Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027: Fully-Funded PhD, Masters Scholarships

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027 (for entry in 2027/28) pays the full cost of a postgraduate degree at the University of Cambridge. Citizens of any country outside the UK can apply for a PhD, MLitt or a one-year full-time master’s course. Applications opened on 11 September 2026. The deadline is 14 October 2026 for US citizens living in the USA, and either 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027 for everyone else, depending on the course. This guide explains what the award pays, what it does not, who can apply, and how the application works.

Quick Facts About the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027

How Much Does the Gates Cambridge Scholarship Pay?

The scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. The Trust lists four core components:

• The University Composition Fee at the appropriate rate
• A maintenance allowance of £23,152 for 12 months for a single student (2026-27 rate), paid pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months
• One economy single airfare at the start of the course and one at the end
• Inbound visa costs and the Immigration Health Surcharge

For a PhD, the award runs for up to four years. As a simple estimate, if the allowance stayed at the 2026-27 rate, four years would come to about £92,608 in maintenance alone. That figure is our calculation, not an official one, and the Trust may change the rate each year. The monthly equivalent is roughly £1,929 (estimate: £23,152 ÷ 12).

Some costs are not covered. The Trust does not pay bench fees or the cost of scientific equipment, which it expects the academic department to cover. It also does not fund a partner’s costs. The Cambridge application fee is also the applicant’s responsibility, as explained below.

What Is the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

The programme was established in October 2000 with a US$210 million donation from the Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge, and the first scholars arrived in 2001. It is aimed at postgraduate students who show academic ability and a wish to improve the lives of others. The Trust describes its values as Community, Learning, Internationality, Compassion and Change.

Each year it offers around 70 full-cost scholarships. About two-thirds go to PhD students, and about a third are awarded in the US round. The official site reports more than 1,700 alumni from 116 countries.

It is an academic scholarship with a leadership element. Strong grades alone will not carry an application.

What Does the Scholarship Cover?

Tuition Fees

The University Composition Fee is covered at the rate that applies to the student. Cambridge sets different fee rates for different types of students, so the exact amount depends on your course and fee status. One exception applies: if you win a fee award from a public body such as UKRI, the Trust expects you to accept it, and it will either not pay your fee or will share costs with that body.

Monthly Stipend

The maintenance allowance is £23,152 for 12 months for a single student, at the 2026-27 rate. The Trust reserves the right to reduce or withhold it if you receive a salary or another substantial scholarship. Tell the Trust as soon as you receive any other funding.

Accommodation

The Trust does not list separate accommodation funding. Housing is paid from the maintenance allowance. Cambridge colleges offer accommodation to graduate students, but that is a separate arrangement, and the official information available does not specify rent levels.

Travel

One economy single airfare at the beginning and one at the end of the course.

Health Insurance

The scholarship pays the Immigration Health Surcharge, which gives access to UK NHS care. It is not described as private health insurance.

Research and Book Allowance

There is no standard research or book allowance. There is a discretionary academic development fund of between £750 and £4,000, depending on the length of your course, for conferences and courses.

Other Benefits (Discretionary)

The Trust considers applications for these extras:

• Dependent children allowance: up to £12,793 a year for one child, and up to £18,244 a year for two or more. No funding is given for a partner.
• Fieldwork: PhD students can apply to keep up to their normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork. Other fieldwork costs are not funded by the Trust.
• Maternity and paternity: you can apply to intermit for up to six months and keep receiving your maintenance allowance.
• Hardship funding: for unforeseen difficulties.

Who Is Eligible for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?

Nationality. You must be a citizen of a country outside the UK. Dual citizens of the UK and another country are eligible. The wording “any country outside the UK” means Pakistani, Indian, Nigerian, Bangladeshi and other applicants can all apply, subject to the other rules.

Degree level and course. You can apply for a PhD (full-time or part-time), an MLitt (full-time), or a one-year full-time master’s course. The Trust’s FAQ names MPhil, MLitt, MRes, LLM and PhD as eligible. Part-time master’s degrees are not eligible. Check your exact course in the Cambridge Course Directory.

Courses that are not eligible. These include any undergraduate degree, MASt, PGCert, PGDip, MSt, MBA, EMBA and Global EMBA, MFin, Executive Master of Accounting, Business Doctorate (BusD), Doctor of Education, PGCE, MBBChir Clinical Studies, MD (Doctor of Medicine), Graduate Course in Medicine (A101), and the Master of Conservation of Easel Painting.

Academic requirements. Gates Cambridge has no minimum GPA. Academic excellence is judged across the whole application and the references. Your course also has its own entry requirements, so check those separately.

Language. The scholarship has no English test requirement, but the University of Cambridge does. See the language section below.

Current Cambridge students. You can apply for a new course, for example an MPhil student applying for a PhD. You cannot apply to fund the rest of a course you have already started. Current students are considered in the later, international round.

Age and work experience. Not specified in the official information available.

The Four Selection Criteria

1. Outstanding intellectual ability
2. Reasons for choice of course
3. A commitment to improving the lives of others
4. Leadership potential

Is the Gates Cambridge Scholarship Fully Funded?

It is a full-cost scholarship, and the Trust says it covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge. In practice that means tuition, a living allowance, flights, and your visa and health surcharge.

Some costs stay with you:

• The Cambridge application fee
• Living costs above the maintenance allowance
• Any partner’s costs
• Anything the Trust does not list, such as bench fees and scientific equipment, which the department should cover

How to Apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2027

There is no separate Gates Cambridge application. You apply for admission and funding together in the University’s Graduate Application Portal, and Gates Cambridge reads your full application.

1. Check eligibility and pick a course. Confirm your nationality, your course and its funding deadline in the Course Directory.
2. Find your round. US citizens who live in the USA must apply in October. US citizens living overseas apply in the later round.
3. Create your account on the Cambridge Applicant Portal.
4. Complete the admission section and choose a College place.
5. Complete the Gates Cambridge part of the funding section, including the four selection questions.
6. Arrange your references. You need two academic references for admission and one Gates Cambridge reference.
7. Pay the application fee, unless you qualify for a waiver.
8. Submit before 11:59pm UK time on your deadline. You cannot edit an application after you submit it.

The Four Gates Cambridge Questions

Each question matches one selection criterion:

• Academic excellence (about 200 words, up to 1,400 characters)
• Why this course at Cambridge and how it supports your plans (about 200 words, up to 1,400 characters)
• Commitment to improving the lives of others (about 300 words, up to 2,100 characters)
• Leadership (about 300 words, up to 2,100 characters)

The Trust says these answers help it tell apart candidates already nominated by academic departments. Use specific examples, because generic answers do not show fit.

Documents Required

• Completed online application through the Cambridge portal
• Academic transcripts and certificates
• CV
• Two academic references (for admission)
• One Gates Cambridge reference
• Answers to the four Gates Cambridge questions
• Research proposal, PhD applicants only (if your course application does not already require one)
• English language evidence, when Cambridge asks for it

For the Gates reference, choose someone who knows your character and can write about the four criteria. The Trust says one of your academic referees may write it, but it must be a separate letter focused on the scholarship criteria, not a repeat of the academic reference. Do not ask a friend or family member.

English Language

Most courses do not ask for proof until you receive an offer. Accepted tests include IELTS Academic (including IELTS for UKVI Academic) and TOEFL iBT, and C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency for some courses. The required score depends on your course, and scores from different tests cannot be combined. For TOEFL, Cambridge says candidates who meet their condition after 21 January 2026 may need an extra online assessment. Check your course page for the score you need.

Application Timeline

All deadlines are 11:59pm UK time. The full application, including references, must be in by then.

What Applicants Should Know Before Applying

Selection has two stages. Academic departments first nominate a small number of applicants, and only those are interviewed. Interviews last 25 to 30 minutes and are held in four subject panels: Arts, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. You can interview online. If you interview in person, the Trust offers one night of accommodation and parking if needed. The Trust does not give feedback to unsuccessful applicants, but a rejection does not count against you if you apply again later.

Competition is high, but there is no official rate. The Trust says candidates who reach interview have been through an “incredibly competitive process”. The pages we checked do not publish applicant numbers or an acceptance rate, so do not rely on percentages quoted by other websites.

The four answers carry weight. They are the only place in the form where the Trust asks how you fit its criteria. Start drafting well before the deadline.

Plan for the application fee. Cambridge charges £20 for doctoral courses and £85 for other postgraduate courses. Gates Cambridge does not cover it. Cambridge waives the fee automatically for nationals of listed countries who have lived there since birth. The list includes Bangladesh and Nepal, and Pakistan is not on the current list (updated September 2026). Waiver requests for other situations must be submitted by 24 November 2026 for the 8 December deadline, and by 11 December 2026 for the 6 January deadline. A fee already paid cannot be waived.

Applying to several courses. The Gates FAQ says you may apply for as many eligible courses as you like, up to a limit that was 7 in the 2025/26 cycle. You must complete a separate Gates section for each. Confirm the current limit before applying.

Visa restrictions. The UK government has announced a visa brake on new Student visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. See Cambridge’s visa brake page if this affects you.

Admission is decided separately. Cambridge reviews admission apart from funding, so you may get an offer of a place before you hear about the scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Gates Cambridge Scholarship fully funded?
It is a full-cost scholarship covering the University Composition Fee, a maintenance allowance, airfares, and visa and health surcharge costs. Bench fees, equipment and the application fee are not covered.

How much is the stipend?
£23,152 for 12 months for a single student at the 2026-27 rate, paid pro rata for shorter courses. PhD awards run for up to four years.

Who can apply?
Citizens of any country outside the UK, including dual citizens of the UK and another country, applying for an eligible full-time course or a PhD.

Can Pakistani students apply?
Yes, if they meet the other requirements. The eligibility rule covers citizens of any country outside the UK.

Is there a minimum GPA?
No. Academic excellence is one of four criteria and is judged across the whole application. Your chosen course may have its own entry requirements.

Is IELTS required?
Not by the scholarship. Cambridge has its own English requirements, and for most courses you provide evidence after an offer.

What is the deadline?
14 October 2026 for US citizens living in the USA. For everyone else it is 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, depending on your course. Check the Course Directory.

Can I apply without a supervisor?
Yes. The Trust does not require you to confirm a supervisor before applying, though researching your department is advisable.

Can I apply for a part-time degree?
Only for a PhD. Master’s courses must be full-time.

Can I apply again if I am rejected?
Yes. A previous unsuccessful application does not affect future consideration.

How to Apply

Decide your round first. US citizens living in the USA apply by 14 October 2026. Everyone else applies by the course deadline, 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027, at 11:59pm UK time. Have your transcripts, CV, two academic references, a Gates Cambridge reference and the four written answers ready. Doctoral applicants should add a research proposal if the course does not already ask for one. Apply through the Cambridge Applicant Portal.

Official Source

Official Application / Scholarship Information:

• Gates Cambridge, how to apply: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/how-to-apply/
• Gates Cambridge timeline: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/timeline/
• Cambridge Course Directory: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses
• Cambridge Applicant Portal: https://apply.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applicant/login

Scholarship details can change. Last verified: 30 September 2026 against the official Gates Cambridge and University of Cambridge pages. The rules above apply to entry in 2027/28.