Helping meet the urgent need for postgraduate funding

Postgraduate students are a vital part of Churchill College and have been since its foundation. With over 350 postgraduates from all over the world, Churchill’s postgraduate students are valued members of the College’s diverse and exciting academic community. Today’s postgraduate students are tomorrow’s innovators and leaders, conducting ground-breaking research to address global social and scientific challenges.

The rising cost of postgraduate education coupled with cuts in funding available from UK Research and Innovation (previously Research Councils) is causing a major barrier to entry for many exceptional postgraduate students. It is also increasingly assumed that PhD candidates will have a Master’s degree, even though there is little or no central funding available at this level.

As students now graduate with even more debt than in the past, following changes to student loan repayment, postgraduate study (especially in the arts and humanities) is becoming unaffordable for all but the most privileged.

“Support for Postgraduate Studentships enables talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to access advanced education and research opportunities, regardless of their financial circumstances. Without such support, many students would be unable to pursue their academic and professional goals. These Studentships foster innovation, promote equity in education, and ensure that financial barriers do not hinder the development of future leaders and experts in their fields.”

Mineli Cooray

(G24)

Tuition fees vary by the subject, but for UK Home students tuition fees for an MPhil average £16,566. The UK Government’s Postgraduate Masters Loan was a maximum of £12,471 for 2024 entry. Similarly, for UK Home students tuition fees for each year of a PhD average £10,300. The UK Government’s maximum Postgraduate Doctoral Loan was £29,390 for 2024 entry. Cambridge University estimates the average basic living costs for a full-time student in 2025-26 will be £19,020.

Changes in fees and funding have further implications for the College, since competition for the very best postgraduate students is now truly global. To address these challenges, the College must be able to offer the necessary funding that our extraordinary candidates deserve. We want to recruit and support the world’s best minds and talents, enabling them to benefit from what Churchill has to offer and for us to benefit from their rich range of insights in return.

“It’s hard to put into words how thankful I am. I feel extremely fortunate to be a recipient of a Studentship from Churchill College – it has been life-changing. Without the Sir Robert (Bob) Edwards Studentship, I would not have been able to pursue a PhD degree in Cambridge.”

Ana Elisa Ribeiro Orsi

(G23)

The College is currently committed to supporting a small number of postgraduate studentships, but funds are limited. Building a Postgraduate Studentship Endowment Fund that will help bridge the growing funding gap and enable more talented students to take up their postgraduate studies at Churchill is a major College priority.

Around twenty Postgraduate Studentships which include funding from the College are awarded each year. This is in addition to the Churchill Scholars. Different Postgraduate Studentships require different amounts of funding from the College, depending on the level of input that is secured from external Trusts and Foundations. In 2023-24 the College contributed up to £28,205 towards each of these Studentships.

• £747,000 of postgraduate student support was awarded in the year 2023-24
• £667,000 was awarded in Studentships and £43,000 was awarded in Hardship Grants

This level of financial support is made possible thanks to generous gifts from Trusts and Foundations, alumni and friends of the College.

Alumni who received financial support for postgraduate study

“By supporting postgraduate students, donors’ impact extends beyond a student’s academic journey as they nurture future global leaders and change-makers that are much needed in our world.”

Dr Nur Arafeh (G13)

Palestinian Studentship

“My story is evidence that the financial and institutional support of educational establishments like Churchill College may boost careers in even the most niche research discipline, which may then become continued, expanded and popularised.”

Dr Karolina Leszczyńska (Malinowska, G06)

Postgraduate Studentship

“Being fully funded for the year allowed me to take up my place on the MPhil programme, which I would have been unable to self-fund. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that I probably wouldn’t be doing a PhD right now without having received this Studentship.”

Shannon Gilbert (U&G15)

Simon Henry Studentship

Donations to the Postgraduate Studentship Endowment Fund will be used as ‘expendable endowment’ meaning that as suitable candidates present themselves the College can spend donations as they are received and any surplus will be used to build the endowment.

Gifts of any amount are hugely valued and will make a real difference. We also welcome donors who may wish to support a postgraduate student for the duration of their course, or to endow a studentship in perpetuity.