UK undergraduate and PGCE students

We are committed to the principle that no UK student should be deterred from applying to the University of Cambridge because of financial considerations, and that no student should have to leave because of financial difficulties.

What does this mean for you?

With one of the most extensive bursary schemes amongst UK universities, the University of Cambridge can provide you with an annual bursary in addition to any government grant or student loan which you may receive.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for a Cambridge Bursary, there are a number of eligibility requirements. If you can answer yes to the following questions, it is likely that you will be eligible for a Cambridge Bursary.

• Is this your first full-time undergraduate degree, or PGCE course, or are you starting your study of clinical medicine?
• Are you in receipt of a means-tested higher education maintenance grant?

How much?

The bursary amount that you are awarded will vary depending on several factors.

1) The amount of the means-tested HE maintenance grant for which you qualify

Undergraduate students: If you are in receipt of the full £2,906 means-tested HE maintenance grant, then you will qualify for the full £3,400 annual bursary. If you qualify for a lower level of maintenance grant, your bursary will be calculated on a similar sliding scale.

2) Whether or not you receive additional funding from any of the following sources

If you are receiving significant funding from any of the following sources in addition to your means-tested maintenance grant, then your bursary will be reduced accordingly.

However, the first £1,000 of this additional funding is not taken into account for bursary purposes. Your bursary will be reduced by half the amount that your extra income exceeds £1,000.

Considered to be additional funding: OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) bursaries Industrial Sponsorship Grants Scholarships Rent, if renting out your permanent home while residing in Cambridge Term-time earnings whilst on a year abroad Bursaries or sponsorship from any of the following: Professional institutes such as IMechE, ICE, IET ARUD etc, the Armed Forces, Charities or Trust Funds, Colleges, faculties or schools (excluding specifically academic awards and prizes) In the case of clinical medical students, NHS Bursaries (or regional equivalents) are counted as additional financial support. In the case of PGCE students, the Government Teaching Training Bursary is counted as additional financial support. NB If you receive any financial support towards tuition fees from the sources listed above, this will also be taken into account when your bursary amount is being calculated.

Not considered to be additional funding: Any income or gift from family sources Academic awards and prizes Vacation employment Grants for extra-curricular activities eg sports expenses, travel awards, music scholarships

3) Your age at the start of your undergraduate course

If you are a mature student (aged 21 or over at the start of your first undergraduate course) you may qualify for as much as £5,650 per year. Please see Advice for mature students for details.

To estimate the amount of bursary that you are likely to receive, please visit our Bursary calculator.

How and when?

To apply for a Cambridge Bursary, you need to complete the online application form. You will also have to provide a Financial Notification form. For information about bursary dates and deadlines, see the bursary timetable.

Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships

Talented students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects at the leading universities in the UK can benefit from a £1,000 Eliahou Dangoor Scholarship, thanks to a donation by Dr Naim Dangoor.

The University of Cambridge has been awarded 44 bursaries under the scheme for students starting the following undergraduate science courses or studying a PGCE in a science discipline in 2011-12:

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Natural Sciences.

The £1,000 scholarships are available to UK-domiciled students in their first-year only, and scholarship recipients will be selected from eligible Cambridge Bursary award-holders on arrival in Cambridge. With a Cambridge Bursary of up to £3,400, this means that you may receive up to £4,400 of support in your first year. To be considered for the Eliahou Dangoor Scholarship you should apply for a Cambridge Bursary in the normal way. There is no additional application form that needs to be completed.

More information about the scholarship scheme in 2012-13 will appear on this page as soon as it becomes available.

Important information for continuing undergraduate students

Eligible undergraduate students must submit an application for the Cambridge Bursary at the beginning of each academic year. There are several reasons for this, the most important being that your financial circumstances may have changed, and therefore, your eligibility.

Need to know…

Please note that the means-tested HE maintenance grant and Cambridge Bursary values quoted are for 2011-12. The Bursary figures are expected to stay the same for all subsequent years of residence of all students who begin their course before October 2012.  Students beginning their course from October 2012 onwards will fall under a different arrangement, since they will pay a higher rate of fee: an announcement about fees at Cambridge for these students will be made shortly.  The Bursary figures for students starting their course in October 2012 or beyond will also change and will appear on this page when available. The information provided relates to student finance in England. The name and value of grants awarded by the governments of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland may vary but this will be taken into account when your bursary is calculated. For further information please see our Frequently asked questions page. It is important to note that you will be eligible for a bursary for each year of your undergraduate course as long as you continue to meet these conditions upon reapplication.