Eligibility
The Cambridge Bursary is for students studying their first full time undergraduate degree (there are some exceptions, for full eligibility details see the 2022-23 CBS policy document here).
You must be:
- a UK student or an EU student with settled or pre-settled status
- liable to pay tuition fees to the University of Cambridge.
In order to receive the Cambridge Bursary you must first apply to the UK Student Loans Company for financial assistance. You do not have to take up the Student Loan offered but you do have to go through their household income assessment process and be assessed as having an income lower than £42,620 in order to receive the Cambridge Bursary.
The Cambridge Bursary is based purely on household income and does not take into account any other scholarships, awards or Government funding.
Clinical Medical Students receiving the NHS Bursary and students studying Veterinary Medicine, including those studying as Affiliated Students are eligible for the Cambridge Bursary throughout their course. Students on the Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine are also eligible.
Value of Award - 2020 or prior entry
If the SLC assess your household income as below £25,000 per year (or GBP equivalent for EU students) then it is likely you’ll qualify for the full bursary of £3,500 per year.
If the SLC assess your household income as between £25,001 and £42,620 per year, then you'll qualify for a smaller Cambridge Bursary calculated as illustrated below:
| Household Income | Bursary | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| £0 | to | £25,000 | £3,500 |
| £25,001 | to | £26,250 | £3,400 |
| £26,251 | to | £27,500 | £3,145 |
| £27,501 | to | £28,750 | £2,890 |
| £28,751 | to | £30,000 | £2,635 |
| £30,001 | to | £31,250 | £2,380 |
| £31,251 | to | £32,500 | £2,125 |
| £32,501 | to | £33,750 | £1,870 |
| £33,751 | to | £35,000 | £1,615 |
| £35,001 | to | £36,250 | £1,360 |
| £36,251 | to | £37,500 | £1,105 |
| £37,501 | to | £38,750 | £850 |
| £38,751 | to | £40,000 | £595 |
| £40,001 | to | £42,620 | £300 |
| greater than | £42,620 | £0 | |
If your financial circumstances change during your course of study then your eligibility for the Cambridge Bursary, or the level of the Bursary that you receive, may also change.
Independent Students and Care Leavers
Students who are classed as independent by SLC may be eligible for an enhanced award of up to £5,600. The extra funds are intended to help you meet the cost of accommodation over the summer months assuming you do not have a parental home to which to return during that time.
Care leavers will receive the first instalment of their enhanced bursary (£525) before the start of term to help with travel costs and other essential items needed ahead of the start of term. Please be aware this means that you will not receive any payments from the enhanced award until February (you'll receive instalments from the main £3,500 Cambridge Bursary along with other students).
Further Information
Timetable
The Bursary timetable is as follows:
- Applications for SLC funding are now open. We advise you to apply to SLC as soon as possible (at the latest by August), as processing your application takes up to 6 weeks. This would allow your bursary to be fully approved for the first possible payment date in late October. If you apply to SLC later, you will still be considered but your payment will be made later.
- If you are successful you will receive written notification from your College when they have approved your bursary.
- SLC will make payments directly to student's UK bank account each term providing the details held by SLC are correct and your College has confirmed your attendance for that term.