Financial support
You'll now have a reasonable idea of the costs involved in studying at Cambridge, but what about financial support? Well, there's plenty of help available, including:
- government student loans for tuition fees and living costs
- government grants
- the National Scholarship Programme
- the Cambridge Bursary Scheme
- College awards
Some support is available to all UK/EU students. Eligibility for other funding depends on your financial circumstances. Arrangements can also vary depending on where you're from (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or the EU), so please refer to the appropriate student finance award agency for full details and guidance.
Government support
The table below outlines the financial support available from the government to help students meet their costs. Further information is available from the Directgov website (www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance/).
Students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should check arrangements with the appropriate student finance award agency.
| Government financial support for UK/EU students 2012–13 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What support is there? | What’s it for? | Who’s eligible? | How much? | Do I have to pay it back? |
| Student loan for tuition fees | Tuition fees | Students studying for their first undergraduate degree | Up to £9,000 per year | Yes, but only after you’ve left university and are earning a minimum salary |
| Student loan for living costs | Living costs (eg accommodation, food, study materials, personal expenses) |
Dependent on your personal circumstances and the university applied for | Up to £5,500 per year | Yes, but only after you’ve left university and are earning a minimum salary |
| Living cost grant | Living costs (eg accommodation, food, study materials, personal expenses) |
Students from households with incomes of £42,600 per year or less | Up to £3,250 per year | No |
| Disabled Students' Allowance | To help with costs incurred as a direct result of disability | Students with a disability | Dependent on individual circumstances - more information is available from the Directgov website | No |
Student loans for tuition fees and living costs
Students from England who are studying for their first undergraduate degree will be able to take out a government student loan for tuition fees, which is paid directly to the University. This means that you don't have to pay your tuition fees up front but can defer payment until after you've graduated and are earning a specified minimum salary. This loan is not means-tested so all eligible students, regardless of household income, will receive it.
In addition to the student loan for tuition fees, students from England can take out a government living cost or maintenance loan. A portion of the living cost loan is means tested with the level of loan you are eligible for dependent on your household income. In 2012–13, the maximum amount that can be borrowed by students living away from home (outside London) is £5,500.
Arrangements for students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may differ. Please refer to the relevant student finance authority for information regarding tuition fee and living cost loans.
Students from the EU (outside the UK) who are studying at an English university and who meet certain conditions will also be able to apply for a tuition fee loan and may be eligible for help towards living costs. This loan is not means-tested so all eligible students, regardless of household income, will receive it. See the government's Student Finance website for more details and eligibility criteria (www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance/).
Living cost grant
UK students from lower income families will be entitled to a means-tested living cost (or maintenance) grant to help with accommodation and other living costs. Levels of support and arrangements vary between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the amount you receive is dependent on your household income, as assessed by the appropriate student finance award agency. As a guide, students from England whose household income is £25,000 per year or less will receive £3,250 in 2012–13.
Cambridge support
The University of Cambridge is committed to the principle that no suitably-qualified UK student should be deterred by their financial circumstances from applying to Cambridge, and that no student should have to leave because of financial difficulties.
The University therefore plans to provide one of the most extensive and flexible support packages in the country to ensure that a Cambridge education is accessible to all, regardless of background.
| Cambridge financial support for UK/EU students 2012–13 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What support is there? | What’s it for? | Who’s eligible? | How much? | Do I have to pay it back? |
| National Scholarship Programme | Tuition fees | Those studying for their first undergraduate degree from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds | £6,000 in first year | No |
| Cambridge Bursary/ Cambridge European Bursary | Tuition fees or living costs (eg accommodation, food, study materials, personal expenses) |
Those studying for their first undergraduate degree from households with incomes below £42,600 | Up to £3,500 (up to £5,650 for some mature students) per year | No |
| Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships | Living costs (eg accommodation, food, study materials, personal expenses) |
First-year Cambridge Bursary award holders studying a science/engineering/mathematics subject | £1,000 in first year | No |
| College awards and scholarships | Prizes for academic or other achievements | College and award dependent | ||
| College grants and loans | To help with unforeseen financial difficulties | College and fund dependent | ||
| Sports grants and bursaries | To provide support in connection with participation in sport | Students with actual or potential sporting excellence and in financial need | Award dependent | |
| Music awards | To enable gifted musicians to reach a high standard of performance and contribute to music-making in College | Organists, singers, or instrumentalists of a high standard | Award dependent | No; although a substantial contribution to College music is expected of the award-holders |
| Support for students with a disability | To help with costs incurred as a direct result of disability | Students with a disability | Dependent on individual circumstances | |
| Support for students with dependent children | To provide financial assistance towards the costs of childcare | Students with dependent children | Dependent on individual circumstances | |
National Scholarship Programme
Through the National Scholarship Programme (NSP), new entrants to higher education from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds are eligible to receive a £6,000 fee waiver in their first year of study in addition to their Cambridge Bursary. This means that some students' tuition fees could be as low as £0 in their first year.
There are two ways in which you might be eligible for this fee waiver:
1. You will be eligible to be considered for the NSP if you belong to a household whose total residual income is £25,000 per year or less, and if you also satisfy one of the following criteria:
- you have spent more than three months in care
- you are a lone parent
- you received free school meals whilst at school
- you have a disability causing particular financial needs whilst studying that are not met from other sources
2. If you do not meet one of the above criteria but your household's residual income is less than around £12,000, you will also be considered for the fee waiver
These awards are made jointly by the government and the University of Cambridge. Unfortunately, there are government limits on the number of Scholarships that will be available. While all students who meet the criteria outlined above are eligible to apply and be considered for the NSP, we are unable to guarantee that all those who apply will receive an award. Priority will be given to care leavers, lone parents, those who were in receipt of free school meals, and students with a disability causing particular financial need. It is anticipated that this will leave a number of awards for students from households with low incomes, who will receive awards following an assessment of relative need.
Please note that students from England are eligible for the National Scholarship Programme. Students who are normally resident in the EU outside the UK are also eligible to apply. However, the government guidance is that students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not currently eligible for the Programme.
How many Scholarships are available at Cambridge?
At least 136 awards will be available in 2012-13. Because the NSP depends on funding from the government, the number and value of Scholarships may change in future years.
How do I apply for a Scholarship?
All English and non-UK EU applicants who receive an offer to study at Cambridge will be invited by their College to apply for a Scholarship. For the majority of offer holders, information will be sent in January 2012.
Any offer-holder who wishes to be considered for a Scholarship should complete the NSP Application Form and return it to their College by no later than 31 May 2012 together with the supporting evidence indicated on the form. Where the evidence is not provided or does not meet the stated requirement, the application will not be considered. The information provided will be used solely for the purpose of assessing eligibility for a Scholarship and will not be shared with any party not involved in this assessment process. The NSP selection panel will meet during August 2012, after offers have been confirmed. Colleges will promptly notify applicants whether they have been awarded a Scholarship or not and will make the necessary arrangements to reduce the tuition fees of those students who are admitted in October 2012. The decision of the selection panel is final.
Do I need to advise the Student Loans Company about my NSP application?
Even if you apply for an award through the NSP, you should also apply to the Student Loans Company (SLC) for the full tuition fee loan that you require. Being eligible for an NSP award does not guarantee you will receive one. If you are successful in securing a Scholarship, the University will make arrangements for the tuition fee loan that you require from the SLC to be reduced accordingly.
Cambridge Bursary Scheme
The Cambridge Bursary Scheme offers UK and EU students Bursaries of up to £10,500 over three years or £14,000 over four years to help them meet their higher education costs. The value of the Bursary you receive will be dependent on your household income, with the maximum award in 2012–13 being £3,500. The Bursary can be used to help with maintenance costs or to reduce tuition fees by up to £3,000 each year.
Bursaries of £3,500 a year will be available to students from families with household incomes of £25,000 or less per year. Students with household incomes of between £25,001 and £42,600 will receive a lower level Cambridge Bursary each year.
A higher Bursary of £5,650 per year will be available to UK mature students with family incomes below £25,000 per year who are also resident in Cambridge throughout the year.
The Bursary Scheme also provides Cambridge European Bursaries to help EU students meet their living costs.
The University intends to provide students from particularly disadvantaged backgrounds with additional fee waivers of £6,000 in their first year through the National Scholarship Programme.
Eliahou Dangoor Scholarships
Talented students studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects at the leading universities in the UK can now benefit from an Eliahou Dangoor Scholarship, thanks to a donation by Dr Naim Dangoor. The University of Cambridge has been awarded 44 bursaries under the scheme for UK-domiciled students starting science/engineering/mathematics/computer science courses in 2012–13. For more information about the £1,000 scholarships, please see the Cambridge Bursary Scheme website.
College awards and prizes
Additional sources of funding may be available from your College, such as:
- book and equipment grants to help with specific study-related costs
- scholarships and prizes for academic or other achievements
- travel grants, for academic work and personal enrichment
- grants and loans to help deal with unforeseen financial difficulties
Information on these funds is available from each College.