The official listing is called the Cambridge Trust International Scholarship, and most people search for it as the Cambridge International Scholarship. There is no separate scholarship form. You apply for your PhD course, tick the funding box in the Applicant Portal, and submit before your course's funding deadline.
I compared the University's funding page, the Cambridge Trust's postgraduate guidance, and the official funding listing before writing this guide. Below you will find a time zone table, separate sections for Pakistani, US, and other international applicants, and a short list of places where the official pages do not fully agree.
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| A planning guide to the Cambridge Trust International Scholarship for PhD applicants |
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Provider | Cambridge Trust, for study at the University of Cambridge, UK |
| Degree level | PhD, full-time or part-time |
| Funding type | Fully funded: international course fees, maintenance, and the Student Immigration Health Surcharge |
| Duration | Course length. Extendable, but the optional writing-up period is not automatically funded |
| Open to | All countries except the UK and Ireland (overseas fee status) |
| Deadlines (2027/28 entry) | December 8, 2026 or January 6, 2027, 11:59 PM GMT, depending on your course |
| Separate scholarship form | No. Tick the funding box in your course application |
| Funding decisions | Rolling, from mid-February to the end of July 2027 |
| PhD application fee | £20 per applicant for each academic year of entry (waivers exist) |
The funding deadline is not the same as the normal course deadline. Your complete application, including references, must be in by 11:59 PM GMT on your course's funding date. That is 4:59 AM PKT the next morning, 6:59 PM ET, and 3:59 PM PT on the same day.
- Overview
- Who Can Apply
- How Winners Are Selected
- Funding and Benefits
- Required Documents
- English Language Requirements
- Costs
- Application Procedure
- Deadlines and Time Zones
- Residence Permit or Visa
- For Pakistani Applicants
- For US Applicants
- For Other International Applicants
- After You Receive an Offer
- Common Mistakes
- Scam Warning Signs
- How to Apply Safely
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Words
- Official Links
- Read More
Overview
The Cambridge Trust, formally the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust, funds Master's and PhD students at the University of Cambridge. The International Scholarship is its main PhD award for applicants who are not from the UK or Ireland.
Applicants from the UK and Ireland who pay the home fee rate are considered for a different award, the Vice-Chancellor's Awards. Do not mix the two up when you search the funding database.
Subject Areas
The Trust says you may study any subject offered by the University, apart from a short list of excluded degree types. The funding listing groups eligible PhD courses under these subject areas. Confirm that your own course appears in the live listing before you apply.
Science and Technology
Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Science and Technology.
Health and Life
Medicine and Health Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Psychology.
Social Sciences
Economics, Education, Law, Politics and International Relations, Social Sciences, Business and Management.
Arts and Humanities
Arts and Humanities, History and Archaeology.
The funding listing still shows the 2026/27 award year and was last updated on June 29, 2026. The 2027/28 deadlines, however, are confirmed on the University's funding page. I use the University page for dates and treat the listing's other details as the current best guide, so recheck them before you apply.
Who Can Apply
This section covers eligibility only. How the committee ranks eligible people is a separate question, covered in the next section.
Core Eligibility
- Level: You must be applying for a PhD, either full-time or part-time.
- Nationality: Any country except the UK and Ireland, with overseas fee status.
- Course: Any eligible Cambridge PhD course listed in the funding search.
- College: The award can be held at any Cambridge College.
Rules That Catch Applicants Out
- The Trust does not fund a degree at the same level as, or lower than, one you already hold. The exception is a required second MPhil before a PhD.
- It does not accept applications from students already part-way through a Cambridge course, unless they apply for a higher degree after graduating.
- You need a conditional offer of admission to be considered for funding.
Check your fee status first: Eligibility depends on overseas fee status. The University has a fee status page for postgraduates, and it is worth reading if you hold more than one nationality.
How Winners Are Selected
Selection is separate from eligibility. Being eligible only means you are allowed into the competition.
What the Listing Says
The scholarship goes to applicants who are highly ranked by their prospective departments. Awards are based on academic ability and research potential, examination results, and references. The listing states that the applicant's financial situation does not affect selection.
What Happens After You Submit
- Your department assesses your course application.
- The department then considers you for funding.
- Your file is passed to funding providers, including the Cambridge Trust, for any award you qualify for.
A point of caution: The Trust's general postgraduate page says most of its scholarships consider financial need, and it asks you to list significant income in the funding section. The International Scholarship listing says finances do not affect selection. Complete the income section honestly and accurately either way.
Funding and Benefits
According to the listing, the award covers three things for the length of your course. Cambridge defines "fully funded" as covering both course fees and living costs, and this award matches that description.
International course fees
The fee rate for overseas students, for the course length.
Maintenance
A living allowance. The listing does not publish an amount, so ask the Trust for the current figure.
Health surcharge
The Student Immigration Health Surcharge is included.
Writing-up support
Not automatic. On application, the Trust may provide up to 6 extra months of maintenance.
The listing for the 2026/27 award year shows about 63 awards. I do not treat that as the 2027 award count, because the listing has not yet been refreshed for the new cycle.
Required Documents
Cambridge assesses everything through one online application. The exact list depends on your course, so use the course page as the final checklist. These are the items that are confirmed across the official pages.
Completed course application
Submitted in the Applicant Portal by the funding deadline, with the funding box ticked.
References
They count toward the deadline. A late reference means an incomplete application.
Funding section details
Give details of significant income from all sources, such as salary, business profit, rent, and dividends.
English test certificate
Only if the portal says you need one. You can upload it early or after you receive an offer.
Application fee payment
£20 for doctoral courses, unless you qualify for a waiver.
Course-specific items
Your course page lists any extra documents. I have not assumed any beyond what it states.
If your course asks for a personal or research statement, my guide to writing a winning motivation letter covers structure, and the motivation letter word counter helps you stay inside any limit.
English Language Requirements
English requirements can differ by course and can change between cycles. Confirm the exact scores for your course on the official course page right before you apply.
When You May Skip a Test
The Applicant Portal estimates whether you need to submit a test result. You usually do not need one in either of these cases.
- You are a national of a majority English-speaking country and were educated in such a country.
- You hold a 3-year qualification equal to at least a UK Bachelor's degree from such a country, excluding Canada, and graduated no more than 2 years before your course starts (or have lived and worked in such a country since).
Accepted Tests and Rules
- IELTS Academic, including IELTS for UKVI Academic, One Skill Retake, and IELTS Online.
- TOEFL iBT, including the Home Edition.
- C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency, for some courses.
- Scores from different certificates cannot be combined.
- Your result must be dated no more than 2 years before your course starts.
- Cambridge cannot accept reports sent directly by IELTS or TOEFL. Upload your certificate instead.
To plan your target band, try the IELTS band score calculator. Book your test soon after an offer, because test centers can have long waits.
Costs
| Cost | Amount or status | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| PhD application fee | £20 per applicant for each academic year of entry, up to 7 applications | You, unless you receive a fee waiver |
| International course fees | Set per course, shown on the course page | Covered if you win the award |
| Maintenance | Amount not published on the listing | Covered if you win the award |
| Student Immigration Health Surcharge | Included in the award | Covered if you win the award |
| English test and visa application | Not mentioned in the listing | Check with the official pages |
You pay the fee online in the Applicant Portal with a Visa or MasterCard card. American Express is not accepted. The Cambridge Trust cannot help with application fees or waivers, so check the University's fee waiver page if cost is a barrier.
Application Procedure
The flowchart shows the full route from choosing a course to the funding decision. The numbered steps below explain the actions that matter most.
Open the course in the Postgraduate Course Directory. The funding deadline sits in a drop-down on the right of the course page.
The Trust is not involved in admissions and cannot help you find a supervisor. Ask the department directly.
Complete each section, pay the £20 fee, and ask your referees early. You may name two College choices or leave the section blank.
Choose the option that says you wish to apply for funding. If you skip it, the Trust cannot consider you, and the section disappears after the funding deadline.
You need a conditional offer of admission to be considered. Funding decisions follow separately and arrive on a rolling basis.
Deadlines and Time Zones
The official cutoff is 11:59 PM GMT, and the University lists two main funding dates for 2027/28 entry. Your course decides which one applies. The timeline below shows what follows. You can also add your date to the scholarship deadline tracker.
Deadline Conversion Table
The GMT time is official. The other times are my own conversions using standard winter offsets, so confirm them in the portal.
| Time zone | Funding deadline 1 | Funding deadline 2 |
|---|---|---|
| GMT (official) | December 8, 2026, 11:59 PM | January 6, 2027, 11:59 PM |
| PKT (UTC+5) | December 9, 2026, 4:59 AM | January 7, 2027, 4:59 AM |
| ET (UTC-5) | December 8, 2026, 6:59 PM | January 6, 2027, 6:59 PM |
| PT (UTC-8) | December 8, 2026, 3:59 PM | January 6, 2027, 3:59 PM |
Some other funders use different deadlines, and these are shown in the University's funding search. For this scholarship, the course funding deadline is the one that counts. If you apply after the funding deadline, the funding section is no longer available in the portal.
Residence Permit or Visa
The award covers the Student Immigration Health Surcharge. Visa steps depend on your nationality and are published on the University's visas and immigration page for postgraduate applicants. I have not opened that page for this guide, so treat it as the source to check after you receive an offer.
If you meet the admission English requirement, you do not need to provide further English evidence for your visa application. Keep your offer letter, award letter, and test certificate together in one folder.
For Pakistani Applicants
Pakistani citizens are eligible, since the award is open to every country except the UK and Ireland. These points matter most for applicants in Pakistan.
Plan Around the Time Difference
Funding deadline 1 closes at 4:59 AM PKT on December 9, and deadline 2 closes at 4:59 AM PKT on January 7. In practice, treat the evening before as your real deadline. A portal problem at 4 AM is a bad time to discover a missing reference.
English Test
Pakistan is not on the list of majority English-speaking countries, so expect the portal to ask for a test result. IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT are both accepted. Count back two years from your own course start date to confirm that your result will still be valid.
Practical Checks
- Ask your referees at least three weeks before the funding date, because references count toward the deadline.
- Use a Visa or MasterCard card with international online payments switched on. Check this with your bank before deadline week.
- Cross-check your grades with the CGPA calculator so the figures you enter match your transcript.
- I have not confirmed whether your course asks for HEC attestation at the application stage. Read the course page and the supporting documents page before you spend money on it.
For US Applicants
US citizens can be considered for this scholarship. The October 14 deadline for US citizens belongs to the separate Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which has its own listing, and it has already passed for the 2027/28 cycle. For the Cambridge Trust International Scholarship, US applicants use the same December 8 or January 6 funding dates as everyone else.
Time Zone
The cutoff lands on the same calendar day in the US, at 6:59 PM ET or 3:59 PM PT. Treat the morning of that day as your target so you are not racing a clock after work.
English Test
The USA is on the majority English-speaking list. If you are a US national and were educated in the US, you usually do not need a test, though the Applicant Portal makes the final estimate. Canada is excluded only from the 3-year degree route, so check the wording if you studied there.
Practical Checks
- Your US credit card or debit card should work if it is Visa or MasterCard. American Express will not.
- Ask your professors to submit references early, because December holidays can slow replies.
- The Trust cannot advise on funding it does not offer, so research other fellowships separately.
For Other International Applicants
If you are not from the UK, Ireland, Pakistan, or the US, you are still eligible as long as you hold overseas fee status. Start by converting the GMT cutoff into your own local time, because the date can change for you.
| Example region | Offset from GMT | Deadline 1 in local time |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | UTC+1 | December 9, 2026, 12:59 AM |
| Kenya | UTC+3 | December 9, 2026, 2:59 AM |
| India | UTC+5:30 | December 9, 2026, 5:29 AM |
| China and Malaysia | UTC+8 | December 9, 2026, 7:59 AM |
The same offsets apply to deadline 2 on January 6, 2027. For India, the conversion is my own arithmetic, so confirm it in the portal.
What Is Different for You
- If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country such as Australia or New Zealand and were educated there, you usually do not need a test.
- If you hold UK or Irish citizenship as well as another nationality, your fee status decides eligibility. Read the University's fee status page.
- Visa steps differ by nationality. Check the visas page for your own passport.
- References and the funding section count toward the deadline, so treat the full file as the deadline.
After You Receive an Offer
Admission offers start in November at the earliest, and funding offers are made separately. Funding offers begin to be considered from February, with peak awarding in March and April and decisions continuing until late June.
- Cambridge Trust awardees are notified directly. The Trust cannot notify unsuccessful applicants or give feedback.
- Declined awards are reallocated, so you stay under consideration until the end of July.
- If you hear nothing by the end of July, assume the application was unsuccessful.
- The Trust plays no part in College selection or accommodation.
Source conflict: The Trust's page says its awarding period starts in the middle of February, while the funding listing says the beginning of March. Both agree that it ends in July. Plan for either start.
Common Mistakes
Deadline Mistakes
- Using the course deadline: The funding deadline is earlier than the normal one for many courses.
- Late references: The deadline applies to the complete file, references included.
- Skipping the funding box: The Trust cannot consider you without it.
File Mistakes
- Mixing up awards: Check that you read the International Scholarship and not the Vice-Chancellor's Awards.
- Sending test reports directly: Cambridge cannot accept reports sent by IELTS or TOEFL. Upload the certificate.
- Expired scores: The result must be dated no more than 2 years before your course starts.
Scam Warning Signs
- A guaranteed award: The Trust ranks and competes applicants, so nobody can promise a place.
- Pay to secure funding: Funding is considered through the portal tick box, so an agent selling a guaranteed award is not describing the real route.
- Unofficial email addresses: Use the University and Trust websites rather than a free mail account or social media message.
- Pressure to hurry: Real deadlines are published on the official pages.
How to Apply Safely
Apply only through the University's Applicant Portal and read funding information on cam.ac.uk and cambridgetrust.org. The University also publishes an admissions fraud page that is worth reading before you share personal details with anyone.
Important: This site is independent and is not affiliated with the University of Cambridge or the Cambridge Trust. Use this guide to plan, and use the official pages to confirm every detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cambridge International Scholarship fully funded?
Yes, according to the official funding listing, it covers international course fees, a maintenance allowance, and the Student Immigration Health Surcharge for the course length. The listing does not publish a maintenance amount, so check current figures with the Cambridge Trust.
What is the Cambridge International Scholarship deadline for 2027 entry?
It is the funding deadline for your course. For 2027/28 entry, the main University funding deadlines are December 8, 2026 and January 6, 2027, both at 11:59 PM GMT. Check your course page to see which one applies to you.
Who can apply for the Cambridge International Scholarship?
PhD applicants from any country except the United Kingdom and Ireland who hold overseas fee status. Applicants are ranked by their departments, so the award is based on academic merit. Citizens of Pakistan, the United States, and many other countries are eligible.
Do I need a separate application for the scholarship?
No separate form is needed, according to the listing. You apply for your PhD course, tick the box saying you wish to apply for funding in the Applicant Portal, and submit by the course funding deadline.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL to apply?
Not always. The Applicant Portal estimates whether you need a test. You usually do not need one if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country and were educated there. Accepted tests include IELTS Academic and TOEFL iBT, and results must be dated within two years of your course start.
Is there an application fee for a Cambridge PhD?
Yes. The doctoral application fee is £20 per applicant for each academic year of entry, and you can submit up to seven applications. Some applicants may qualify for a fee waiver, and the Cambridge Trust cannot help with fees or waivers.
When will I hear whether I received the funding?
The Cambridge Trust awards period runs through the end of July 2027, and offers are made on a rolling basis. If you have not heard by the end of July, assume the application was unsuccessful, because the Trust cannot notify unsuccessful applicants.
Does the scholarship pay for the PhD writing-up period?
Not automatically. The Trust may, on application, provide up to six months of extra maintenance to support writing up.
Final Words
Three actions matter most. Find your course's funding deadline today, tick the funding box when you apply, and make sure your references arrive before the cutoff. Everything else, including the English test, can be handled in order once you hold an offer.
If you have a question about your own situation, ask it in the comments or contact me. I read official pages carefully, but your course page always has the final word.
Official Links
Funding listing: Cambridge Trust International Scholarship listing
Cambridge Trust guidance: Postgraduate applicants
University funding page: Postgraduate funding
English requirements: English language requirements
Application fee: Application fee and waiver
Course Directory: Postgraduate Course Directory
Visas: Visas and immigration
Fraud warning: Admissions fraud
Read More
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Ready to Plan Your Cambridge PhD Application?
Check your course funding deadline, then start your application in the official portal.
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Published: October 30, 2026
Last verified: October 30, 2026
Published by: Study Abroad with Arbaz
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