The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship

The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship has been established by the Cambridge Trust for students who face severe barriers in coming to study at Cambridge.

Who is eligible for the scholarship?

To be eligible, applicants (undergraduate or graduate) need to:
(1) hold a conditional offer of admission to the University of Cambridge for any degree;
(2) be from an area of instability or zone of conflict
(3) be, or have been, at risk of discrimination, persecution, suffering, violence or other abuse of their human rights.

Note: The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentships are not available for courses offered by the Institute of Continuing Education, premium rate courses offered by the Judge Business School (including MBA, MFin, EMBA etc.) or for courses where the fees are charged at the higher Clinical rate.

Applicants DO NOT need to have refugee status. Please see the application form for more information on what is asked of applicants.

What expenses does the studentship cover?

The Studentship is a full-cost award; it covers both
(1) tuition and
(2) maintenance
The Studentship could also include other costs of coming to study in Cambridge such as travel, visa costs and the immigration health surcharge.

How many studentships are available?

The University aspires to achieve approximately 10 scholarships per year in the long term. The exact number awarded per year is dependent upon the number of eligible candidates, funding considerations, etc.

How will the Cambridge Trust decide who to award the studentships to?

Selection panels will assess applications taking regard of the severity of barriers faced to pursuing higher education at the University of Cambridge.

When will applicants hear back?

By the end of May before the commencement of their course.

Please visit the Trust’s website for more detailed information on eligibility, application and selection.

Interested in applying for the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship? Here’s what to do now:

(1) Choose a course that you are interested in studying. Lists of courses available can be found here for undergraduates and here for postgraduates.

(2) Choose a college to study at, or make an open application. A list of colleges at Cambridge can be found here, and this page contains information on how to choose a college and what the college system at Cambridge is like.

(3) Complete your application to study a course at Cambridge. For undergraduates, make an application through the UCAS system. For postgraduates, apply through the postgraduate application portal.

(4) Apply for the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship on the Cambridge Trust website.

Undergraduates: Apply for admission to the University of Cambridge in the normal way via a UCAS application and by the published deadline; if offered conditional admission by a Cambridge College, complete an Application for Scholarships for Undergraduate Studies offered by the Cambridge Trust (sent by the College at time of conditional offer) including a Personal Statement of how you meet the eligibility criteria.

Postgraduates: Apply by the Graduate Funding deadline for your chosen course of study. Tick the box to apply for funding, and fill in the Cambridge Trust section of the online form stating how you meet the eligibility criteria as part of their application for admission through the University’s Applicant Portal.

The Trust will look at the personal statements of all applicants with conditional offers of admission for undergraduate or postgraduate study from countries that are undergoing conflict or are perceived to be unstable. A separate application form on which to apply for the Rowan Williams Studentships, which has been designed to be returned directly to the Trust to assist them in the identification of eligible applicants, will be sent to potential applicants. The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship application form is also available here.

It is also worth using the Cambridge Trust’s Scholarship Search Tool to search for all financial assistance you may be eligible for. You may be able to access additional funding.

The Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Master’s Scholarships at King’s College Cambridge

Established in 2020 by the Quantedge Foundation, a philanthropic foundation based in Singapore, this scholarship would allow one student each year to study for an MPhil at King’s College, one of the colleges that makes up the University of Cambridge. More information about the scholarship can be found here. Further assistance from the King’s graduate admissions team can be sought by contacting them here.

How many places are there?

There is one place every year (with each academic year beginning in September).

Are there any eligibility criteria?

Yes – candidates must have full refugee status granted by the UK, with permission to remain. Participants may be required to show relevant documentation from UK Visas and Immigration to confirm this.

What costs does the studentship cover?

The studentship covers both tuition fees and standard maintenance costs for a student at the university, so the studentship holder should have everything provided for their study at the University of Cambridge. You can still apply for the studentship if you have already secured partial funding.

How can I apply?

Apply to your chosen MPhil course at the University, listing King’s College as your #1 college choice.
Return a Quantedge-Cambridge Refugee Scholarship application form to the Graduate Admissions Office at King’s College no later than your course deadline.

This link contains useful information about applying for graduate study at King’s College, Cambridge.

Studentships at the University of Cambridge