Postgraduate offer-holders: met conditions

This page is for postgraduate offer-holders who have met the conditions of their offer and are making arrangements to travel to Cambridge and begin their studies.

Congratulations!

Congratulations on meeting your offer conditions! We are looking forward to welcoming you in person and helping you on your pathway to great outcomes from your studies.

Postgraduate students have been a core part of the College’s life and activities from its earliest foundation. When you join the College, you are joining a diverse and distinguished community of scholars from around the world.

Please check these pages for New Postgraduate Students (sometimes called “Freshers” in Cambridge) and please ask us if anything is unclear. Some of the information will relate to last-year’s cohort, it will be updated when new arrangements are in place.

Lily Hunter and Rebecca Sawalmeh

Registrations and pre-arrival

Once you are in Cambridge, you will be allocated a University email address which should be used for all correspondence with the College and the University.

Please let us know your planned arrival date and time in Cambridge as soon as you know it, and at least 14 days before you arrive. We need to make sure everything is ready and that your planned date is possible. You can find out about how to get to the College on the Transport and Parking page.

Things you must do on or before arrival:

  • All students must take care to read the “Pink Book” (student handbook for postgraduates), and the University’s International Students Pre-arrival Guide will be valuable to all those travelling to the UK from other countries.
  • You must bring your passport to the College in order to be registered when you arrive (UK students can bring a driving licence), and all students must bring the originals of the documents uploaded with their application with them (degree certificates, transcripts etc.) as these may be required by the University to confirm registration as a student.
  • In addition to the College’s registration processes, all students must complete the University’s student registration. You will receive an email inviting you to complete the process from the University, usually a few weeks before term begins. The invitation email will provide details of the closing date for registration. You must complete the process before the closing date.
  • You must register with a local doctor (called “General Practitioner” or ”GP”) when you arrive in Cambridge and complete the medical form required by the College Nurse. Please see our Health and Wellbeing section for information about these.
  • You must read the information on due dates outlining the process for payment of fees and charges, and any advance arrangements. This was sent to you by email when you were confirmed as meeting your conditions for study. If you cannot find it, please email the Postgraduate Office ([email protected]) for a new copy.
  • You must complete the medical form for the College nurse before you arrive.

Planning your arrival

If you are arriving from outside the UK, please check the International Students section below for important pre-arrival information.

Financial matters

You should set up a UK bank account as soon as you arrive in Cambridge.

Council Tax

Full-time students have no liability for Council Tax provided that they are only living with other students. You may be asked to provide proof of student status for Council Tax purposes. The Postgraduate Office can help with this – do not ignore letters about Council Tax.

Dependents of students are liable for Council Tax unless they themselves are students or have a visa stamped ‘no recourse to public funds’. Dependents may be eligible for a reduction on the grounds of low, or no, income in the household if they complete a form for Housing and Council Tax Benefit. Legal liability for payment of the Tax lies with the tenant and not with the dependent concerned or with the College.

Health and wellbeing

Accommodation arrangements

International students

  • For students on student visas who have elected to have their BRP sent to the University, please await an email from the Postgraduate Office asking you to bring in your passport, and to collect the card from the office.
  • For students on visas who have picked up their BRP from the Post Office, please bring your passport and BRP along to the Postgraduate Office at your earliest convenience after your arrival.

Tutorial support

Student societies and MCR

Student Societies and the MCR

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