In October 2000 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $210 million to the University of Cambridge, establishing the Gates Cambridge Trust. This is the largest single donation to a UK university. The Trust is an independent charity and manages all aspects of the Gates Cambridge Scholarships program – selection of Scholars, Scholars in residence, alumni relations and all financial and administrative matters. The program celebrated its ten year anniversary in 2010.
The Gates Cambridge Scholars program enables outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of candidates’ intellectual ability, leadership capacity, and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.
Call for Applications
Gates Cambridge Trust is currently seeking applications for the Scholars program for 2012-13 academic year. Gates Cambridge Scholarships are only available for full-time postgraduate degrees offered at the University of Cambridge. Applicants must apply simultaneously for admission as a graduate student to the University of Cambridge and a Gates Cambridge Scholarship using the one application pack.
Eligibility
- Candidates may come from any country in the world except the United Kingdom.
- Candidates should be under the age of 30.
- Students must be admitted to Cambridge through the university’s normal academic procedures.
- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree before beginning study in Cambridge. (Applicants already may have completed a master’s degree if entering a PhD program.) Candidates must have exceptional academic achievement (including a high GPA and GRE scores) and scholarly promise. They should demonstrate a strong aptitude for research, analysis, and a creative approach to defining and solving problems.
- Candidates must be well prepared for the course for which they are applying to Cambridge, and their aspirations should match up with what Cambridge has to offer.
Duration and amount
Gates Cambridge Scholarships fund one to four years of study at Cambridge, depending on the student’s particular program of study.
The scholarship covers the full cost of study at Cambridge: all tuition fees, a maintenance allowance (£13,000 for 2011-2012), airfare between Cambridge and home, and a discretionary contribution for the support of dependents. (As of Sept. 2011, £1 = $1.59)
Last date for submission of applications is October 15, 2011 for US candidates and for non-USA, it is December 2, 2011. For more information and details, you can visit this link.
