There is no separate form — you complete the Gates Cambridge section inside the Cambridge postgraduate application. Bangladeshi candidates fall in the international round, so your course’s own admissions deadline is the date that binds you. Message us on WhatsApp for help with course choice and the research proposal.
United Kingdom · Full cost
Gates Cambridge Scholarship
Endowed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it removes every significant financial barrier to studying at Cambridge. But it runs in two separate rounds, and which one you fall into decides your deadline.
- £21,000
- Annual maintenance
- 100%
- Tuition covered
- ~80
- Places a year
- 2
- Application rounds
Overview
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was established by a donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is the most complete financial package at the University of Cambridge. Around 80 places a year go to candidates from outside the UK, roughly two-thirds of them to PhD students.
One structural point governs how you plan: the programme runs two rounds — an earlier one for US citizens and an international round for everyone else. In the international round there is no separately announced scholarship deadline; your course’s own admissions deadline serves as it.
What the scholarship covers
- The full university composition fee, at the correct rate for your course
- A £21,000 maintenance allowance paid across twelve months, renewable for up to four years on a PhD
- Airfare to Cambridge at the start and home at the end
- Discretionary additional grants — family allowance, fieldwork and conference costs
- Membership of the Gates Cambridge scholar community, which continues well past the degree
Eligibility
- Citizenship of any country outside the United Kingdom
- An application to a full-time postgraduate course at Cambridge — PhD, MPhil or a one-year postgraduate degree
- Outstanding academic results and demonstrated research capability
- Leadership potential and a clear commitment to improving the lives of others — a stated selection criterion
How to apply
The step-by-step application process for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
01.Find your course and its deadline
In the international round, the course admissions deadline is the scholarship deadline.
02.Complete the Gates section
The Cambridge application form contains a distinct Gates Cambridge section.
03.Line up your references
Alongside academic referees a separate Gates reference is also required.
04.Shortlist and interview
After departmental nomination comes the shortlist, then interview and the result.
Application cycles
Each cycle has its own page with that round’s dates, figures and changes — kept in step with the official notice.
Frequently asked questions
No. It covers full-time postgraduate courses — PhDs, MPhils and one-year postgraduate degrees. Part-time courses, distance learning and certain professional degrees fall outside it, so check your course is eligible before applying.
Want help winning the Gates Cambridge Scholarship?
Our counsellors help with course selection, essays and the application. Message us on WhatsApp for free guidance.