Sources of Funding
UK Students
Tuition Fee Loans
UK students are usually eligible for government-funded loans to cover the full cost of their undergraduate tuition fees. You repay the loan in installments after you graduate, and only once you are earning £27,295 a year or more.
Maintenance Loans
UK students may also be eligible for a full or partial loan to cover their living expenses at university. These loans are means-tested and are paid into your bank account at the beginning of each term. Find out more on the Student Finance website.
Cambridge Bursary Scheme
If you are a UK student from a household with an annual income of less than £62,215, then you are likely to be eligible for a Cambridge Bursary of up to £3,500 a year. These are not loans and do not have to be repaid. Cambridge Bursaries are automatically awarded to eligible students who have applied to Student Finance, with no additional application needed. They are awarded in addition to any tuition fee or maintenance loans you receive from the government.
Additional funding is available for eligible students who have been in receipt of free school meals (the Education Premium) or for independent students.
Full details of the Cambridge Bursary Scheme can be found at https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/cambridgebursary
Magdalene College Bursaries
For those who are entitled to the full Cambridge Bursary, Magdalene will add a further College Bursary of up to £2,000 per annum. As with the Cambridge Bursaries, these College Bursaries are not loans and do not have to be repaid. Magdalene College Bursaries are made possible by the generosity of Magdalene alumni.
Overseas Students
Cambridge Trust Scholarships
A major source of funding for students from overseas are the Commonwealth and International Cambridge Trusts, which provide competitive part-cost awards to students who pay the University composition fee at the overseas rate (UK students should apply to the Cambridge Bursary Scheme, above). Find more information on the Cambridge Trust website.
Jardine Foundation Scholarships
Magdalene is one of four Cambridge colleges whose students are eligible for generous scholarships offered by the Jardine Foundation to students from Southeast Asia. These scholarships are competitive, and provide a stipend as well as full payment of tuition and college fees for the duration of your degree. Find out about your eligibility and how to apply on the Jardine Scholarship Award website. The deadline for applications in 2023 is 20 October.
Prince Philip Scholarship
Applicants resident in Hong Kong may be eligible to apply for a Prince Philip Scholarship, which provides an annual stipend of £4,500, a return airfare each year and, where necessary, full financial support for fees and living costs.
YH2 Capital Scholarship
The YH2 Capital Scholarship programme launched in 2019 and is fully funded by the co-founders and co-CEOs of YH2 Capital Management Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. Up to two fully-funded scholarships are available each year for outstanding Malaysian candidates with exemplary academic and personal qualities who do not have the full financial means to pursue a degree at the University of Cambridge without the help of the scholarship. Find out more information on the YH2 Capital Scholarship here.
US Loans
Information on applying for a Federal Loan to study at the University of Cambridge.
All Students
Cambridge University Financial Assistance Funds
The Financial Assistance Fund is able to help support students in unforeseen financial need, who would otherwise be unable to complete their course of study. They provide grants of up to £2,500 in exceptional circumstances. Find out more information on the Cambridge Students website.
Magdalene College Funds
The College also has its own Student Support Fund to support students experiencing unexpected financial hardship. There is also a range of College prizes, scholarships (awarded for first class results), exhibitions (awarded for excellent exam results just short of first class), bursaries, and travel grants available at Magdalene. More information can be found on the Other Financial Support webpage.