Cambridge Trust Scholarships for International Students

Studying at the University of Cambridge is one of the most coveted academic pursuits in the world. For international students, the cost of a Cambridge education — tuition fees alone can reach £25,000 to £35,000 per year for overseas-fee-paying students — is a genuine barrier. The Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust exists specifically to address that barrier. It is the single largest provider of scholarships for international students at the University of Cambridge, awarding approximately 500 scholarships every year and supporting between 1,100 and 1,400 students in residence each academic year from 85 countries across the world.

This guide covers every major Cambridge Trust scholarship available to international undergraduates and postgraduates for the 2026/27 academic year. It explains eligibility requirements, funding values, application deadlines, and how decisions are actually made — so you can build the strongest possible case for funding.

What Is the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust?

The Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust — commonly referred to simply as the Cambridge Trust — was established on 1 August 2013 from the merger of the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and the Cambridge Overseas Trust. Both of those organisations were set up as charities by the University of Cambridge in the 1980s to provide financial support for international students pursuing degree-level courses at Cambridge.

Today, the Trust operates as an independent charity supported by the University of Cambridge, Trinity College, and a broad network of government, corporate, and philanthropic partners around the world. The University makes a substantial annual donation to the Trust, which funds many of its scholarship programmes. The Trust has awarded more than 20,000 scholarships over its history, making it one of the most prolific scholarship organisations in the world in terms of volume and geographic reach.

A critical point that many applicants miss: the Cambridge Trust plays no role whatsoever in the admission of students to the University. Scholarships are awarded separately from, and after, the standard admissions process. The Trust cannot influence whether an applicant receives an offer from a Cambridge College, and applicants should not expect the prospect of funding to affect their chances of gaining a place.

Overview of Cambridge Trust Scholarship Types

The Trust administers a wide range of awards at undergraduate, Masters, and PhD level — some funded entirely by the Trust and the University, others co-funded with external partners such as governments, corporations, foundations, and regional bodies. The table below summarises the most significant awards for international students.

Scholarship Name	Level	Who Is Eligible	Funding Type	Financial Need?
Cambridge International Scholarship	PhD only	Non-UK/Irish nationals	Full-cost	No (merit only)
Cambridge Trust Undergraduate Scholarship	Undergraduate	Overseas fee-status students	Part-cost (£10k–£15k/yr)	Yes (means-tested)
Cambridge Trust Global Impact Scholarship	Undergraduate	Overseas fee-status, high financial need	Variable	Yes (high need)
Cambridge Masters Studentship	Masters	All applicants (any fee status)	Up to £12,000	No
Gates Cambridge Scholarship	Masters & PhD	Non-UK citizens only	Full-cost (fully funded)	No (merit-based)
Vice-Chancellor’s Awards	PhD only	UK/Irish nationals	Full-cost	No (merit only)
Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship	All levels	Any — faces severe barriers	Variable	Yes
Smuts Cambridge Scholarship	PhD	Research on Commonwealth countries	Varies	Varies

Note: The awards listed above represent the most widely available programmes. The Trust’s full scholarship catalogue includes more than 80 named awards, many of which are country-specific or subject-specific. You should always use the Trust’s scholarship search tool at cambridgetrust.org/scholarships and filter by your nationality and study level to find every award you are eligible for.

Cambridge Trust Scholarships for International Undergraduates

Who Can Apply

Undergraduate funding through the Cambridge Trust is more limited than at postgraduate level, and the majority of awards are part-cost rather than full-cost. To be eligible for any undergraduate scholarship from the Trust, you must:

Have submitted your UCAS application by the relevant deadline published on the UCAS website
Have received a conditional offer of admission from a Cambridge College
Be set at the overseas fee rate (i.e., international fee-paying status)
Meet the University of Cambridge’s minimum entry requirements as early as possible, including any required English language tests

The Trust will not support students who are already partway through a course at Cambridge, nor will it fund a degree at the same level as one the student already holds — with one exception: the Trust will consider affiliated students who are pursuing a second BA degree.

Cambridge Trust Undergraduate Scholarship

This is the Trust’s main undergraduate award for students with overseas fee status. It is open to students in any subject and at any of Cambridge’s 31 Colleges. The scholarship is means-tested, so financial circumstances form part of the selection process alongside academic merit.

The award is variable in value, typically contributing between £10,000 and £15,000 per year towards tuition fees. This is a part-cost award — it does not cover the full cost of an undergraduate education at Cambridge, and students should plan to meet remaining costs through other sources of income, family support, or additional scholarships.

Crucially, undergraduate applicants do not apply directly to the Trust. Once you have received a conditional offer of admission from a Cambridge College, the College will send you an application form and full details of the Trust awards available to you. All undergraduate Trust awards are means-tested and require evidence of financial circumstances.

Cambridge Trust Global Impact Scholarship

This award is specifically targeted at undergraduate applicants with overseas fee status who have a high level of financial need and who have overcome significant challenges in gaining admission to Cambridge. It is tenable at any College and in any subject. Candidates are not required to apply separately — they are considered for this award as part of the standard undergraduate Trust funding process after receiving a College offer.

Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship (Undergraduate Component)

The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship is a programme established by the Cambridge Trust to support students who face severe barriers to coming to Cambridge. It is available at all levels — undergraduate, Masters, and PhD — in any subject and at any College. This award is particularly targeted at students from contexts where accessing higher education has required exceptional resilience, not purely at students who are academically exceptional in a traditional sense.

Prince Philip Scholarship

This is a separate, independently administered undergraduate scholarship for students from Hong Kong. Unlike most Trust awards, applications for the Prince Philip Scholarship must be submitted at the same time as the UCAS application to Cambridge — not after a College offer is received. Full details are available on the Prince Philip Scholarship website.

Realistic Expectations for Undergraduate Applicants

International undergraduate funding at Cambridge is genuinely limited. Very few full scholarships are available at undergraduate level, and most awards represent a contribution rather than complete coverage. The official University guidance is frank: the financial support available for international undergraduates is limited. Students applying to Cambridge for undergraduate study should prepare a realistic financial plan that does not rely entirely on Trust funding, while still exploring every available award.

Cambridge Trust Scholarships for International Postgraduates

General Eligibility for Postgraduate Awards

Postgraduate scholarships from the Cambridge Trust are open to students intending to pursue a Masters degree (including MPhil, MASt, and LLM) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Cambridge. The Trust supports both Home and Overseas fee-paying applicants at postgraduate level, though many of the most valuable awards are specifically for international students.

The following degree types and situations are explicitly excluded from Trust funding:

Premium-rate courses including the MBA, EMBA, Global EMBA, MFin, and MAcc — unless a specific partner has requested otherwise
Part-time MSt courses (note: MASt courses are eligible — these are not the same thing)
Post-doctoral positions or visiting/exchange student placements
A second degree at the same level or lower than one already held — with the single exception of MRes + PhD programmes where the MRes is part of a four-year doctoral pathway
Applications from students who are already part-way through a course at Cambridge, unless they are applying for funding towards a higher degree

Applicants must have a conditional offer of admission before the Cambridge Trust can make a scholarship offer. The Trust plays no role in the admissions process and cannot be used to strengthen a candidate’s chances of receiving a College place.

Cambridge Trust International Scholarship (PhD)

This is the flagship PhD scholarship for international students at Cambridge and one of the most prestigious fully funded research scholarships available anywhere in the world. It is awarded to the highest-ranked PhD applicants from countries other than the United Kingdom or Ireland — that is, applicants who pay fees at the international rate.

The scholarship covers the full University Composition Fee and a maintenance allowance sufficient for a single person. No separate application is required. A University-wide committee draws up a single ranked list of PhD applicants across all disciplines, taking into consideration only academic qualifications, references, and research potential. Financial circumstances play no part in the selection of Cambridge International Scholarship winners.

The aim of this scholarship is explicitly to ensure that the highest-ranked students, regardless of nationality, receive full financial support to undertake PhD studies. Where funding partnerships allow, the Trust will promote Cambridge International Scholarship winners to other full-cost awards — with UK Research Councils, departments, or Colleges — to maximise the number of students who receive complete support.

The parallel award for UK and Irish nationals undertaking PhD study is the Vice-Chancellor’s Award, which operates on the same merit-only basis.

Cambridge Masters Studentship

The Cambridge Masters Studentship is open to all applicants regardless of fee status, for one-year postgraduate study in any subject. It is tenable at any College and does not require a separate application — applicants are automatically considered upon submitting their course application.

The award contributes up to £12,000 towards the cost of study. This amount is applied first to the University tuition fee, with any remaining balance provided as a maintenance allowance. Applicants must not have already obtained, or be about to graduate with, a Masters or PhD level qualification.

Gates Cambridge Scholarship

While the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is administered by a separate trust — the Gates Cambridge Trust, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — it is deeply intertwined with Cambridge Trust processes and represents the most high-profile fully funded international scholarship at Cambridge.

Approximately 80 Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded each year to outstanding applicants from countries outside the United Kingdom. The scholarship covers:

Full University Composition Fee (tuition fees)
A maintenance allowance of £21,000 for 12 months (at the 2024/25 rate), pro-rated for shorter courses
One economy-class return airfare at the start and end of the course
Inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge
Discretionary additional funding including academic development funding, family allowance, fieldwork support, maternity/paternity cover, and hardship funding

Gates Cambridge Scholarships are available for PhD (up to four years), MSc or MLitt, and one-year full-time postgraduate courses. Selection is based on academic excellence, the quality of the research proposal, reasons for choosing Cambridge, and commitment to improving the lives of others. This is a genuinely competitive scholarship: applicants are assessed globally against peers across all disciplines.

Smuts Cambridge Scholarship

The Smuts Cambridge Scholarship is available to PhD applicants whose research relates to a Commonwealth country or countries (excluding the UK). It is normally awarded in the fields of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. This is a named award with specific research relevance requirements — applicants should read the listing carefully before applying.

Country- and Region-Specific Awards

A significant portion of the Cambridge Trust’s portfolio consists of awards that are exclusively available to students from particular countries or regions, funded in partnership with governments, universities, and foundations. These include but are not limited to:

Cambridge Africa Changemakers Scholarship — for African students with demonstrated potential to drive change in their home countries
Cambridge Caribbean Scholarship — for students from the Caribbean region, with emphasis on contribution to regional development after graduation
ANID-Chile Cambridge Scholarship — for Masters and PhD applicants from Chile in any subject
Cambridge Thai Foundation Scholarship — available at undergraduate and postgraduate level for students from Thailand
Cambridge Toshiba Japan and the World Graduate Scholarship — for PhD applicants in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
UCA-Cambridge Trust Scholarship — for students from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan pursuing Masters or PhD study in fields aligned with the University of Central Asia’s research areas
Roberta Sykes Cambridge Scholarship — for Masters or PhD applicants from Australia who are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
Cambridge Marshall PhD Scholarship — for PhD applicants from the USA who are recipients of a two-year Marshall Scholarship, funding the third year of a three-year doctoral course

This list is not exhaustive. The Trust’s scholarship search tool is the definitive source for country-specific awards, and you should filter by your nationality to identify every award you may be eligible for.

How to Apply for Cambridge Trust Scholarships

The Application Process for Postgraduates

The postgraduate application process for Cambridge Trust scholarships is designed to be as frictionless as possible. In most cases, there is no separate scholarship application — funding consideration is built directly into the University’s admissions application process.

The steps are as follows:

Research your chosen course thoroughly using the University of Cambridge Postgraduate Course Directory and identify the funding deadline specific to your course — not the general application deadline, which is different
Complete the full admissions application, including references, through the University’s Applicant Portal before the funding deadline
In the funding section of the application, tick the box expressing your wish to be considered for funding and provide details of significant income from all sources, including salaries, business profit, rents, and dividends — many Trust awards require evidence of financial need
For certain partner-funded awards (such as Gates Cambridge), complete the additional scholarship-specific section of the funding application in the portal
For a small number of awards, a separate application to the partner organisation is required — this will be clearly stated in the scholarship listing

The awards period runs from March to July each year. This period covers all start terms within the academic year — Michaelmas Term (October), Lent Term (January), and Easter Term (April). Offers of funding and offers of admission are typically made separately.

Application Process for Undergraduates

Undergraduate applicants follow a different process. The key steps are:

Submit your UCAS application by the published deadline — for most Cambridge courses this is mid-October
If you receive a conditional offer of admission from a Cambridge College, the College will send you full details of the Trust awards available to you and an application form
You cannot apply for Trust undergraduate funding until you have received a College offer — there is no way to apply speculatively in advance
Complete the application form provided by the College and return it by the specified deadline — all undergraduate awards are means-tested, so financial information is required

Key Application Deadlines

Deadlines are among the most critical elements of any Cambridge Trust application. Missing a funding deadline — even by a single day — disqualifies you from consideration in that awards round. There is only one awards round per year. The table below summarises the key deadlines for the 2025/26 academic year entry.

Scholarship / Route	Level	Key Deadline (2025/26 entry)	Application Route
Cambridge Trust (most awards)	Masters & PhD	2 Dec 2025 or 7 Jan 2026 (course-specific)	Via University Applicant Portal
Gates Cambridge (non-US applicants)	Masters & PhD	2 Dec 2025 or 7 Jan 2026	Separate funding section in portal
Gates Cambridge (US citizens only)	Masters & PhD	15 October 2025	Separate US application portal
Undergraduate (Trust awards)	Undergraduate	UCAS deadline (October, standard)	After College offer — via College form

Important: The funding deadline and the course application deadline are not the same thing. Always check the specific funding deadline for your course on the Postgraduate Course Directory. For 2026/27 entry, applications are now open. The general postgraduate funding deadlines will follow the same December/January pattern. Always verify current deadlines directly on the Cambridge Trust and University websites.

How Cambridge Trust Scholarship Decisions Are Made

Academic Merit as the Primary Criterion

For the majority of Cambridge Trust awards, and especially for the Cambridge International Scholarship at PhD level, academic merit is the dominant — and for some awards the only — selection criterion. The University produces moderated department scores for all PhD applicants across all disciplines. A University committee uses this ranked list as the primary basis for identifying scholarship candidates.

For a shortlist of candidates, the Trust then uses selection panels for awards that require specialist assessment beyond academic merit alone. According to the Trust’s own published description of this process, panels typically consist of four to five people with relevant subject expertise and regional knowledge. Panels convene in March and April to review shortlists, assess relative merit, and agree on awardees and reserves.

What Makes a Strong Application

Based on the Trust’s published guidance on what selection panels assess, the following factors distinguish competitive candidates:

Academic excellence — strong grades, institutional reputation, and departmental scoring are the starting point for virtually every award
Quality of the research proposal — for PhD applicants especially, the clarity, originality, and feasibility of the proposed research is assessed closely
Alignment with scholarship criteria — for country-specific and thematic awards, evidence of commitment to contributing to a region or field after graduation carries significant weight
Strong references — letters from academic supervisors or mentors who can speak specifically to research potential and intellectual ability
Personal attributes — evidence of leadership, resilience, volunteering, or teaching can distinguish candidates in awards that go beyond pure academic ranking; this is not a formal requirement but can make a meaningful difference
Financial circumstances — for means-tested awards, accurate and complete financial disclosure is required; the Trust expects evidence of income from all sources

What Does Not Affect Selection

The Trust is explicitly committed to equality of opportunity. No applicant will be treated less favourably on the grounds of sex, gender reassignment, marital or parental status, race, ethnicity, national origin, colour, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or age. For the Cambridge International Scholarship specifically, financial background has no bearing on selection — the award is purely merit-based.

What Cambridge Trust Scholarships Cover

The financial value of a Cambridge Trust scholarship varies significantly depending on the award type. The following summary covers the main categories:

Full-cost scholarships (Cambridge International Scholarship, Vice-Chancellor’s Awards, Gates Cambridge) — cover the full University Composition Fee plus a maintenance allowance sufficient for a single person to live in Cambridge
Part-cost scholarships (Cambridge Trust Undergraduate Scholarship) — contribute £10,000 to £15,000 per year towards tuition fees; remaining fees and living costs are the student’s responsibility
Cambridge Masters Studentship — contributes up to £12,000, applied first to tuition fees and then, if anything remains, as a maintenance contribution
Partner-funded awards (Gates Cambridge, some country-specific awards) — may include additional benefits such as return airfares, visa cost reimbursement, Immigration Health Surcharge coverage, research allowances, family allowances, and hardship funds

The Trust does not fund dependants or family members except in specific partner-funded programmes where such support is explicitly included. Students requiring entry clearance to study in the UK should note that a Cambridge Trust scholarship offer letter does not constitute a visa sponsorship — a separate Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is required from the University.

Other Funding Sources to Combine With Cambridge Trust Scholarships

The Cambridge Trust itself advises students with financial need to research and apply for all suitable scholarships. Beyond Trust awards, international students at Cambridge have access to several additional funding streams:

University of Cambridge Colleges — individual Colleges offer their own financial support, though the majority of funding comes from central sources rather than Colleges; College-specific awards often require you to select that College as a first or second preference in your application
UK Research Councils — for students working in science, technology, engineering, social science, and the humanities, Research Council studentships (UKRI) represent major sources of fully funded PhD support; these are assessed separately from the Trust
Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholars Programme (HDPSP) — a competitive programme for exceptional postgraduate students at Cambridge
Government and bilateral scholarships — many national governments offer scholarships specifically for study at Cambridge; examples include the Chevening Scholarship (UK government) for postgraduates from over 160 countries, and various bilateral arrangements the Trust maintains with partner governments
Department and Faculty awards — some Cambridge departments and faculties have their own scholarship funds; details are available in the Postgraduate Course Directory and the University’s Student Funding Search

The Cambridge Trust Postgraduate Funding Search on the University website lists a comprehensive range of all available postgraduate funding sources, making it the most efficient starting point for building a complete financial picture for your studies.

Practical Tips for Strengthening Your Cambridge Trust Scholarship Application

For Undergraduate Applicants

Focus first on securing your UCAS application and conditional College offer — no Trust funding is accessible until that offer is in hand
Prepare your financial documentation in advance so you can submit a complete means-tested application quickly once invited by your College
Research College-specific funding — some Colleges have their own awards that supplement Trust funding, and preference for a specific College on your UCAS form can affect eligibility
If you are applying from Hong Kong, submit your Prince Philip Scholarship application alongside your UCAS form, not after your offer

For Masters Applicants

Apply by the earliest possible funding deadline for your course — the closer to December the better, since some awards are allocated on a rolling basis within the awards period
Complete the financial section of the University application form accurately; underreporting income could create problems if you are selected and the Trust requests verification
Note that part-time MSt courses are not eligible; if your course is an MASt, it is eligible — check your course’s exact designation in the Course Directory
The Cambridge Masters Studentship requires no separate application and is automatically considered, but you still need to tick the funding box in the Applicant Portal

For PhD Applicants

Make contact with a potential supervisor before applying — a strong departmental fit increases your department score, which is the primary input into the Cambridge International Scholarship ranking process
Invest substantial time in your research proposal; the quality of a PhD proposal is closely scrutinised by both admissions departments and, for specialist awards, selection panels
Apply well before the funding deadline, not just before the application deadline — the earlier your complete application (including references) is submitted, the more time departments have to assess and score it
Check whether your subject area requires ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance — science and technology subjects studied on a student visa in the UK may require this; some nationalities are exempt
If you hold a Masters degree, confirm that the Trust’s restriction on funding a degree at the same level does not apply to your situation — the exception for MRes + PhD programmes is narrow and specific

Frequently Asked Questions About Cambridge Trust Scholarships

Can I apply to the Cambridge Trust before I have a University offer?

No. For undergraduate applicants, the Trust requires a conditional offer from a Cambridge College before funding applications can be submitted. For postgraduate applicants, you must have at least submitted a complete admissions application and have a conditional offer before the Trust can make a scholarship offer. The Trust has one annual awards period running from March to July.

Do I need to apply to the Trust separately from the University?

For most postgraduate awards, no. Expressing your wish to be considered for funding within the University’s Applicant Portal is sufficient. For some partner-funded awards — including Gates Cambridge — a specific additional section must be completed. For a small number of awards administered in partnership with external organisations, a separate application to the partner is required; this is always stated clearly in the scholarship listing.

Can I hold a Cambridge Trust scholarship and another scholarship simultaneously?

In some cases, yes. The Trust actively seeks to promote winners of Cambridge International Scholarships to additional full-cost partner awards when available, in order to maximise the number of fully funded students. The terms of individual awards and any restrictions on holding multiple scholarships simultaneously are specified in each offer letter. If you hold a Marshall, Chevening, or Commonwealth Scholarship (the specific Commonwealth Scholarships — not the Cambridge Trust itself, which is not the same), separate visa rules apply.

Does financial need affect my chances for all Trust awards?

No. Financial need is a factor only for means-tested awards — most notably undergraduate Trust scholarships and some specific postgraduate awards. The Cambridge International Scholarship (PhD), Cambridge Masters Studentship, and Gates Cambridge Scholarship are all awarded without any reference to financial circumstances.

What is the difference between the Cambridge Trust and Gates Cambridge?

The Gates Cambridge Trust is a separate organisation from the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust, though both operate within the University of Cambridge ecosystem. The Cambridge Trust administers a broad portfolio of approximately 80+ scholarships across all levels and nationalities. Gates Cambridge is a single, highly targeted fully funded scholarship programme for non-UK postgraduate students, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Cambridge application is made through the same University portal as other Cambridge Trust awards, but it operates under its own selection criteria and committee.

Final Word

The Cambridge Trust scholarship programme is one of the most extensive and well-resourced international student funding operations in the world. With more than 80 distinct award programmes, partnerships across governments, corporations, and foundations in over 85 countries, and an annual awards output of 500 scholarships, it gives serious international students a genuine pathway to one of the world’s top universities.

That said, competition is intense. For the most sought-after awards — the Cambridge International Scholarship for PhD students, Gates Cambridge, and major country-specific programmes — the difference between shortlisted and funded candidates often comes down to the quality of the research proposal, the strength of academic references, and demonstrated alignment with the specific scholarship’s goals.

The starting point is the same for every applicant: secure your conditional offer from Cambridge first. Everything else flows from there. Use the Trust’s scholarship search tool to identify every award you are eligible for, meet the funding deadline without exception, and approach the funding section of your application with the same rigour you bring to your academic submission.