Established by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000, Gates Cambridge Scholarshipis one of the largest scholarship endowed to international students. The scholarship supports graduate students outside of the UK to pursue postgraduate studies at Cambridge University. As such, the annual Gates Cambridge Scholarship invites application for the academic session of 2020.
For 2020 entry, Gates Cambridge will offer 80 full-cost scholarships to outstanding applicants from countries outside the UK to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. Approximately two-thirds of these awards are for PhD students, with approximately 25 awards available in the US round and 55 available in the International round
The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are very similar in structure to Oxford University‘s Rhodes Scholarships. Although the Gates Scholarships are awarded through a more centralized process and have a larger endowment
Fully Funded Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2020
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is fully funded and includes all tuition costs (up to £34,107 per year) as well as a generous maintenance allowance by UK standards, currently set at £17,500. Further, it includes airfare, retreats, and extensive mentorship opportunities. Scholars are also able to access travel funds for conferences, have exclusive use of recreational and social facilities. Besides, they can also participate in an annual retreat to the Lake District in England.
- Academic development funding – from up to £500 to up to £2,000, dependent on the length of your course, to attend conferences and courses.
- Family allowance – up to £10,120 for a first child and up to £4,320 for a second child (2020-21 rate). No funding is provided for a partner.
- Fieldwork – you may apply to keep up to your normal maintenance allowance while on fieldwork as part of your PhD (the Trust does not fund other fieldwork costs as these should be funded by the University Composition Fee).
- Maternity/Paternity funding – should you require it, you may apply to intermit your studies for up to 6 months and continue to receive your maintenance allowance during this time
- Hardship funding – for unforeseen difficulties
Eligibility for International Students to apply Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2020
Candidates from all over the world can apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship if they meet the following requirements:
- a citizen of any country outside the United Kingdom
- applying to pursue one of the following full-time residential courses of study at the University of Cambridge:
- PhD
- MSc/MLitt
- One year postgraduate course (with some exceptions – see below)
- Further, the students should demonstrate excellent 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.
- Additionally, meet all the requirements of pursuing Master’s/PhD program.
How to apply Gates Cambridge Scholarship 2020?
In order to apply for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship, the candidates must apply for the desired postgraduate program. In the option for funding their program, the candidates must mention that they are applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Further, the candidates must provide, along with the application, a 500 words statement explaining why the candidate is applying for the scholarship. Also, the statement should include how the candidate meets the eligibility criteria.
Also, with the application, the applicants should include several letters of recommendation from their university, professors, and community.
Deadline
The course that the candidate is applying for, determines the deadline for Gates Cambridge Foundation. For international students, the deadline is either 3 December 2019 or 7 January 2020. For US Citizens, however, the deadline for Gates Cambridge 2020 scholarship is 9 October 2019.