Back entrance to Bredon House

Grants & Loans

Wolfson students can apply via their Tutors for a wide variety of University-based funds and charities.

Back entrance to Bredon House

Grants & Loans for postgraduate students

You can find an overview of the different loans available to postgraduate students on the University of Cambridge website here.

Master's Loans

You can apply for a loan of up to £10,906 as a contribution to your course and living costs. The loan is paid in three instalments over the academic year. You must be studying for a taught or research Master's course, live in England and be under 60 at the start of the first academic year of the course. You will start repayment in the April after you complete or leave your course if you earn over £21,000 per year. The repayments are 6% of income over £21,000 (that's £1,750 a month or £404 a week). Additional information can be found on the gov.uk finance pages.

Doctoral Loans

You can borrow up to £25,700 for your entire course. This loan is not based on you or your family's income. The loan is paid directly to you in three instalments each year. Your course must be full-time or part-time, taught or research-based (or a combination of both). You must be ordinarily resident in the UK and aged under 60. The repayments are 6% of income over £21,000. Additional information can be found on the gov.uk finance pages.

Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)

You can apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) to cover some of the extra costs you have because of a mental health problem, long term illness or any other disability.

DSAs are dependent on individual need, not household income and are provided by the Government. They are paid in addition to any student finance loans and you don’t have to pay them back. Postgraduates can get a single allowance of up to £10,993 a year. DSAs help with the cost of:

  • specialist equipment, like computer software
  • non-medical helpers, like a note-taker or reader
  • extra travel costs you have to pay because of your disability
  • other costs, like photocopying

DSAs do not cover disability-related costs you would have if you were not attending a course, or costs that any student might have. Additional information can be found on the gov.uk finance pages.

Funding for students from the United States

Students from the United States can find out more information about funding on the Cambridge University Consumer information page, and you can find specific information about applying for a federal loan to study at the University of Cambridge on the US loans page.  

Cambridge Trusts

Cambridge University have Trust scholarships to help students to fund their studies.

Rowan Williams Studentship

For new students only, postgraduate and undergraduate. The Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship is a new programme established by the Cambridge Trust to support students who face severe barriers in coming to study in Cambridge. Eligible candidates may be from an area of instability or zone of conflict; or be at risk of discrimination, persecution, suffering, violence or other abuse of their human rights. Find out more on the Cambridge Trust website.

Other funding sources

You could also try the Student Funding website and PostgraduateFunding.com, a database of small grants.

Wolfson College Travel & Research and Vacation Project Grants

Wolfson College supports students who travel to complete a research or subject-related activity away from their studies in the University of Cambridge. The Travel & Research Grants support subject-related and necessary trips, whereas the Vacation Project Grant is offered to students who go on trips that while subject-related also support the wider personal development of the student. Postgraduate students on one or two-year courses can apply for up to £400, and PhD students can apply for up to £1200 over the course of their study. You can find out more about these grants here.

Hardship Fund

The Wolfson College Hardship Fund can help students in cases of unforeseen and unexpected financial difficulties (as distinct from failure to access funds which were guaranteed as part of the admissions procedure). Such assistance may be in the form of adjusted payment schedules or a loan or, in cases of serious hardship, a grant. Find out more about the hardship fund here.