Finance, funding, scholarships, and bursaries
Postgraduate study is expensive, but there are a number of scholarships available at Jesus College.
University fees
You'll need to pay the University Composition Fee for each year you study at Cambridge, except for beyond the third year of the PhD. Before coming to Cambridge, you must have guaranteed funding for every year of your course, including your expected maintenance costs, which are estimated for you during the postgraduate application process.
It's very unlikely that you'll be able to find extra funding once you are at Cambridge, so please don't count on this. We can't offer financial assistance for fees or living costs.
College deposit
When you arrive at the College you'll need to deposit a sum of money with us as ‘caution money’, whether you live in College accommodation or not. The money will be refunded after you complete your course, minus any amount taken out to cover damage to College property etc. Most students get their deposit back in full.
Grants, prizes, and bursaries
Some travel and study grants, small bursaries, and prizes are offered throughout the academic year for achievements in sports, specific subject areas, and residencies. There is also a Postgraduate Research Fund, which is available to current postgraduate students by application, to help with the costs of attending conferences and research visits.
Working while you study
The University has specific regulations regarding undertaking employment (whether paid or unpaid) whilst studying and expects students to give careful thought to what would be realistic and manageable alongside their academically demanding study and extra curricular activities. However, where possible within the regulations and other commitments there are opportunities to undertake paid work within College on a temporary and part time basis. Further information on the University regulations about working while you study can be found on the Cambridge students website. If you are studying on a student visa (either a Tier 4 or Student visa), it is also your responsibility to be clear about restrictions on working while studying imposed by immigration regulations.
Scholarships for new courses starting October 2025
University of Cambridge postgraduate applications open for courses starting in the 2025/26 academic year on 01 September 2024. To apply for available scholarships at Jesus College (listed below) it is essential that you tick the option on your online University postgraduate application form that you would like to be automatically considered for funding. You will then be asked to opt in to the specific scholarships listed that you are eligible for based on your answers earlier in the form. Candidates of outstanding merit may also be contacted directly by the College or associated funding bodies for certain awards. No separate application is required for any scholarship listed below. Jesus College scholarships are also listed in the University of Cambridge Postgraduate Funding Search database (type "Jesus" in the search box).
Applicants do not need to have an offer of membership of Jesus College at the time of application (and do not need to nominate Jesus College as a preference in their online postgraduate application form), but do need to be aware that if an offered award is accepted, the recipient will need to transfer and be a confirmed member of Jesus College for their proposed course in order to take up the award. If any further information is needed, please email pgscholarships@jesus.cam.ac.uk.
Embiricos Trust Scholarship (for a PhD or CPGS course)
One Embiricos Trust Scholarship is awarded each year to a PhD or CPGS applicant in Physical Science, Engineering or Mathematics, at the University of Cambridge with Greek, Greek Cypriot or British primary nationality. Relevant fields include Engineering and Electrical Sciences, Manufacturing Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Computer Science. There can be three concurrent recipients. Postgraduates who have already started their doctorate are not eligible. The candidate, who will be of considerable distinction, will be selected by Jesus College. The scholarship offers an annual contribution of up to £20,000 for a maximum of three and a half years, subject to satisfactory progress.
Gurnee Hart Masters Scholarship (for a full-time Masters course)
Up to two Gurnee Hart Scholarships are available for award for the 2025/26 academic year to Masters applicants at the University of Cambridge in History or historical studies (for a course offered by the Faculty of History or Department of History and Philosophy of Science only). The candidate, who will be of considerable distinction, will be selected by Jesus College. The Development and Alumni Relations Office at Jesus College request that the successful applicants write a report, when prompted, detailing what the scholarship has enabled them to achieve, which will be shared with the donor. Each scholarship is worth a total of £13,000 for a maximum of one year (tied to course length), subject to satisfactory progress.
Albert Goh and Elizabeth Coupe Scholarship (for a full-time Masters)
One Albert Goh and Elizabeth Coupe Scholarship is awarded each year to a Masters applicant at the University of Cambridge in the Humanities or Social Sciences. The candidate, who will be of considerable distinction, will be selected by Jesus College. The Development and Alumni Relations Office at Jesus College request that the successful applicants write a report, when prompted, detailing what the scholarship has enabled them to achieve, which will be shared with the donors. This scholarship is worth a total of £15,000 for a maximum of one year (tied to course length), subject to satisfactory progress.
Hogwood Scholarship in partnership with the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) (for a PhD course)
Jesus College is extremely grateful to the Estate of the late Christopher Hogwood for this generous benefaction. This award allows full funding of a PhD student of outstanding merit and is awarded annually for 3.25 academic years (subject to satisfactory research progress), allowing for three scholars to be in residence at any one time. This scholarship will be match funded 50:50 by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Hogwood benefaction at Jesus College and is administered by the AHRC. The Development and Alumni Relations Office at Jesus College request that the successful applicants write a report, when prompted, detailing what the scholarship has enabled them to achieve, which will be shared with the donor's family.
Cambridge Masters and Jesus College Studentship in partnership with the Cambridge Trust (CCEIT) (for a Masters course)
Three Cambridge Masters and Jesus College Studentships are awarded annually to postgraduate applicants ordinarily resident in the UK, to assist with the costs of Masters courses in any discipline of up to one year in duration. These are joint awards (each worth £12,000 in total) match funded 50:50 by the Cambridge Trust (CCEIT) and Jesus College.
Nick Mills Scholarship in Conservation Leadership (for a Masters course)
One Nick Mills Scholarship in Conservation Leadership is awarded directly each year in collaboration with the charity Fauna & Flora International and the Department of Geography, to an overseas Masters candidate studying for an MPhil in Conservation Leadership at the University of Cambridge. The candidate, who will be of considerable distinction, will be selected by the Department of Geography. The scholarship is subject to annual confirmation of available funding from the Fauna & Flora International. This scholarship is worth a total of £10,000, subject to satisfactory progress.
John Killen Scholarship (for a Masters course )
One John Killen Scholarship is awarded directly in conjunction with the Faculty of Classics. The award is made to an outstanding MPhil in Classics applicant, and is selected by the Faculty of Classics. Preference will be given to those with an interest in any of the following areas: the epigraphy and interpretation of Linear B; comparative philology; or the archaeology of Greece in the second millennium BC. The Development and Alumni Relations Office at Jesus College request that the successful applicants write a report, when prompted, detailing what the scholarship has enabled them to achieve, which will be shared with the donor's family. Made available by a generous donation from William and Patricia Burnside, the John Killen Scholarship is named in recognition of Professor Killen’s contribution to teaching and research at Jesus College. This scholarship is worth a total of £9,000, subject to satisfactory progress.
Brian and Janis Buckley Scholarship (for a Masters course )
One or more Brian and Janis Buckley Scholarships are awarded directly in conjunction with the Faculty of Classics. The award(s) are made to an outstanding MPhil in Classics applicant, and selected by the Faculty of Classics. The Development and Alumni Relations Office at Jesus College request that the successful applicants write a report, when prompted, detailing what the scholarship has enabled them to achieve. This scholarship amount varies, but may be worth up to a total of £4,500, subject to satisfactory progress.
John Eliot Harvard-Cambridge Scholarship (for a Masters course )
The John Eliot Harvard-Cambridge Scholarship, in partnership with Harvard College, Massachusetts, provides a full scholarship (fees and accommodation costs) for Masters courses up to one academic year in duration, plus a stipend to cover living expenses and some travel. There is no separate application form. The recipient is selected annually by Harvard and the applicant must be a graduating Senior of Harvard College applying to a Masters course at the University of Cambridge. The selection Committee are all former Harvard-Cambridge Scholars.
Other funding sources
Many additional potential sources of funding can be found using the University of Cambridge Postgraduate Funding Search database. It is also a good idea to contact your Faculty to inquire about discipline-specific grants, scholarships or bursaries. Some students may be eligible to apply for US loans. You can read information on the page linked to above and on the consumer information page.
If you are a choral scholar or training to be ordained, you may be eligible for the following two additional scholarships available at Jesus College:
Jesus College Hadfield-Rawlinson Postgraduate Choral Scholarships
This award is available for postgraduate students who have the experience and wish to participate fully in the College choirs either as an organ scholar or choral scholar. The award can be held by one or two postgraduates in any academic year. Current Jesus students are eligible too. Please ask for more information by emailing the Chapel and Choir Office Coordinator at Jesus College. This scholarship is worth £500.
The Dunne Fund
If you're training for the ordained ministry of the Church of England and studying at Jesus College as part of your training, you may be eligible for a scholarship to help cover the cost of your fees. Please contact your theological college principal to find out more. The amount of the award varies.
Research fellowships
In July and August each year we invite applications for paid research fellowships, two in an arts subject and one in a science subject. Fellowships normally last three years, and are open to those who have completed, or are close to completing, their doctoral research. More information is available during July and August on our vacancies page.
If you have any questions about postgraduate scholarships at Jesus College please email us at pgscholarships@jesus.cam.ac.uk.
