Cambridge Trust International Scholarships 2027/28 In The Uk: Fully Funded Phd Study At The University Of Cambridge — Deadline 8 December 2026 Or 6 January 2027

Cambridge Trust International Scholarships 2027/28 in the UK: Fully Funded PhD Study at the University of Cambridge — Deadline 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027

If you are planning a PhD in the UK, the Cambridge Trust International Scholarships 2027/28 are one of the most generous doctoral awards available: they cover full tuition fees plus a living allowance for research leading to a PhD at the University of Cambridge. Applications are open now, and your funding deadline is either Tuesday 8 December 2026 or Wednesday 6 January 2027, depending on your course.

Key deadline: submit your complete PhD application, including references, by 23:59 GMT on your course's funding deadline — 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027. There is no separate scholarship application: you are considered for the award through your PhD application itself. But do not leave it to the last day — the funding deadline is not the same as the course application deadline, and if you apply after your course's funding deadline, you will not be considered for Trust funding at all, even if the course is still accepting applications.

What the scholarship offers

According to the Cambridge Trust's official scholarship page, the Cambridge Trust International Scholarships aim to ensure that the highest-scored PhD students, irrespective of nationality, receive full financial support to undertake research leading to a PhD. Each award covers:

• The University Composition Fee (UCF) — your full tuition fees at the international rate
• A maintenance allowance sufficient for a single person — your living costs while you study

This is a fully funded PhD award: tuition and living costs are both covered. One point to note — if you receive a full-cost scholarship from any other source (excluding Gates Cambridge and Harding), the Trust award lapses and you are instead offered the status of Honorary Trust Scholar.

Who is eligible?

The scholarships are open to applicants who will be undertaking research leading to a PhD at the University of Cambridge in the 2027/28 academic year. The key eligibility rules are:

• Nationality and fee status: You must be from a country other than the UK or Ireland and required to pay fees at the international rate (the parallel Vice-Chancellor's Awards cover UK and Irish applicants paying home fees)
• Study level: You must be applying for a PhD research degree — the award is for research leading to a PhD, in any subject
• Academic standard: Selection is based on academic merit. A University committee draws up a scored list of PhD applicants across all disciplines, and the highest-scored students receive the awards — so a strong research proposal, references and academic record matter
• College: The scholarship is tenable at any College of the University of Cambridge

How this award differs from Gates Cambridge

Cambridge offers more than one fully funded route for international PhD students, and it is easy to mix them up:

• Cambridge Trust International Scholarships: Awarded on academic merit to the highest-ranked PhD applicants across all disciplines, through the University's central funding competition. No separate application — you apply for your PhD and tick the funding box.
• Gates Cambridge Scholarship: A separate, highly competitive award with its own selection criteria, including leadership and a commitment to improving the lives of others. The US-citizen round closed on 14 October 2026; the international round shares the same 8 December 2026 / 6 January 2027 course funding deadlines. (We covered Gates Cambridge separately — see our earlier post.)
• Vice-Chancellor's Awards: The same scheme as the International Scholarships, but for UK and Irish applicants paying home fees.

You can be considered for several Cambridge funds through the same application, so ticking the funding box in the Applicant Portal puts you in the running for the full range of University scholarships you are eligible for.

Key dates for 2027/28 entry

• Applications: Open now — apply through the University of Cambridge Applicant Portal
• Funding deadline: Tuesday 8 December 2026 or Wednesday 6 January 2027 at 23:59 GMT, depending on your course — check the funding deadline on your course page in the Postgraduate Course Directory (late or incomplete applications, including missing references, are not considered for funding)
• Funding decisions: Offers of funding are usually made from February, with the peak awarding period in March–April, continuing until late June; if you have not received a funding offer by July, you should assume your University funding application has been unsuccessful

How to apply

1. Find your PhD course in the University of Cambridge Postgraduate Course Directory and check the funding deadline listed for that course — 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027.
2. Apply for admission to your chosen PhD programme through the University's Applicant Portal, well before your course's funding deadline.
3. Tick the box "Yes — I wish to apply for funding" in the funding section of the portal. That is how you are considered for the Cambridge Trust International Scholarship — there is no extra scholarship form to complete.
4. Make sure your complete application, including references, is submitted by 23:59 GMT on your funding deadline. Your department will assess your course application first, then consider you for funding, and your application will be passed to funding providers — including the Cambridge Trust — for any opportunities you are eligible for.

Why this one is worth noting

Cambridge is one of the world's leading research universities, and this is its flagship doctoral funding scheme for international researchers — full fees plus a living allowance, open to overseas students in every discipline, with no separate form to fill in. The trade-off is that it is fiercely competitive: awards go to the highest-scored applicants across the whole University, so your PhD application itself has to be outstanding. The single most important thing is timing — find your course's funding deadline now, line up your referees early, and submit a complete application well ahead of 8 December 2026 or 6 January 2027.

Official links

• Cambridge Trust — Cambridge International Scholarships & Vice-Chancellor's Awards
• University of Cambridge — Postgraduate funding (2027/28 funding deadlines)
• University of Cambridge — Postgraduate Funding Search

Details verified against the Cambridge Trust's official scholarship page and the University of Cambridge's official postgraduate funding page on 5 November 2026. Deadlines depend on your course and can change, so always confirm the funding deadline for your chosen PhD programme in the Postgraduate Course Directory before you apply.