Sources of Funding

Education should be a right, not a privilege. At Magdalene, we are committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder your pursuit of higher education.

This section outlines the various types of financial support available to help you succeed during your studies.

Tuition Fee Loans

UK students may be 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 received free school meals (the Education Premium) or for independent students.

Full details of the support available can be found on the Cambridge Bursary Scheme funding page.

Magdalene College Bursaries

For students entitled to the full Cambridge Bursary, Magdalene adds a further College Bursary of up to £2,000 per annum. Importantly, these bursaries are not loans and do not require repayment. Made possible by the generosity of our alumni, these bursaries reflect our commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment.

Additional Financial Assistance

In addition to the College Bursaries, the University provides a range of scholarships and financial aid options. We strongly encourage you to explore these opportunities:

• Cambridge University Financial Assistance Funds: The Financial Assistance Fund supports students facing unforeseen financial difficulties, offering grants of up to £2,500 in exceptional circumstances. Learn more on the Cambridge Students website.
• Magdalene College Funds: The College has a Student Support Fund for those experiencing unexpected financial hardship after starting their courses. Other options include College Prizes for outstanding academic performance, College Scholarships awarded for first-class results, Exhibitions recognising excellent exam results just below first-class, and travel grants available for specific subjects. More information can be found on the Sources of Funding page.
• Summer Research Bursaries and Travel Awards: All students can apply for research bursaries and travel grants during the summer. These funds support fieldwork, research costs, and internships.
• Organ Scholarships and Music Awards: Magdalene participates in inter-collegiate music awards schemes, offering Organ Scholarships, Choral Scholarships, and Instrumental Music Awards.
• The Lady Lincoln Fund: This fund provides additional awards and bursaries annually to support College musicians. Find out more on our Lincoln Fund Music Awards page.

We also recognise the unique challenges faced by our international students and offer a variety of funding sources:

• Cambridge Trust Scholarships: These competitive scholarships provide part-cost awards to students paying overseas fees. For more information, visit 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 Foundation Scholarship website
• 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 funds up to two fully-funded scholarships each year for outstanding Malaysian applicants with exemplary academic and personal qualities who do not have the financial means to pursue a degree at Magdalene without the help of the scholarship. Find out more information on the YH2 Capital Scholarship website.
• US Loans: For US students, see information on applying for US Federal Loan on the Cambridge students website.

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 £3,000 in exceptional circumstances. Find out more information on the Undergraduate Financial Assistance Fund and Postgraduate Financial Assistance Fund pages.

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.