The cost of studying or returning to study is often a major concern for mature students. At Cambridge we have one of the best undergraduate bursary schemes in the UK to ensure that students studying for a first undergraduate degree will not be prevented from coming to the University for financial reasons.
In addition to the detailed information below you will find further information about fees and finance on the University of Cambridge website.
What will it cost?
University & College Fees for Undergraduates
There are, broadly speaking, two elements to the cost of studying at University – fees and maintenance.
For undergraduates, fees at Cambridge consist of the University fee and the College fee (see table below).
The College fee does not apply to publicy funded UK and EU students, but does apply to all other undergraduates, e.g. Overseas students, and Home (i.e. UK) and EU students undertaking a second undergraduate degree.
Maintenance means the kind of costs you would incur anywhere – rent, food, books and so on. The University sets a figure that it considers you should allow for maintenance, and it is this figure that you will be asked to guarantee on the financial guarantee form.
Fees and Maintenance Costs 2011-2012
| Student type | University Fees | College Fees* | Total Fees | Maintenance Oct to June | Maintenance July to Sep | Total Maintenance | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home & EU | £3,375 | £4,440 | 7,815 | £7,897 | £2,243+ | £10,140+ | £17,955 |
| Overseas – Arts | £11,829 | £4,440 | £16,269 | £7,897 | £2,243+ | £10,140+ | £26,409 |
| Overseas – Architecture, Geography, Music | £15,480 | £4,440 | £19,920 | £7,897 | £2,243+ | £10,140+ | £30,060 |
| Overseas – Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering | £18,000 | £4,440 | £22,440 | £7,897 | £2,243+ | £10,140+ | £32,580 |
| Overseas – Clinical Medicine & Veterinary Medicine | £28,632 | £4,440 | £33,072 | £7,897 | £2,438+ | £10,140+ | £43,212 |
*The College fee is not applicable to publicly funded UK & EU students, but is applicable to all others.
+Allowance for this element will not be needed in the student’s final year.
Please be aware that fees are reviewed annually and are likely to increase.
Provision for dependants
Additional provision for accompanying dependants should be made in accordance at least with the following rates:
|
Type of dependant |
Amount |
|---|---|
|
Adult dependant |
£6,005 |
|
First accompanying child |
£3,420 |
|
Subsequent child |
£1,165 |
UK students who already have an honours degree
In general, applicants who have an honours degree (by full-time or part-time study, including correspondence and distance learning) from any country are noteligible for financial support from the government, apart from the Disabled Students' Allowance and dependants related grants. This means that they are ineligible for fees and maintenance loans or the income-assessed maintenance grant. They will be required to pay the College fee, plus a University fee of £6,630 in 2011-12.
There are exceptions for certain vocational degree, such as Architecture, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine, where the University fee charged will be £3,375. Maintenance loans will be available for UK graduates studying these subjects at undergraduate level, as well as College fee loans to pay the College fee.
Financial Guarantees
Once you have been offered a place you will be asked to draw up an estimate of the cost of the entire length of your course, and asked to indicate how you expect to finance it. Students are not allowed to take paid employment during term time. Financial plans can include anticipated earnings during the Long Vacation, but you should bear in mind that academic work carries over into a significant part of the Christmas and Easter vacations.
All applicants for the Graduate Medical Course called for interview will be expected to produce evidence, at the time of interview, of how they will pay for both the pre-clinical and clinical stages of their course.
Funding my study
This section gives an overview of the various source of finance available to UK/EU students from the Government, the University and Wolfson College.
STATUTORY FUNDING
Help with Tuition Fees for Home & EU Students 2011-12
All eligible full-time students (new and existing) can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of their fees up to £3,375. This loan will not be means-tested and will be paid by the Student Loans Company direct to the College. Students will start to repay these loans once they have left their course and are earning over £15,000 per annum. There is no age limit on applying for this help. Students who have received government support for a previous Honours degree course will not be eligible to apply for a fee loan. They will be responsible for paying their own tuition fee, which will be at a higher rate (£6,630 in 2011-12) than the usual Home/EU student rate. Some subjects will be exempt from the higher rate, including Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Architecture.
Help with Living Costs for Home* Students
* NOTE: EU students who have been resident in the UK for 3 years may be eligible for help with living costs. For more information contact the Student Finance Services European Team or consult their website.
Maintenance Grant and Maintenance Loans
New students who started their course in October 2009, October 2010 or October 2011, who have not attended a previous course, will be assessed on the following income thresholds. The maximum Maintenance Grant will be £2,906.
|
Household Income |
Amount of Grant |
Maintenance Loan |
|
Up to £25,000 |
Full grant of £2,906 |
£3,497 |
|
£30,000 |
£1,906 |
£3,997 |
|
£34,000 |
£1,106 |
£4,397 |
|
£40,000 |
£711 |
£4,595 |
|
£50,020 |
£50 |
£4,925 |
|
More than £50,020 |
No grant |
£4950 |
|
£60,000 |
No grant |
£3564 |
The amount of loan for which students are eligible will be reduced by 50p for every £1 of maintenance grant to which they are entitled. For income exceeding £50,778 the loan is reduced by £1 for every complete £5 by which the income exceeds £57,778 up to the point where the loan reaches £3,564 (72% of the maximum loan).
Current students who began their course in October 2008 will be assessed on the following income thresholds:
|
Household Income |
Amount of Grant |
Maintenance Loan |
|
Up to £25,000 |
Full grant of £2,906 |
£3,453 |
|
£30,000 |
£2,053 |
£3,453 |
|
£34,459 |
£1,292 |
£3,543 |
|
£50,000 |
£538 |
£4,207 |
|
£60,032 |
No grant |
£4,745 |
|
More than £60,032 |
No grant |
£4,745 |
|
£72,057 |
No grant |
£3,559 |
Current students who began their course in October 2006 or 2007 will be assessed on the following income thresholds:
|
Household Income |
Amount of Grant |
Maintenance Loan |
|
£18,360 |
£2,906 |
£3,453 |
|
£25,000 |
£1,773 |
£3,453 |
|
£30,000 |
£1,057 |
£3,688 |
|
£35,000 |
£518 |
£4,227 |
|
£39,333 |
£50 |
£4,695 |
|
More than £39,333 |
No grant |
£4,745 |
|
£50,791 |
No grant |
£3,559 |
Where students are eligible for more than £1,292 of Maintenance Grant, the amount of Maintenance Loan for which they are eligible will be reduced by £1,292.
The Maintenance Grant is not available to students who are eligible to receive means tested benefits. However, students who are eligible to receive means-tested benefits will receive the Special Support Grant of up to £2,906. The Special Support Grant will be disregarded by the Department for Work and Pensions when assessing means tested benefits as the Grant is for course related costs. If the Special Support Grant is awarded there will not be any substitution for part of the maintenance loan.
The Maintenance Grant and the Student Support Grant will not be available to students who have received government support for a previous course of study.
Student loans to help with living costs are available. They attract a very low rate of interest – at inflation levels. This ensures that the value of the loan that is repaid remains the same as the amount borrowed. The loan is repayable once the student has left their course and earns more than £15,000 per annum. The amount of loan available depends on household income and the amount of any maintenance grant received. (See illustrative tables above.) Students in receipt of the Special Support Grant will receive the full student loan.
Maintenance loans will not be available to students who have already received government support for a previous course of study, unless they are on a course leading to a professional qualification in a number of fields, including Medicine, Veterinary Medicine and Architecture. UK students with an honours degree from any country now studying Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Architecture at undergraduate level may be eligible to apply for a College fee loan.
Other Government Help for Home Students
Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
DSAs help with the extra costs incurred as a direct result of a disability. Help is not dependent on household income and is available for all full-time and some part-time students.
Typical (non-repayable) allowances for full-time Undergraduate students include:
|
General Disabled Students’ Allowance |
Up to £1,724 a year |
|
Specialist equipment allowance |
Up to £5,161 for the whole year |
|
Non-medical helper’s allowance |
Up to £20,520 each year |
|
Reasonable spending on extra travel costs |
|
The Parents’ Learning Allowance
The Parents’ Learning Allowance is non-repayable and worth up to £1,508 a year, depending on household income. It is intended to help with course-related costs for students with dependent children.
Adult Dependants' Grant
If you have a husband, wife or partner, or another adult family member who depends on you financially, you may be eligible for an Adult Dependants' Grant of up to £2,642 a year (non-repayable). The amount depends on household income.
Childcare Grant
This grant is for full-time students with dependent children in registered or approved childcare. The amount payable depends on household income and actual childcare costs. The maximum available is 85% of weekly childcare costs up to a maximum of £148.75 a week for one child, or £255 a week for two or more children. This grant is non-repayable.
Affiliated and Overseas students
Affiliated Students
There is some limited statutory funding available to Home and EU affiliated students: see the section on Statutory Funding above.
Overseas Students
If you are offered a place we will send you an application form for the Cambridge Trusts. You should note that these awards cannot fund your studies entirely, and you will be required to make up the shortfall from other sources.
Support for Medical Students
Standard 6-Year Medical Course (UK & EU students)
A new student who starts a standard medical course in October 2011 would be treated for the first 5 years as any other new student. These students will be charged the University fee of £3,375 (2011/12 rate) and will be eligible for the same package of support as other students, including a fee loan, full rate maintenance loan and the maintenance grant.
In the final year of the medical course you become eligible for a means-tested NHS Bursary, and the NHS also meets the cost of fees on a non-means tested basis. You will cease to be eligible for all other forms of government support, with the exception of a reduced rate (approx. 50%) non means-tested maintenance loan. The NHS Bursary is only available to English and Welsh students, but the NHS will meet the cost of fees in the final year for English, Welsh and EU students.
Graduate Medical Course (4 Years)
NHS means-tested bursary support is available from the second year of this course for English and Welsh students. Therefore, during years 2-4, English, Welsh and EU students will have their tuition fees paid by the NHS. English and Welsh students will be eligible to apply for a reduced rate maintenance loan and an NHS Bursary. Any student on the Graduate Medical course will not pay a College fee in any year. Graduate Medical students will not be eligible for a fee loan in the first year of their course, or for the maintenance grant in any year. Exceptionally, Graduate Medics will be eligibile to a apply for a Cambridge Bursary in their first year only.