HRH The Prince of Wales to become Trusts' Patron

As Patron, His Royal Highness, who graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, will maintain his longstanding connection with the Trusts, and his support for our work in helping deserving overseas students to take up their places in Cambridge.

At their meeting on 9 July 2010 the Trustees elected Sir Martin Harris, President of Clare Hall, as Chair-elect. Sir Martin, previously Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester and of the University of Essex, will succeed to the Chair of the Trusts on 1 October 2010.

The Trustees also elected Mr Simon Lebus, Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment, as Deputy Chair with immediate effect. Since April 2009, Mr Lebus has been Executive Chair of the Trusts, a position which has been discontinued as part of a simplification of the Trusts’ governance arrangements.

Both the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and the Cambridge Overseas Trust were established as charities by the University of Cambridge in the 1980s in order to provide financial support for international students on degree courses at Cambridge.

The aim of the Trusts is to enable candidates of outstanding academic merit, who would not otherwise be able to take up places at Cambridge, to pursue courses of study or research.

They offer awards to selected students at PhD, Masters and undergraduate level in all subjects, and at all 31 Colleges of the University of Cambridge.

Awards, which include both full-cost and part-cost scholarships, are made only at the beginning of a course of study, and continue for the duration of the course. Most of the award schemes take account of financial need, and all consider academic merit.

To be considered for an award by the Trusts a student must be admitted by the University as a student. More information is available at the website linked above right.