Working while you study
Full-time students
Research postgraduate students
Information can be found on the Postgraduate Research Students Information SharePoint site.
Undergraduate students
Students are not expected to undertake paid work during term-time. Cambridge seeks to keep student living costs manageable, and accordingly the vast majority of students do not work during term-time, concentrating instead on their academic studies and co-curricular/social activities. Cambridge terms are short so many students work during the vacations, especially, for undergraduate students, in the long vacation in the summer. Students should consult their Faculty or Department for further details regarding official vacation periods during their studies and note that, depending on the course, studies may continue into the summer.
Students are reminded of the financial support that is available through the Colleges and the University.
Any students who undertake work should first consider the impact this may have on their studies and discuss the matter with their Tutor. Students should always take into account personal constraining factors, including visa and financial sponsorship restrictions. Pressure created by paid working will not normally be accepted as extenuating circumstances for examination mitigation, in cases where results are disappointing.
Taught postgraduate students
Students are not expected to undertake paid work during term-time. Cambridge seeks to keep student living costs manageable, and accordingly the vast majority of students do not work during term-time, concentrating instead on their academic studies and co-curricular/social activities. Cambridge terms are short so many students work during the vacations. Taught postgraduate students should consult their Faculty or Department for further details regarding official vacation periods during their studies and note that, depending on the course, studies may continue into the summer. Students are expected to remain in Cambridge for the duration of the course. Any time between the end of Easter full term and the dissertation submission deadline should not be considered as vacation as students are still expected to be working on their studies at this time.
Students are reminded of the financial support that is available through the Colleges and the University.
Any applicant on a postgraduate taught course who will be employed when they start their course, or who subsequently wishes to take up employment during the course, must obtain permission from their Faculty or Department.
Any students who wish to undertake work should consider the impact this may have on their studies and discuss the matter with their Tutor. Students should always take into account personal constraining factors, including visa and financial sponsorship restrictions. Pressure created by paid working will not normally be accepted as extenuating circumstances for examination mitigation, in cases where results are disappointing.
Students on a Student visa should also read the relevant section of this page.
Students holding a Student visa
Students on a Student visa must ensure they fully understand and comply with the working conditions of their immigration permission. A student visa restricts the number of hours a student can work and does not permit self-employment, engaging in business activity, or certain other types of work. It is essential that students on a Student visa obtain a formal worker's agreement or employment contract before undertaking any work, including undergraduate supervisions or other work within the Collegiate University.
You may find that other students (who are not on a Student visa) may not need to have the same documentation in place.
Students are advised to read the full guidance about working on a student visa to prevent working in breach of their visa conditions.
Income Tax
Students who wish to undertake work:
- should ensure that they are aware of any visa or tax implications with regards to their employment or employment status.
- may be liable for tax and potentially national insurance payments depending on their circumstances. Any monies earned would be considered income which is potentially taxable.
The taxable status of a studentship may depend on whether the recipient is required to provide work as an element of the studentship.
Further information can be found at www.gov.uk/tax-come-to-uk or should be sought from the Faculty, Department, College or external employer, although the University is not able to provide personal tax advice to students.
Part-time students
Part-time students are not restricted in the hours they can work, but their admission interview will explore the extent to which they will be able to manage their work and study and their Supervisor is asked to keep the balance between these elements under review.