Bursaries, Grants & Scholarships

Additional support for maintenance costs (e.g. rent, food and other daily living expenses) is provided to Home Fee Status students with household incomes of less than £62,215 (via the Cambridge Bursary Scheme). Bursaries via the Cambridge Bursary Scheme are up to £3,500 per year, on a sliding scale dependent on household income, with additional educational premiums of £1,000 paid to students who have been eligible for Free School Meals. Further information can be found on the Cambridge Bursary Scheme website.

There is also some discretionary bursary support available, which can be applied for in the first term.

Students with Overseas Fee Status should read Funding for Overseas Students for information on maintenance support.

Any Home Fee Status student with a household income of less than £62,215 will also be awarded a rent bursary of £26.50 per week of their room licence if living in College (i.e. £795 per academic year for a 30-week termly room licence or £1007 per academic year for a 38-week continuous room licence).

Hardship grants

For any financial emergency or welfare/hardship (unexpected or unforeseen circumstances).  These grants can be up to £250.  If you need an emergency hardship grant, you can apply through your Tutor at any time.

Student book grants

While Newnham has an unusually well-resourced College library, you may also need to buy certain key books for your studies.

Students can apply termly for grants towards the cost of essential books (new or second-hand).

You must have bought the books before submitting your application (books bought since the last round of book grants may be included) and submit receipts with the application. Links to application forms will be circulated termly by the Tutorial Office.

Typically the College awards 50-60% of the cost of the books purchased up to an upper limit, which is currently £250.

First-year medical students have a separate fund, the Brett Fund, and may not apply to both sources to fund the same books. There is a special Sheila Edmonds fund to support book grants for student mathematicians.

Research and project grants 

Newnham has a wide range of funds to support travel costs in the vacations.

Some of our funds are subject-specific, such as the Ann Duncan Fund (for MML students wishing to improve their oral skills by travelling during Christmas and Easter vacations), and the various funds supporting medically-related travel and electives at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Geographers and geologists can also benefit from generous funding, as well as archaeologists and those undertaking Asian studies.

Outside of subject-specific funds, Newnham’s travel grants for academic- or career-related travel range in value from £300-£750, with a small number of awards of up to £1000 available for particularly interesting and ambitious projects. Tutors can also offer advice on other sources of funding for summer travel. Details of how to apply will be circulated in Easter Term.

The US Travel Bursary

The Newnham US Committee (mainly alumnae of the College now living in the USA) usually offers a substantial travel bursary. The winner of this bursary (undergraduate or postgraduate) will receive $5,000 for travel to and within the USA during the summer vacation.

Please complete this online application form to apply for the 2024 US Travel Bursary. You will also need to submit a proposal document to the Tutorial Office by 12 February 2024 alongside a reference from your Director of Studies, Mentor or Tutor. Please see this poster for more information.

If you win the US Travel Bursary, you will be required to write a letter after your visit, with photos, describing your travels and thanking the US Alumnae. This letter will be posted on the Newnham website. Read this account from the 2023 recipient.

Student equipment grants

The student equipment grants provide several small grants termly for medical, scientific or other technical equipment for the individual use of undergraduate or clinical students.

Architects have particular equipment needs, and are guaranteed at least £300 per year from the equipment funds, on production of receipts.

Applications should be made using the forms circulated by the Tutorial Office each term.

Funds for language courses

You may choose to study an optional language course with the University Language Centre. These optional courses require a small fee. We are also able to offer grants of 50% of the cost of language courses run by the University Language Centre, to a maximum of one course per term.  Students should submit their completion certificate to grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk

Research expenses grants

This fund is intended to make small grants for term-time expenses associated with dissertation or project work. Examples might be fares to London to visit a museum, or special copying expenses, or a small grant towards attending a conference.

Grants up to £50 will be made immediately on the recommendation of the Director of Studies; larger sums will be considered termly by the Undergraduate Grants and Awards Committee.

Applications should be made using the links circulated by the Tutorial Office each term.

Opportunity Grants

The Opportunity Grant is intended ‘to enable students to do what they would otherwise be unable to do’. Grants have been made in the past for specialised courses (not necessarily related to a student’s academic subject), and for various sports and recreations.

Applications should be made using the links circulated by the Tutorial Office each term.

Mobility support grants

We are able to offer some financial assistance to those with mobility problems (either temporary or otherwise) on production of receipts for taxi fares etc; please contact your Tutor for information about how to apply.

Medical Elective Award

The Medical Elective Award is intended to help with the travel and accommodation costs of a journey overseas for the purpose of clinical medical elective study. Funding is provided by the Elizabeth McDowell Student Support Fund.

Eligibility: All 5th year students going on clinical elective travel may apply for one award each.  The awards are not competitive but will (subject to funds remaining available for the particular year) be allocated for appropriate projects. You should start planning early, so as to secure your experience.

Timing: Application forms are available in Lent term. The application deadline is 1st May. The awards will be made once a year.

Procedure: Application forms should be completed by 1st May, and a detailed budget sent to grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk; details of how any funding shortfall will be covered should be included. Your budget should also confirm the date when funds will be required (e.g. in order to allow travel bookings to be made). The award must be spent in accordance with the budget shown in the application; if your plans change, for example due to changes in government guidance, please email the details to grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk who will advise. A breakdown showing how the award has been spent will be required as part of the written report to be submitted after your elective; this should be sent to grantsawards@newn.cam.ac.uk once the trip is complete.

The value of the award will typically be up to £1500. Awards will normally be paid in the financial year (1 July – 30 June) in which they are granted. The Award must be taken up by the end of the summer vacation following the 5th year as appropriate.

Newnham Music Funds

The College has several music funds, used to provide the College’s contribution to the University Instrumental Award Scheme, to support the College’s own music awards, described below, and to provide choral scholarships for Newnham students.

The Leslie Betts Fund provides a small number of grants (normally not more than £90 each) for musical purposes, e.g. music lessons, active participation in the performance of music, or travel expenses for the latter. Any resident undergraduate or postgraduate student of Newnham College who is NOT reading the Music Tripos is eligible to apply to the Betts Fund.

Newnham appoints Music Organisers to be responsible for organising College concerts in collaboration with the Senior Music Advisors and the Raleigh Music Society. Duties include organising: the lunchtime recital series; occasional orchestral or choral concerts; Music at Advent; and sung grace for the College Feast. Each year, the College seeks to appoint a Junior Music Organiser and a Senior Music Organiser. The appointments commence in January and run for one year, with the possibility, for the Junior, of renewal for a further year as the Senior. An honorarium of £100 is paid, plus an allowance of £80 towards music lessons. Both undergraduates and postgraduates are eligible, except those in their final year or on one-year courses. Intercollegiate Instrumental Award and Choral Award holders are eligible, but if both awards are held, only the honorarium will be paid.

The College also offers a number of Instrumental/Vocal awards of £150 each towards music lessons. These are awarded early in the Michaelmas Term. Both undergraduates and postgraduates are eligible, except those holding Intercollegiate Instrumental Awards or College choral awards. Forms are circulated from the Tutorial Office in Michaelmas Term, and awards are by audition.

University Choral Awards

Newnham College does not have a chapel (our co-founder, Henry Sidgwick, wanted the College to be open to students of all faiths and none), so our Choral Scholars sing in the choir at Selwyn College, just across the road.

Choral Award holders (known as Choral Scholars) receive a small financial award each year, currently £100. At Newnham, as in most Colleges, Choral Scholars also receive a subsidy towards singing lessons (currently £350 per year). They also get: a free meal at Selwyn on Sundays, 50% off the cost of Selwyn Formal Halls after Evensong on weekdays, free accommodation if they are in College out of termtime on choir duties, subsidised choir tours, and free day trips for concerts around the country.

Every year there are University Open Days for prospective Choral Award applicants. These normally take place in the first week of May, and if you are interested, it’s a good idea to try and attend. You can find information about how to apply for the University Choral Awards and the next Choral Award Open Day on the University website. Choral Scholars do not have to be reading Music for their degree; however, the choir will take up a fair proportion of your time, so it’s important to be realistic about the demands of your course. That’s why we recommend that prospective Choral Award applicants attend an academic Open Day, either the University days, or a College event.

Information about the Choral Award scheme and the application process can be found on the University website. Applications are received after offers are made in late January with the application deadline in February and auditions in March.

University Instrumental Awards

University Instrumental Awards are intended to enable gifted players to reach a high standard of performance in chamber music playing. These are organised by the University.

Award holders are expected to give priority to rehearsals (about 6 hours per week) with their ensemble. Professional coaching is provided for all ensembles free of charge.

In addition to the Award itself, the Scheme is normally able to offer Award-holders modest subsidies towards the cost of individual instrumental lessons. Instrumental Awards are open to performers on any of the following: violin, viola, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, piano. (Instrumentalists who play double bass and harp may also apply.) The Awards are intended for candidates who are qualified to read the subject of their choice and have outstanding ability as instrumental performers; a Distinction at Grade VIII of the Associated Board may be regarded as the minimum level of achievement. Holders of organ or choral awards are ineligible.

Inform about applying for the Instrumental Award Scheme can be found on the University website.  Applications are received after offers are made in late January with the application deadline in February.  Auditions will be held at the beginning of October, just before the start of your first term.

Newnham has a range of financial support on offer for sport.

Any current Newnham student (whether JCR or MCR) who is training regularly with a recognised University sports team/club with a view to competing in the Varsity match for that sport or equivalent (or at a higher level, e.g. regionally or nationally) will be eligible to apply for funding from the Newnham Sports Fund. There is no distinction between sports which award Blues (or half-Blues) and those that don’t; nor is it necessary for the student to be selected for the annual Varsity match in their sport.

The awards are intended to cover the costs of participating in a sport at University level (normally at least at 2^nd team level, where appropriate) or at a higher level. If you are competing at a lower level, your application will not be eligible, but if you are an undergraduate or a Clinical student you can make an application to the Opportunity Grants for alternative funding.

Examples of fundable costs include: subscription costs; competition entry costs; travel costs; training camps (either in Cambridge or elsewhere); coaching; University-branded sports kit for use in competition or matches; footwear specific to the sport; equipment costs (e.g. boxing gloves, fencing foil).

The maximum award will be £500 per year per sport. Receipts need to be provided, so it is advisable to apply once all costs have been incurred, using the link that is circulated termly.