Financial support for undergraduates

We want to ensure that all students with the potential to excel have the chance to study Classics at Cambridge, not just some. The four-year undergraduate course attracts students who have a strong interest in the classical world but have not had the opportunity to study Latin or Greek to A-level. We can help remove barriers and achieve our widening participation aims by offering financial support to applicants who have suffered a socio-economic and educational disadvantage.

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Postgraduate studentships

We want to increase the number of funded studentships for postgraduate applicants to expose more of the ablest young intellects to Classics’ mind-expanding challenges. We face two challenges. One is the challenge posed by declining research council funding (a problem exacerbated by fee rises for students from the European Union, who are no longer treated as ‘home’). We are proud of our large, international, and diverse student body and want to ensure that we continue attracting the best students worldwide. The other is the challenge of making postgraduate work in Classics possible for the best students, whatever their undergraduate exposure to Greek and Latin. 

To face the first of these challenges we need to expand our support for those on the MPhil and PhD programmes.

• A gift of £25.5k* will support one MPhil studentship in Classics, covering University fees and living expenses for nine months’ study
• A gift of £98k* will support one PhD studentship in Classics, covering University fees and living expenses for three to four years
• A gift of £650k* will create a permanently endowed fund to fund one PhD studentship every three to four years**

To face the second challenge, we are committed to expanding the range of entry points to postgraduate study to allow students with a broader range of experiences and perspectives and a broader range of educational backgrounds. By introducing a Master of Advanced Study (MASt) foundation year of postgraduate teaching, we will be able to give students the language training they need to prepare them for the MPhil and subsequent PhD programmes.

A gift of £25.5k* will provide one fully-funded studentship (fees and maintenance) for the additional year of study that will be essential in enabling students to take advantage of the programme.

Make a gift now 

Notes:

*These are based on the one-year MPhil and four-year PhD programmes at the home rate. The equivalent figures for overseas students would be £41.5k for one MPhil studentship, £150k for one PhD studentship, and £1.1M to create a permanent endowment for a PhD studentship. 

** The University Contribution Scheme for endowed PhD Studentships: As part of the University’s Student Support Initiative, with a focus on expanding the size, quality and diversity of the postgraduate population, funds have been ring-fenced to incentivise donations to create endowed PhD studentships. When you give to endow a PhD studentship, the University will contribute 25% of the total cost (an amount equivalent to one-third of your gift).