The Gates Cambridge Scholarships 2023-2024 session is an excellent opportunity for students with exceptional intellectual abilities who are eager to pursue professional studies. The programme was initially established in October 2000, after the bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated US$210m to the University of Cambridge, which was the biggest donation to a UK University.
Every year, Gates Cambridge provides an opportunity to get c.80 full-cost scholarships. The proposal is available for up to 90 students to enroll in a full-time postgraduate Ph.D. and Master’s studies in any major that the University of Cambridge offers.
The University nearly gives two-thirds of these awards to Ph.D. students, with almost 25 being available in the US round while the other 55 are in the international round. The Gates scholarship is responsible for covering the entire cost of studying at Cambridge University. Additionally, it also offers discretionary and additional funding.
The Gates Master Scholarship’s max duration is two years, while the Gates Ph.D., Scholarship can take up to 4 years.
The Value of Gates Cambridge Scholarships
The Gates Cambridge scholarship for international students will cover the entire studying cost at Cambridge University. It goes further than that and provides discretionary funding for its students. The following are some of the costs that it is responsible for covering.
- Complete University Tuition Fees
- Maintenance Allowance: – Every single student gets £17,500 for 12 months at the latest rate. For the Ph.D. scholars, the award is given for up to 4 years
- An Economy round Air ticket at both the start and the end of the course
- It also covers the Inbound Visa costs and the Immigration health surcharge
- The scholarship offers Academic development funds:- These funds can range from £500 to £2,000 depending on the course length for attending courses and conferences
- It might also provide family allowance up to £10,120 for the first child, and it can go up to £4,320 for the second child (No funding available for the partner)
- Funding for hardships or unforeseen circumstances
- Maternity or Paternity funding (Depends on acceptance)
Gates Cambridge Scholarships Duration
You can apply for Scholarships in both Ph.D. Degree and master through this programme, although the duration for both will vary.
For Ph. D degree, the scholarship can take anywhere between 3-7 years. The Students applying for the master’s degree can get scholarships for 1-2 years. It only offers scholarships for full-time students while the option isn’t available for part-time learners or for students that wish to study for a diploma.
Academic Majors available for Gates Scholarships
One of the biggest advantages that the Gates Cambridge scholarship provides is that it does not impose any restrictions on choosing majors. For instance, some other universities or private scholarships in particular subjects only. However, you can avail of this programme for all study fields. Some of the majors that you can choose are:-
- Information Technology (IT)
- Astronomy
- Archaeology
- Institutions independent of any School
- Islamic Studies
- Arts
- Social Science
- Humanities
- Engineering (All Types)
- Biological
- Biomedical
- School of Technology
- School of Arts and Humanities
- School of Clinical Medicine
- School of Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Physical Sciences
- School of Biological Sciences
The Eligibility Criteria for Gates Cambridge Scholarship
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is available for US and international students as long as they satisfy the eligibility criteria. The criterion includes:-
- Any student who is a citizen of a foreign country (outside of the UK) can apply for the scholarship seats available for overseas learners.
- A student needs to apply for one of the following residential study courses (full-time) at Cambridge University:- Ph.D., MSc/MLitt, Postgraduate Course (Masters).
- The applying candidates need to show evidence of their academic excellent (experience or reference letters and transcripts).
- Reason for selecting the particular course (you need to make a strong case for the specific postgraduate degree at Cambridge University).
Some of the factors that play an essential role in the acceptance of the Gates Scholarship application as it plays a major role in assessing the suitability of the candidate include:-
- The Intellectual ability of the applicant
- The reasoning for choosing the particular course
- A pledge towards growth while improving other’s lives
- Leadership capability
The documents required to apply for Gates Scholarships:
Every student is going to need a few documents to lodge an application for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. These include:-
- The Online application form is available on the official website.
- You will also require a gates Cambridge statement:- You will have to write a 500-3000 words statement and explain how you meet the criteria laid down for the scholarship
- The Ph.D. applicants are also going to need a research proposal
- Gates Cambridge reference: – The candidate will be required to submit a reference about their possibility with the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Such references should be obtained from any official professionals from any locality
