The Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust has established an initial fund of £0.5 million for a new programme to support students who face severe barriers in coming to Cambridge. This was announced by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, in his annual address to the Congregation of the Regent House in the Senate House on 1 October, 2018.
Named for the former Chairman of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, the Rowan Williams Cambridge Studentship is a full-cost award available to eligible undergraduate and postgraduate students, covering tuition fees and maintenance. It will, in some instances, also assist with students’ upfront expenses such as travel and visa costs.
Each year, the Cambridge Trust is asked to consider applications for funding from students who face especially severe challenges in coming to Cambridge; in recent years, particularly those students who have been affected by the conflict in Syria.
For the academic year 2018-19, the Trust has offered five studentships to students from Syria and two studentships to students from Palestine. All these students have faced significant challenges in continuing their education, with two of them having been formally recognised as refugees. Such individuals were the inspiration for the Trust establishing a fund to help similar applicants realise their dream of continuing their education at the University of Cambridge.
There is more information available on the Cambridge Trust website.
