Financial help

Concerns over money should not stop you from applying to Cambridge and to Caius - there is a lot of financial support available. The University of Cambridge and its colleges are all committed to the principle that no suitably qualified UK student should be deterred from applying here by their financial circumstances, and that no student should have to leave because of financial difficulties. There are also a number of scholarships for overseas students.

To ensure all suitably qualified students are able to study at Cambridge, the University offers an extensive programme of financial support to ensure our students can meet the cost of their education, regardless of their background. Caius participates in this programme, which includes the Cambridge Bursary Scheme. If you are a UK student and your household income is below £62,215 you are likely to be eligible for an annual Cambridge Bursary of up to £3,500 per year for every year of your course. You will be assessed for this automatically when you apply for a maintenance loan (UK).

There is also University hardship funding to help students in financial difficulties. The Bell, Abbott and Barnes Funds provide grants of £100 to £1,000 (or up to £2,000 in exceptional circumstances) per annum to undergraduate students facing financial hardship.  The College also has additional hardship support for students in need.  

In addition, Caius undergraduates may apply for grants from the College to cover a range of activities from travel grants and language courses to co-curricular grants, academic travel, internship support, and rent reductions during revision periods.

All students are also eligible for an Academic Grant of up to £150 a year to cover the cost of books, software and related academic material.

As well as financial support, the College also offers a wide range of awards and prizes.

Full details of financial support for Caius students are on The Venn (College intranet).

Tapp Scholarships for Undergraduate Law Students

Thanks to the generosity of the Tapp benefaction, two Tapp Scholarships of £4,000 per annum will be awarded to the candidates applying to study Law at Caius who most impress the College's Law Fellows and the Admissions Tutor in the course of the admissions process. The scholarship will continue for each year the scholar takes a Law Tripos examination, provided that the scholar has made satisfactory academic progress. There is no separate application for this scholarship; all successful applicants to read Law will automatically be considered. Tapp Scholarships will not be awarded to students already admitted to Caius.

Bursaries and Awards for Mathematics Students from the Stephen Hawking Fund

The Stephen Hawking Fund, named after our most famous Fellow of recent times, was established to promote the teaching and study of Mathematics at Gonville & Caius. Thanks to generous donations (notably from former Caius mathematicians), the College is able to offer two kinds of awards from this fund, to offset rises in the cost of study and to help students excel academically.

(i) Bursaries for UK Mathematics undergraduates. These are means tested and provide additional support, to supplement the Cambridge Bursary Scheme. Awards will be made up to a value of £4,000 per annum, and with an upper income threshold that is significantly higher than that for a Cambridge Bursary. All UK students who matriculated after 2016 will be considered, provided they have opted to be financially assessed as part of a student loan application.

(ii) Awards to all students progressing to Part III. These recognise and encourage academic achievement (the standard entry requirement for Part III is a first) but their value reflects the substantial fees that students now face in undertaking an additional year of study. The current value of these awards is £3,000. They are not means tested, they apply to all students, irrespective of nationality, and they apply in addition to the bursaries described in (i) for UK students.

Sir Alan Fersht Fund for Scientific Research

In gratitude to Gonville & Caius College, the Department of Chemistry of the University of Cambridge, and the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, which have supported him throughout his research career, Professor Sir Alan Fersht has set up a fund to support scientific and non-clinical medical research performed by undergraduate and postgraduate students of the College in the natural sciences. The fund will be used to support student research through the provision of:

  1. Small grants that are used to pay for travel to conferences or summer research projects for undergraduates, or travel to conferences by postgraduate students. These grants will be decided by the tutors and can be obtained by application for a Travel Grant.
  2. Maintenance grants obtained through an application to the Tutors Donation Fund.
  3. Prizes at the college for outstanding performance in Tripos in Natural Sciences. These will be funded at the standard College rates recommended by tutors.

Examination prizes

Book prizes worth £120 are awarded to undergraduates who obtain a First Class or its equivalent in a University Examination. Several named prizes in particular subjects are awarded in addition.

Scholarships and exhibitions

In addition to examination prizes, Scholarships or Exhibitions may be awarded to students who distinguish themselves in University examinations. All awards are made for one year, but they may be renewed for a second year, provided that the holder’s work and progress are satisfactory. Awards which are won for the first time at the end of the second year of residence are called Senior Scholarships and Senior Exhibitions and are of the value of £170 and £120 respectively. Other Scholarships and Exhibitions are of the value of £140 and £100 respectively.

Travel

All undergraduates of the College may apply to the Tutors for support with the costs of travel, which in some cases may be available from special funds. Where students intend to travel in connection with their studies they should apply for support from the Tutors’ Donation Fund. Application forms for travel unrelated to study will be available from the Tutorial Office during the middle of Lent Term.

Instrumental awards

The College offers two types of Instrumental Award: a University Instrumental Award and a College Instrumental Award. Thus instrumentalists may either apply for the University scheme, which brings the benefit of first-rate coaching for chamber music, or for a College award, which involves a greater commitment to music-making within the College. Not all instruments are included in the University scheme, but the College awards are open to all kinds of instruments. Details of the College awards are posted at the beginning of each academic year, and auditions are held at the beginning of November. The College also awards sums of money to individuals to help with specific tuition needs. Further details may be obtained from the Precentor.

Music awards

The Holland Fund exists to provide grants to students reading Music who are in financial need. The Grabowski Bursary provides money for instrumental and other musical tuition, with preference to those reading Music.  

Bell-Wade Bursary (for sport together with academic excellence)

Through the generosity of two alumni of the College, the Bell-Wade Bursary Fund has been established to assist students with the costs of pursuing excellence in sport as well as academic study.

University scholarships

The University of Cambridge offers a wide range of scholarships and prizes for academic success at Cambridge.

US loans

The College and University participate in US loan schemes and relevant information can be found on US loans | Cambridge students and Consumer information | Cambridge students