatives to credit card payment, and this is available on request from the Graduate Admissions Office if people come from countries where credit cards are not used.

Scholarships Available for African Applicants to Study at the University of Cambridge
To be considered for funding from the main scholarship providers, you must complete the funding section of the relevant application form (undergraduate or graduate) and submit it to the University of Cambridge by the following deadlines:

Undergraduate applications – Deadline to be announced but usually in early October
Graduate applications – Open now for application but best to check specific course deadlines. Search the course directory for more information. Some deadlines are as early as mid-November (LLM Law) and there will be two general course deadlines in December 2020 and January 2021.
The list below has been compiled to help African applicants identify scholarships at the University of Cambridge that they are eligible to apply for.

1) Gates Cambridge Scholarships: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply

2) Cambridge Trust Scholarships: https://www.cambridgetrust.org/scholarships. Do note that there is a searchable facility on this website that can help to narrow down available scholarships by country, degree level, subject, Cambridge College, etc. These are now open for applications.

3) Various Cambridge College bursaries (see examples below)

Examples of scholarships that are specific to applicants from Africa:

Cambridge-Africa Scholarship (sub-Saharan Africa, PhD). There have been five scholarships available each year since 2014. The initial 5-year scheme has been extended through to 2021 entry; we hope that it will be extended further. Preference will be given to sub-Saharan African applicants who are linked to African universities/research institutions and working on projects that are of priority to their countries and of relevance to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To be considered for funding, complete the standard University Graduate Students’ Application Form and complete the ‘funding’ section. You can then be considered for all scholarships you are eligible to apply for. The deadline for Cambridge-Trust scholarships is usually the first week in December. View profiles of the current scholars here.

David & Elaine Potter Cambridge Scholarship (Africa)

BP Cambridge Scholarship for Egypt

Wolfson OCS Kenya Scholarship

Beacon Scholarship at Cambridge (Kenya)

Beit Cambridge Scholarship (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe)

Rwanda Cambridge Scholarship (Masters or PhD)

CSIR South Africa Cambridge Scholarship

Skye Cambridge Scholarship (South Africa)

Mandela Magdalene College Scholarship (South Africa – offered by Magdalene College, Cambridge)

Standard Bank Derek Cooper Africa Scholarships (MPhil program, Magdalene College; various African countries: see

http://www.magd.cam.ac.uk/standard-bank-derek-cooper-scholarships-2016)

Guy Clutton-Brock Cambridge Scholarship (Zimbabwe – offered by Magdalene College, Cambridge)

Trinity College Bursary: Up to two scholarships for students from any African country who wish to take a taught post-graduate course at the University of Cambridge, leading to the MASt, the MPhil, or the LLM degree. For more information, and to apply, visit https://www.trin.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/graduate-funding-awards.

Examples of scholarships that are available to applicants of many nationalities, including Africans:

Cambridge International Scholarship (PhD)

Yousef Jameel Scholarship (PhD)

Commonwealth Scholarship and Commonwealth Shared Scholarship (Masters and Ph.D.)

Chevening/Cambridge Scholarship (Masters)

IDB Cambridge Scholarship (Ph.D.)

John Stanley Gardiner Trust Fund studentship in the Department of Zoology (open to any British subject or Commonwealth citizen who is ordinarily resident outside Europe but within the Commonwealth of Nations. Visit https://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/intranet/research-support/trust-funds/john-stanley-gardiner for more information)