All the Best — Cambridge’s Student Support Initiative

Help us to ensure that all students with the potential to excel, not just some, have a chance to study at Cambridge and its Colleges.

All the Best — Cambridge’s Student Support Initiative

Removing barriers that stand in the way

This means reaching, supporting and funding the students with the greatest potential we can find, from all parts of the UK and the world.

Undergraduate or postgraduate, if they have the talent and tenacity, then nothing else matters — they will be welcome here, valued here, and will thrive here.

By raising £500 million, we can target the areas that matter: funding undergraduates, postgraduates and their wellbeing — and it will make all the difference.

Now all we need is your help

All the Best: Our Student Support Initiative

The initiative has three core priorities:

Financial support for undergraduates

Cambridge has made great strides in widening access — in the 2018 admissions cycle, over 65% of undergraduates came from state schools.

But we know there is more we can do to reach the brightest students from all backgrounds.

We want to identify and admit the most talented undergraduates, including those who have suffered real socio-economic and educational disadvantage, and ensure we have the means to offer the financial support they need to thrive here.

New postgraduate scholarships

Today's postgraduates are tomorrow's leaders, especially in academia and industry.

Postgraduates are vital to Cambridge and its research — and to remain a global leader in research means that access to higher degrees must not be limited to those who are sure they can afford it.

We want to increase the number of postgraduates taking up a place at Cambridge and create a more diverse cohort of the most talented students.

Student life and wellbeing

We want students to have the fullest possible experience at Cambridge, and to remove any barriers that stand in their way.

Today’s students face a range of unprecedented challenges, before and during university. Our ambition is to actively promote student mental health and wellbeing and to renew our commitment to provide the very best support we can. This means investing in excellent preventative programmes, as well as continuing to support a range of counselling and therapeutic resources.

We recognise the importance of physical and social activities, both in their own right and to overall well-being. Participation in sports, drama, music and other clubs and societies enriches students' lives, fosters important skills, and contributes to their overall fulfilment.

Supporting student life and well-being will help to ensure students can truly thrive at Cambridge.

Next steps

Any gift towards student support, whether given to a College or to the University, will count towards our £500 million target. More than £200 million has already been raised.

To learn more about our ambitions for student support, please contact your College or:

Nathaniel Wright

Associate Director — Student Support

nrfw2@cam.ac.uk

Opportunities in 'All the Best — Cambridge’s Student Support Initiative'

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Changing perceptions, removing barriers and transforming lives.
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A full scholarship at Cambridge removes the financial barrier to study that the majority of talented students would otherwise face. However, many students face additional financial pressures beyond meeting the costs of fees and their own living expenses – and an increasingly common reason is childcare. At any one time, Cambridge has between 500 and 800 student parents. 
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Help support students at Cambridge experiencing unexpected financial hardship.
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Cambridge’s bold and ambitious programme to address educational and social disadvantage.

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