Guidelines for Scholars

We realise that students arriving for the first time in Cambridge may feel disorientated. We hope to assist you in settling into life here as quickly and smoothly as possible, so that you can start your studies immediately.

There are many sources of information and support available. Any queries or problems regarding your academic work should be addressed to the relevant person in your Department in the first instance. Any queries or problems regarding your accommodation or other domestic issues should be addressed to the relevant person in your College in the first instance.

Early in the Michaelmas term the Trust holds a welcome event for all new scholars at which you will be able to meet the Trust’s staff and Trustees, find out more about how we work, and meet other scholars from many different countries.

Please take the time to read the relevant information on the University website and related sites.

For undergraduates: see both the University website and the CUSU website

For postgraduates: see both the University website and the Graduate Union website. 

Full-cost scholarships pay fees (adjusted each year to cover any increases set by the University, Departments or Colleges) and annual maintenance (reviewed annually by the Trust).  Full-cost scholarships may also include other allowances; details are included in each scholar’s formal offer letter.

Part-scholarships normally consist of a fixed annual sum, or a particular element of the fees.  If you receive a part-scholarship, you are not eligible to apply to the Trust for an increase in your funding.  However, if the Trust is able to promote you to an award with a funding partner we will advise you later of the increased value.  In certain cases, our funding partners may require scholars to accept conditions additional to those set by the Trust.  We will expect you to accept such conditions if they are consistent with your plans as stated in your application to Cambridge.

All scholarships are tenable for the period set out in the offer letter, subject to satisfactory progress, to being in residence in Cambridge (unless otherwise approved by the University), and to any other conditions specified by the University, the College, the Trust or its funding partners.

The Trust will consider only in the most exceptional circumstances any revision of the terms of an award after it has been offered and accepted.  Applications for an increase in an award because of changes in family circumstances will not normally be considered.  In particular, the Trust will not consider applications for increases in awards based on the failure of you or your sponsors to honour a financial guarantee given as a condition of admission.

Individual awards from the Trust do not usually extend beyond the maximum length of the course for which scholars have received an award, except in exceptional circumstances.  Further information about additional grants can be found in Section 4 of our guidelines.

However, there is no restriction on scholars receiving awards from the Trust for further courses of study – e.g. the Trust may award a scholarship for MPhil study, and then may award a further scholarship for PhD study.

To be eligible for further awards, scholars must apply for a further course of study in the usual way via Postgraduate Admissions and be entered into the funding competition for consideration.

If you are already in residence in Cambridge, you are only eligible to apply for awards offered by the Trust if you are applying for a further course of study following completion of your current course, or if a case can be made to the Trust on the grounds of hardship.

Trust awards are not capable of being transferred from one academic year to the next, and must be taken up at the beginning of one of the academic terms in the year of award, i.e. at the beginning of October, January or April. For entry from January or April, permission needs to be given by the relevant Department/Faculty, College and the Postgraduate Admission Office. 

Please note that it is not possible to defer your application from one year to the next; you will need to re-apply for admission and upload the supporting documentation through the Applicant Portal to the University’s Postgraduate Admissions Office by the relevant deadline.

You must inform the Trust if you are offered funding from other sources for your study at Cambridge at any time before or during the tenure of your scholarship from the Trust.

Failure to provide full details may lead to the cancellation by the Trust of your scholarship.

If you receive another scholarship which meets the full costs of study at Cambridge i.e. University Composition Fee, approved College fees (where applicable) and maintenance sufficient for a single student, you will be given the opportunity to choose which award you will accept.  In some cases, it may be possible to negotiate a share of costs with the other awarding body and to hold both awards alongside each other, but If you are successful in obtaining a scholarship from another source, the Trust reserves the right to adjust the value of your scholarship. 

If you receive a full-cost scholarship from any source other than Gates Cambridge or the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship programme, the offer of an award from the Trust will lapse and you will be offered the status of Honorary Trust Scholar. This entitles you to attend the Trust's events but bears no monetary value.

If you have accepted a Gates Cambridge Scholarship or a Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship, any offer of an award from the Trust will immediately lapse and you will not be offered ‘Honorary’ status.

If you are awarded a minor scholarship (part-funding) from another source, the Trust reserves the right to adjust the value of your scholarship.  If you receive a full maintenance allowance from the Trust, you will be allowed to retain the other scholarship at the Trust’s discretion (i.e. as a contribution to other expenses, such as conferences, fieldwork etc.).  If you receive other awards of a higher monetary value, the Trust may reduce your scholarship in order to re-allocate funds to support other scholars.

Travel

If your award covers the cost of travel to Cambridge this will be specified in your award letter.

If your award does not provide an airfare or contribution to an airfare, it is your responsibility to make and pay for all necessary arrangements for travel to the UK, and to return home on completion of your course of study at Cambridge. You should not, under any circumstances, make unbreakable arrangements to travel to Cambridge before your admission to the University has been confirmed.

You are responsible for obtaining the necessary travel documents for travel from your home country to the UK (e.g. visa to enter the UK, and exit permit from your own country), and you should ensure that you apply for these documents in good time.

You must ask your College and, in the case of postgraduate students, your Department or Faculty for advice about the date by which you should arrive in Cambridge in order to be ready for the start of the academic year. If you wish to come into residence in Cambridge at any time other than the date suggested you must obtain the permission of the College, and, in the case of postgraduate students who require a student visa, of Postgraduate Admissions.

Scholarships that provide a travel contribution

If you have the offer of a contribution to an airfare, you must make your own travel arrangements.

Some scholarships specifically include the offer of a fixed contribution to an airfare, which is calculated on a country-by-country basis, and will relate to the cost of an economy airfare to the UK by the cheapest available route. This fixed amount, which will be paid at the same time as your first maintenance payment on arrival in Cambridge, will be specified in your offer letter.

If you require entry clearance to study in the UK, you will need sponsorship from the University.  Your Scholarship offer letter does not constitute sponsorship, so you will require Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). The University’s Postgraduate Admissions Team issues CAS statements.  However, please be aware, you may need to provide your offer letter as evidence of your funding if you are applying for a student visa, as this information will not be provided in your CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies), issued by the University to support your application.

The University’s International Student Team provides a free visa advice service to all applicants with an offer to study at Cambridge, current students and family members. Contact the team international.students@admin.cam.ac.uk for advice on student visas (formerly called a ‘Tier 4’ visa) and other related immigration matters including how, when and where to apply for a student visa; checking application forms and supporting documents before submission; what to do if an application is refused; what to do if a passport or visa is lost; and visas for dependants.

Further information including a step-by-step guide to applying for or extending a student visa can be found in the International Students’ website, UK Immigration section.

All international students are required by the UK Government to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge, which entitles you to use the NHS in the UK for the duration of the visa granted.  Full details can be found on the International Students webpage.

Please note that the Trust does not pay visa costs for new students or visa renewal costs for students currently in Cambridge, unless your offer letter specifies this.  For students with full cost awards the Trust will pay a contribution towards the Immigration Health Surcharge as part of the scholarship specified in your offer letter.

Visa Extensions and Post-study Visas

The Trust can provide a sponsor letter, which is required for extensions and work visa application. However, some scholarships have a ‘return to home country’ time limitation and in this instance, the Trust will be unable to issue supporting documentation for a visa application until a student is released from the terms and conditions of their scholarship.

ATAS Changes

ATAS clearance is required for certain science and technology subject areas.  EEA and Swiss nationals will be exempt from having to apply for ATAS clearance. In addition, the following nationalities are now also exempt from the ATAS requirement:

• Australia, Canada, New Zealand, USA, Singapore, Japan, South Korea.

The Trust’s awards generally do not cover allowances for a spouse, children or other dependants.  You are responsible for obtaining the necessary permission from the University, College and immigration to allow them to join you in Cambridge.

For applicants – you have provided additional financial guarantees of the extra financial support required, and have the consent of your College

For scholars in residence – you have applied and received permission for “Person(s) to join you in Cambridge” via your CamSIS account, and provided the necessary financial guarantees.

The Trust is able to support scholars who wish to undertake a period of Maternity or Paternity Leave during the tenure of their award; for more information, please see the relevant section of these guidelines.

In order to activate scholarship payments please complete and return to the Trust the Student Registration Form, which is sent to you before your arrival in Cambridge.

Fees

The fee element of any scholarship, where applicable, is paid directly by the Trust to the relevant College during the Lent term. It does not include any expenses incurred by you at your College (such as accommodation, meals, kitchen fixed charge, etc.). If you have a query about fee payments due from the Trust to your College, please contact your College Tutor. 

Maintenance

If your scholarship includes a maintenance allowance, or a contribution towards maintenance, it will be paid as follows (once the Trust receives confirmation that you have started your course):

Study course of 11 months or more

4 instalments, at equal intervals throughout the year

Study course of up to 10 months

3 instalments, at equal intervals throughout the year

Undergraduate or affiliated course

3 instalments, at equal intervals throughout the year

Maintenance will be paid by BACS into your UK bank account.  Please complete the BACS form (which you have previously received) as soon as you open a UK bank account and send this form with confirmation that the bank account is in your name (bank statement with transactions covered, or confirmation letter from your bank) to trust.finance@admin.cam.ac.uk.

* if the proposed payment date falls on a weekend, payment will be made on the previous working day.

** New Scholars - your first maintenance payment cannot be made until you have opened a UK bank account and sent us your details, and we have had confirmation from your college that you have started your course. This payment will be made as soon as we have this information, but may be later than 30 September. 

It is your responsibility to budget accordingly, particularly if you have a private rental agreement, to ensure that you have enough money to cover your expenses between receiving your maintenance payment.

Please also be aware that the maintenance payment is sufficient for a single person and does not cover dependants.

You will be asked to inform the Trust Finance Department if you have not received your maintenance payment by the due date.

Please note the Trust cannot change the dates on which payments of allowances are made. Only in very exceptional circumstances may you request payment in advance of the scheduled date, you must seek advice and assistance from your College Tutor in the first instance.

Colleges sometimes require advance payments.  You are strongly advised to plan ahead the use of your resources, taking into account the schedule of payments by the Trust and the requirements of the College.  The Trust does not make provision for advance payments to Colleges.

Advice on how to open a UK bank account can be found on the University website: https://www.finance.admin.cam.ac.uk/finance-staff/bank-accounts/bank-accounts-staff-and-visiting-scholars-overseas.  The information is specific to a Barclays Bank account, but you are welcome to use any UK bank.

The international Student Team has also written a guide providing information on bank accounts in the UK and the current processes for opening an account in Cambridge.

University Regulations

You must be aware of the regulations of the University and your College. It is a condition of your Scholarship that these regulations are observed.  Due to the structure of the Collegiate University, you must not rely on one body (e.g. the Student Registry) to inform all other bodies (e.g. the Trust, your College, your Department) about any changes to your circumstances, so please make sure you tell all relevant bodies, including The Trust.  University policies may change throughout the year; it is your responsibility to be aware of them.

Code of Practice

Please ensure you read the University's Code of Practice for Postgraduate Students and Supervisors, which is issued and updated annually by the University and explains the role and obligations of Supervisors and Postgraduate Students.

When you arrive in Cambridge, you will automatically be given a University e-mail address, ending in @cam.ac.uk.  Please use this email as your main e-mail address to ensure messages from the Trust reach you.

In the case of an emergency, the Trust may need to contact you at your residential address in Cambridge (if different from your College).  It is therefore essential the contact details on your self-service pages on CamSIS are kept up-to-date.

The Trust requires a Scholars Annual Review Report form, which is completed by both you, your College Tutor and Supervisor.  These reports help us to follow the progress of our scholars. 

Certain scholarships ask scholars to complete additional reports for our funding partners.  You will have been informed of this in the terms and conditions of your scholarship, and the Trust will contact you with requests for any additional information in good time to allow you to complete these reports.

In most cases, PhD students are admitted to their course on a probationary basis and are registered for the full PhD course only after a satisfactory progress assessment at the end of the probationary first year. The progress examination/assessment at the end of the first year is a substantial academic hurdle and continuation to the PhD is not automatic.

If your registration to the PhD is delayed for any reason beyond the end of your first year you must inform the Trust as soon as possible.

The tenure of any scholarship given by the Trust is strictly subject to your making satisfactory academic progress. Should your registration examination result in any other result beside registration for the PhD you must inform us as soon as possible. The Code of Practice for Research Students, published by the University, outlines the possible outcomes of the registration examination. Your Department will provide you with a hard copy of the Code of Practice when you arrive in Cambridge.

The Trust offers a programme of events for scholars designed to be fun and informative.  Scholars have the opportunity to meet each other, Trust staff, Trustees, present their work, hear from speakers and meet funding partners, so please do try to attend.  The Welcome Event in October and Annual Event in April have proved particularly popular with scholars over the years.

If at any point during your time at Cambridge your circumstances change, you need to keep the Trust informed so that we can make any necessary adjustments to your scholarship schedule. 

If your name has been recorded incorrectly on your record or has changed since you were admitted to the University, please email the Records & Exams Team.  You will need to provide appropriate documentary evidence if you are changing your name because you have married, divorced, changed your name by deed poll or had your gender reassigned.  Details can be found on the University Cambridge Students webpage:

https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/new-students/manage-your-student-information/personal-information

This is known as an “Intermission”, a break in study due to either Medical or Non-Medical reasons.  For full guidance regarding intermission, please consult the Cambridge Students webpage.

Intermission will normally be granted by the Trust if all relevant parties have agreed your application and Student Registry has approved the period requested. If permission to intermit is approved in advance, your scholarship will be suspended for the period of intermission and will re-commence when you return to studies.

If permission to intermit is approved retrospectively, the Trust will expect a refund of any fees from your College, and of any maintenance by you.  If you have encountered hardship difficulties during this period, the Trust will sympathetically consider an application to retain full or part of any maintenance payment.  Letters of support from your College Tutor and/or Supervisor are required.

The Trust will always deal as sympathetically as possible with problems arising from illness.  However, you should always inform your College in the first instance, as they are responsible for your pastoral care.

If you develop any illness while studying at Cambridge that might seriously impede your academic progress, or affect your ability to complete your course, you must discuss your situation with your College Tutor and your Supervisor and ask them to communicate this information to the Trust. . In some cases, it might be necessary to intermit from your studies.

There are a several sources of health and wellbeing support available while you are a student at Cambridge.  You can find further information on the University’s Student Wellbeing webpage.

The Trust will give permission to work away from Cambridge, provided you apply and are given approval for Leave to Work Away by Student Registry.  For full guidance regarding Leave to Work Away, please consult the Cambridge students webpage.

Safeguarding whilst working away - https://www.safeguarding.admin.cam.ac.uk/

For those students in receipt of Trust scholarships, whether full or part-cost, which pay a contribution towards University tuition fees, the Trust will continue to pay those contributions in the normal way.  If your scholarship from the Trust includes a maintenance allowance, this will continue during your period of approved Leave to Work Away and will be paid, quarterly, into your UK bank account.  If you receive any payment for your work during Leave to Work Away you must declare it to the Trust, and your maintenance may be affected.

For funds to support fieldwork, you should contact your Course Administrator in your Department who will be able to advise you about the application process if funds are available.  Most Departments have access to Fieldwork Funding through their School.

If your time away from Cambridge is to attend a conference, please see the Conference grants section in these guidelines.

As your research plans are developed and refined during your time at Cambridge, you may need to make some changes to the original topic which may also require a change of supervisor. Should you wish to change your topic/supervisor, you should inform the Trust as soon as possible of your intention so that we can verify that this is permitted within the terms of your scholarship. In some instances changes of topic or direction may not be possible within the scholarship agreement and we will inform you of this immediately.

In certain circumstances, you may apply to change your course and/or department.  For full guidelines regarding this, please see the Cambridge students webpages.

Before you apply, you must contact the Trust and seek approval of the proposed change.  The Trust will need to provide financial guarantees as part of your application and your application will not be approved without this.

In order to consider your request, the Trust will require supporting evidence from the relevant parties involved, which you will need to provide before your application will be considered.  In considering your application, the Trust will verify that the proposed change is permitted within the terms of your scholarship.  In some instances, changes of course and/or Department may not be possible within the scholarship agreement and we will inform you of this immediately.

Most students register for full-time study, but, in the interests of widening participation, the Trust is able to consider applications from students for part-time study where such courses are offered by the University. The Trust will consider on a case-by-case basis each application for part-time study and adjust the fees and maintenance payable accordingly.

Please note that if, after you have taken up a Scholarship from the Trust to undertake full-time study, you change your course or your mode of study i.e. full-time to part-time, this could affect your University tuition fees, your student support, and your student visa (if applicable). Before you apply, you must contact the Trust to seek approval of your intention to take this course of action as the Trust will need to verify that the proposed change is permitted within the terms of your Scholarship.

Changing course or mode of study is only possible if agreed by your Faculty/Course Leader.

Please refer to the webpage on the University of Cambridge’s website for further information about what you need to do if you decide to change to part-time study

You may undertake an internship during the course of your Scholarship as long as the necessary application for a Non-Medical Intermission is approved by the University,  please see the Cambridge students webpages.  Please get in touch with us about how this may affect your maintenance payments.  If you receive any payment for your internship you must declare it to the Trust, and your maintenance may be affected.

The Cambridge Trust follows the University’s policy for full-time students.

In very rare circumstances, de-registration from the Register of Graduate Students may occur if a Scholar fails to perform academically at the standard expected by their Department or Faculty, or breaches one of the University’s regulations. More information about removal from the Register of Graduate Students is available from the University's webpages.

The Trust hopes that no Scholar should be removed from the Register of Graduate Students by the University.  Any Scholar who is experiencing difficulties whilst at Cambridge should inform the Trust as soon as possible.

In the event that a Scholar is de-registered, their Scholarship will cease with immediate effect.  Scholars retain the right to appeal under University regulations and should they be reinstated their Scholarship shall recommence.

It is also possible to apply for temporary removal from the Register of Graduate Students.  Similarly, in such instances, the Scholarship would cease until reinstatement to the Register.

If you are considering withdrawing from the University, please read the University’s guidance on this and talk to your College Tutor and Supervisor before finalising your decision.  If you choose to withdraw, you must submit a withdrawal form via your CamSIS self-service – your Scholarship will cease on the withdrawal date that is finally approved by the Student Registry.  Please be aware that your maintenance will be pro-rated to take the date of your withdrawal into account; this may mean a forthcoming payment is adjusted or you are asked to return part of a maintenance payment that has already been made.

The Trust provides offer letters for scholars.  Please use your digital copy when asked to supply evidence of your scholarship to assist with visa applications, rental agreements and other similar requests.

The Trust has limited resources for the provision of additional grants.  When applying for these grants, scholars must also apply to other sources both within the University (i.e. your Department, College, etc.) and outside the University, where possible.

Undergraduate students - students on one-year taught postgraduate courses and students receiving part-scholarships are not normally eligible for additional grants from the Trust.

There is no need for you to apply directly to the Trust's funding partners who may contribute towards the cost of your scholarship.

Please refer to the sections on Conference Grants, Extension Funding (PhD) and Other Exceptional Funding for specific information and application details.

During the tenure of a PhD award, scholars can apply for funding towards a conference, up to a maximum of £500 (applications for virtual conference fee registrations will also be considered). 

Please be aware that only one conference grant may be awarded.  If you have already received a conference grant from the Trust, we will not be able to consider further applications.  If an application for conference funding is declined (and you have not previously received conference funding from the Trust), you may apply again for a different conference.  All applications will be considered, but funding is not guaranteed. 

It is the Trust’s policy that retrospective applications and applications for conferences taking place during a fourth year of study cannot be considered.  Applications can be made using the Trust’s application form (there are also guidance notes which may be of use when applying).

Please ensure that the form is completed accurately and sent to the Trust at least six weeks before a decision is required.  You will be informed of the outcome of your application as soon as possible.

Scholars who receive full maintenance from the Trust may apply for an extension of this funding.  Awards from the Trust for a PhD are usually of a tenure of three years (unless otherwise stated in the case of MRes and PhD 1+3) and for a Master’s degree, the tenure is usually 1 year (or sometimes 9 months or 2 years).  PhD students may remain on the Register of Postgraduate Students for a further 12 month 'writing up' period, and will normally be automatically exempt from payment of University Composition Fees during that time.  Please be aware that all students requiring an extension to cover writing up periods need to apply to the Trust before any additional maintenance can be considered.

The Trust will consider applications for a term of overrun and subsequent terms if:

• you have the support of your College Tutor and Supervisor
• it can be shown that reasons beyond your control have contributed to the need for extra time
• it is certain that no further University Composition Fee is payable on your behalf
• you have a plan of work which will take you to completion

If you require help finding alternative sources of funding, please contact the Trust.

Applications can be made using the Trust's application form (there are also guidance notes which may be of use when applying). Each application will be considered by the Trust’s Review Panel on a case-by-case basis. Please note that submission of an application does not guarantee approval of your extension request.

Any support from the Trust will normally be limited to no more than a contribution towards maintenance costs for a brief additional period up to the point of submission only.

If you become pregnant during your Scholarship, you can choose to intermit your studies.  You must apply to the University (or College for undergraduates) formally to intermit (or disregard) your studies on non-medical grounds. 

Please be advised, if you become pregnant during a period of extension (including the writing-up year), you will not be eligible for maternity pay. If requested during the period for which your standard scholarship was offered then the 26 weeks maternity pay would be paid.

During your intermission for maternity leave, the Trust will continue to pay your maintenance allowance at the rate of your award for 26 weeks (please note: only students in receipt of a Scholarship which includes maintenance paid directly by the Trust are entitled to a maintenance payment during intermission for maternity or paternity leave). 

The leave must be taken as one continuous block.  If you choose to intermit your studies for a further period, this will be unpaid, as the Trust will only pay a maximum of 26 weeks.

The Trust will “suspend” your Scholarship until you return to your studies, and extend your award finish date to reflect the period of maternity leave taken.  

Such payments will be made only where the University (or College for undergraduates) consents to your intermitting or disregarding your studies.  If you decide to curtail your intermission, or the disregarding of your studies, you must inform the Trust as soon as possible and in any event before you resume your studies.  Your award finish date will be readjusted accordingly.

Intermitting your studies for over 60 days may have implications if you are an international student with a visa.  For further information, you are strongly advised to consult the University ‘changes of your student status’ webpage Cambridge Students regarding intermission.  The International Student Team will also be able to offer guidance.

If you are on a one or two year programme of study there may be restrictions or conditions to the number of weeks of intermission that can be applied for, to allow you, where possible, to re-join your course at the point you left it the year before.  You are advised in the first instance to contact Student Registry to ask for advice on intermitting for the purposes of maternity leave before completing your application form.

Paternity leave

If your partner is pregnant, you will be entitled to two weeks paid paternity leave if you choose to intermit your studies for two weeks and extend your course by that duration.  You will need to apply to the University (or College for undergraduates) formally to intermit (or disregard) your studies on non-medical grounds and inform the Trust as soon as possible.

Please be advised, if your partner becomes pregnant during a period of extension (including the writing-up year), you will not be eligible for paternity pay. If requested during the period for which your standard scholarship was offered then the 2 weeks paternity pay would be paid.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for continuation of your maintenance allowance, please download and complete either the maternity form or the paternity form and email it to the Trust. This must be accompanied by the approval from the University/College for intermission, and a copy of the MAT B1 which has been issued by your/your partner’s midwife/doctor confirming the baby’s expected due date (or in the case of adoption a copy of your matching certificate when issued). 

This form should be returned no later than one month before your baby is due or you intend to take leave, whichever is earlier.

The Trust will have no responsibility for other matters relating to your maternity or paternity leave such as your accommodation in Cambridge during and after your leave.

Definitions

Maternity: a student who will give birth to or adopt a child.

Paternity: a student who will be the father of the child, the husband, partner of the mother (or adopter), the child’s adopter or the intended parent.

Maternity/paternity leave: a period of time during which you choose to intermit or disregard your studies following the birth or adoption of a child of whom you are a parent.

Fully funded scholars should not normally need to apply to the Trust for exceptional funding as maintenance payments are calculated to meet living costs whilst studying.  If, however, you run into financial difficulties, the Trust will consider applications for exceptional funding.

The Trust will consider exceptional funding applications for students with a partial award but please do bear in mind that adjustments to awards are not normally allowed and the Trust would expect to hold students to the financial guarantee that they undertake in order to secure their place.

The Trust will consider applications for assistance:

• If it is clear that exceptional funding is required because of an unforeseeable change of circumstances since you came to Cambridge.  This would include bereavement or illness.  It would not necessarily include the failure of overly optimistic funding plans
• If you are nearing the end of your degree course
• If the grant from the Trust (and other sources) will be sufficient to enable the successful completion of your course

Applications can be made using the Trust's application form (there are also guidance notes which may be of use when applying).

Data Protection and Privacy Statement

For information on how the Trust uses your personal data, please refer to our Privacy Statement at the end of this guide.

Tax and your Scholarship

Generally scholarships are tax free in the UK if you are a degree candidate. The Trust is unable to provide further guidance and scholars should seek independent tax advice as to the tax status of their scholarship in their home country.

Intellectual Property

The Trust places no condition on ownership of any intellectual property for our scholars, past or present.

Debt

Please note that the Trust disclaims all responsibility for any debts you may incur. Nor will the Trust act as guarantor for loans or debts. Scholars are advised that the Trust reserves the right to pay maintenance to the College if so requested on the reasonable grounds of failure to settle outstanding debts to the College or any other body.

For Applicants to the Trust

The Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust handles your personal information while you are an applicant in the same ways as those described in the University of Cambridge’s statement for applicants to the University:

https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/applicant-data

For Scholars and Alumni

This statement provides information about the use of personal information while you are a Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust scholar or alumnus/a.  The Trust handles your relevant information in a similar way as the University as described on the University Website: https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/student-data

1.   What is ‘personal information’?

Personal information’ means any information, which relates to or identifies you as an individual.

2.   How does this statement relate to other information about data protection?

When you applied to become a student, you were told how the University and the relevant College(s) would use your personal information to process your application and for related purposes, including with regard to any funding applications (see https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/applicant-data).  This statement sets out the uses we make of your personal information while you are a Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust scholar and alumni.

3.   Who will process my personal information?

The information published here applies to the use, sharing and disclosure of your personal information by the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust.

4.   What personal information will be processed?

The Trust will keep a record of the details you provided on your application form, any supporting documents requested as part of your admission and additional details provided by any referees and recorded following any interview process.  We will also maintain records about your studies at Cambridge.  This personal information will include data such as your name, home address, date of birth, course studied, fee payments, and information about your progress on the course.  Your personal information is created, stored and transmitted securely in a variety of paper and electronic formats, including a database.  Access to your personal information is limited to the Trust’s staff who have a legitimate interest in it for carrying out the Trust’s purposes on the legal bases identified below, and our use of your personal information will not be excessive.

The Trust will collect and store your information when you visit its site using its cookies to identity your browser or device, the pages you visit and how you navigate the site.

5.   What is the purpose and legal basis of the processing?

The Trust will process your personal information for a range of purposes, including the following:

• To deliver and administer your scholarship and record the details of your progress with your studies
• To administer the financial aspects of your relationship with us and any other funders.
• To enable your participation at events (e.g. functions)
• To communicate effectively with you by post, e-mail and phone, including the distribution of relevant newsletters and circulars
• To compile statistics and conduct surveys and research for internal and statutory reporting purposes
• To fulfil and monitor our responsibilities under equalities, immigration and public safety legislation
• To promote the work of the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust

We consider the processing of your personal information for these purposes to be either:

• necessary for the performance of our contractual obligations with you
• necessary for compliance with a legal obligation
• necessary for the pursuit of the legitimate interests of the Trust or an external organisation (e.g. to enable your access to external services)

In addition to this, the Trust may process some information about you that is classed as ‘sensitive’ or ‘special category’ personal data, and which requires additional protections. This includes information concerning your health or disability matters, which is used for planning and monitoring purposes.  If we require your consent for any specific use of your personal information, we will collect it at the appropriate time and you can withdraw this at any time.  We will not use your personal information to carry out any wholly automated decision-making that affects you.

6.   Who will my personal information be shared with?

As described above, your personal information (including photographs of you) is shared with relevant staff at the Trust as required.  In addition, it is shared as permitted or required by law, on a considered and confidential basis, with a range of relevant external organisations, including the following:

• Other funders and/or sponsors (e.g. relevant Research Councils, the funders of any awards or prizes)
• The University of Cambridge and the Cambridge Colleges. Please note that the University and each of the Colleges are separate legal entities for these purposes
• Relevant Government Departments (e.g. Department for Education, Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department of Health)
• Relevant Higher Education bodies (e.g. Higher Education Funding Council for England)
• Trust auditors
• On occasion and where necessary, subsidiary companies of the University
• Companies or organisations providing specific services to, or on behalf of, the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust

On occasion, the above types of sharing may involve the transfer of your personal information outside the UK (e.g. to report to an overseas funding provider).  Such transfers are usually necessary in order to meet our contractual obligations with you, and are carried out with appropriate safeguards in place to ensure the confidentiality and security of your personal information.

Other than as set out above, we will not normally publish or disclose any personal information about you to other external enquirers or organisations unless you have requested it or consented to it, or unless it is in your vital interests to do so (e.g. in an emergency situation).

7.   How is my personal information used in publicity and promotions?

We publish details of all our successful scholars on our website.  This information consists of your name, nationality, degree, subject, College and scholarship award.  You may opt out of this at any time by contacting us.

The Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust hosts events for scholars throughout the year, and photographers are often present.  Photographs (of groups and individuals) taken at these events may be published on our web site and in other publicity material and may be shared with the University of Cambridge.  When you are invited to attend these events, you will be given the opportunity to opt out of any photography.  If at any time you do not wish your photograph to be used for publicity purposes please do inform us.

8.   How is my personal information used after I graduate?

After you graduate, your contact and core personal details, in addition to details of the scholarship you held, are added to our alumni database and retained indefinitely or until your consent is withdrawn.  We use your data for a number of interdependent purposes in support of alumni relations.  These include:

• sending you publications
• conducting surveys
• inviting you to alumni and other events; and
• internal record keeping, including the management of any feedback or complaints

The details of the scholarship you held are retained indefinitely on the Trust’s student database.  This is to enable it to respond to queries about the award or retrieve your record if you apply for an award in future years.

If you have concerns or queries about any of these purposes, or how we communicate with you, please contact us.

9.   What rights do I have in relation to my personal data?

You have the right to access the personal information that is held about you by the Trust.  This is called a ‘subject access request’.  You also have the right to ask us to correct any inaccurate personal information we hold about you, to delete personal information, or otherwise restrict our processing, or to object to processing (including the receipt of direct marketing) or to receive an electronic copy of the personal information you provided to us. Please note that all of these rights are qualified in various ways.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

10.   How long is my information kept?

We store your personal information as part of your record for the duration of your scholarship and for six years afterwards.  Although the Trust is not legally part of the University of Cambridge, we adopt and follow the records retention procedures of the University as published: https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/

Your contact and core personal details, in addition to details of the scholarship you held, are retained indefinitely on our student database.

11.   Who can I contact?

If you have any questions about how your personal information is used, or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact Breeda O’Leary, Head of Finance and Administration - Breeda.O’Leary@admin.cam.ac.uk

12.   How do I complain?

If you are not happy with the way your information is being handled, or with the response received from us, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF (https://ico.org.uk/).

13.   Are changes made to this statement?

This statement was last updated in February 2021.  It is reviewed when necessary and at least annually.  You will be notified about any changes via e-mail.

Full contact details of the Trust can be found on our Contacts page.

Normal office hours are 09.00 to 17.00, Monday to Friday.