Undergraduate Admissions

Financial support

Government student loan for living costs (for UK students only)

In addition to the student loan for fees you will be able to take out a student loan to cover your living costs. As a guide, in 2009–10 the maximum amount that can be borrowed by students living away from home is £4,950. The money you borrow will have to be paid back in instalments once you have graduated and are earning a minimum salary determined by the DIUS (currently £15,000 per year).

To help cover your living costs you may also be entitled to a government maintenance grant and a Cambridge Bursary.

Government maintenance grants (for UK students only)

Full-time students from lower income families will be entitled to a government maintenance grant that does not have to be paid back. Levels of support vary between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the amount you receive is dependent on your household’s income, as assessed by the appropriate student finance award agency. However, to give an indication, an English student could receive up to £2,906 per year in 2009-10. More information about maintenance grants is available from the government’s Student Finance website (www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance).

There are also grants available for certain groups of students such as student parents and those with a disability. More information about these forms of financial support is available from the Directgov website.

Cambridge Bursary Scheme

Cambridge Bursaries and Costs: The facts
Cambridge Bursaries and Costs: The facts

We are committed to the principle that no UK/EU student should be deterred from applying to the University of Cambridge because of financial considerations, and that no student should have to leave because of financial difficulties. As a result we have one of the most extensive financial support programmes in the UK to ensure that students can meet the cost of their Cambridge education, regardless of background.

See the Cambridge Bursary Scheme website for details.

College awards

There are additional sources of funding available at College level to which students can apply. See the College awards page for further details.

Access to Learning Fund

The University also has an Access to Learning Fund to support students that have particular financial needs or who are facing unexpected financial difficulties. More information is available on the University's Access to Learning webpage.

Sports grants and bursaries

A small amount of financial support is available to outstanding sportspeople studying at the University. See www.sport.cam.ac.uk/bursaries/ for details.

Music awards

Cambridge is well-known for the excellence and diversity of its music-making, and as a result has a number of choral, organ and instrumental awards for outstanding musicians. More information is available from our Music Awards pages.

Support for students with a disability

Students with a disability may be eligible for the government's Disabled Students' Allowance, to help with costs incurred as a direct result of their disability. More information is available from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (www.dius.gov.uk). The University also has a number of funds specifically for students with a disability and more information is available from www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/funds/disability/.

Support for students with dependent children

Financial support for students with dependent children is available from the University through the Access to Learning Fund and the Childcare Bursary Scheme. For more information see www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/funds/parents/.