Dreaming of pursuing a Master’s at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, but worried about finances or underrepresentation? The University of Cambridge is here to break those barriers with two remarkable funding opportunities for the 2025-2026 academic year: the Cambridge Opportunity Studentships and the Get In Cambridge Studentships.
What Are These Studentships?
Both of these studentships are part of Cambridge’s continued commitment to equity, inclusion, and access to higher education for UK-domiciled students from disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds.
- Cambridge Opportunity Studentships are for Master’s applicants from low-income households who’ve experienced educational disadvantage and are eligible for Home fee status.
- Get In Cambridge Studentships meet the same eligibility criteria but are specifically designed to support Black, British Bangladeshi, and British Pakistani students — groups historically underrepresented in postgraduate study at Cambridge.
What’s Covered?
These studentships are designed to fully cover your tuition fees and living costs, when combined with the maximum postgraduate government grant or loan available. That means your Master’s degree could be fully funded — without relying on private funds or additional scholarships.
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible, you must:
- Not already hold a Master’s degree or be currently studying at postgraduate level
- Be able to confirm that you do not have the financial means (e.g., savings, income, assets, or other awards) to fund your proposed Master’s course.
You must also meet at least one of the following criteria (and Cambridge welcomes additional personal circumstances, too):
Background-Based Eligibility
- Refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK
- Received Free School Meals at secondary school
- Experienced time in care or were a Foyer resident
- Acted as a young carer
- Lived in one of the UK’s most deprived areas (check your postcode using the government’s IMD tool)
Academic and Personal Circumstances
- First generation in immediate family to attend university
- Received full/partial maintenance grant or maintenance loan depending on when your undergraduate started
- Experienced estrangement from immediate family or caregivers
- Were a full-time undergraduate with caring responsibilities
- Studied while being a single parent or lone guardian
- Faced significant disruptions during undergraduate study (e.g., health difficulties, bereavement).
