The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the most prestigious postgraduate awards in the world — and applications for 2027/28 entry are now open. Run by the Gates Cambridge Trust at the University of Cambridge, UK, this full-cost scholarship lets outstanding students from outside the United Kingdom pursue a PhD, an MLitt, or an eligible one-year master’s degree without paying a single pound of tuition.
What the scholarship covers
Gates Cambridge is a genuine full-cost award. Successful scholars receive: the full University Composition Fee (tuition) at the appropriate rate; a maintenance allowance of £23,152 per year for 12 months; one economy-class airfare at the beginning and end of the programme; and inbound UK visa application costs plus the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Around 70 full-cost scholarships are awarded each year, with roughly two-thirds going to PhD students. For PhD scholars, the maintenance allowance can run for up to four years.
Who can apply
Citizens of any country outside the United Kingdom may apply — including Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and every other West African nation. There is no age limit, and the scholarship looks for academic excellence plus a genuine commitment to improving the lives of others.
Important: you apply for admission and the scholarship through a single Cambridge application form. There is no separate Gates Cambridge application. Select the Gates Cambridge funding option in the form, and both your academic and Gates Cambridge referees must submit their references by your course’s funding deadline.
Key dates for West African applicants
Applications for 2027/28 entry opened on 11 September 2026. For most international applicants (outside the United States), the deadline is your Cambridge course’s funding deadline: either Tuesday, 8 December 2026 or Wednesday, 6 January 2027, at 11:59 PM UK time. Check the deadline attached to your chosen course in Cambridge’s Course Directory — and do not leave it to the last night, because your referees must also submit by the same deadline.
How to apply
- Choose your Cambridge course and check its funding deadline in the Course Directory.
- Start your application through the Cambridge Applicant Portal and select the Gates Cambridge Scholarship funding option.
- Prepare your Gates Cambridge statement, academic statement, CV and research proposal (for research degrees).
- Arrange your references early — the Gates Cambridge reference can be up to 4,000 characters, and referees are the part of the application you cannot control.
Official information and application: https://www.gatescambridge.org
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