Urgent - Funding & Fees for Cambridge

Hi guys,
So I just wanted to know something w/ regards to funding. I'm an intl applicant and therefore my fees are pretty high if I get in (22k GBP tuition, 9k college fee - basically 30k in fees for the entire year).

As you can imagine, it is a pretty big burden to put on my parents. I'd be hoping to get some support from the Cambridge Intl Trust or the college's own scholarships. However, these are both scholarships that can only be applied to AFTER you have an offer.

My question is this: in the SAQ, they ask intl students to state their funding. I'm worried that if I write about the scholarships here, that may reduce my chance of getting an acceptance. However, if I state that I will pay with family funding and then come January realise I actually do need that scholarship, would I still be able to apply? Would it disadvantage me that I previously expected to pay with family funding but am now applying for a scholarship? Will stating I intend to apply for a scholarship disadvantage my application? And if I don't state that in my SAQ, will it make it harder to get a scholarship later?

Another Qs: what is the fee payment structure like? Do you have to pay all the lump sum of the fees in one go at the start of the year, or can you pay in instalments (that would be much easier for me)?

Thanks in advance!

This is a tricky question. I am not sure whether Cambridge operates a ‘need-blind’ policy like the elite US universities or whether they would consider your ability to pay as part of your application.

My view is that you should be honest from the start by saying confirming your exact family/funding situation on your SAQ. If you will be able to pay, then confirm that; if not, then confirm that. Whatever happens would be out of your hands. Don't forget to apply to any and all funding opportunities that you are eligible for (both in your home country and the UK). Good luck.

Tagging for better advice:
@Peterhouse Admissions
@Murray Edwards Admissions

Thank you so much for the advice.
The issue is I can't fully guarantee what will happen next year. At the moment (and I expect in the future too, hopefully) I would possibly be able to pay the entire fees, hence why I'm applying. I wouldn't do so if I knew I couldn't afford it outright.
However, I come from a business background and income fluctuates, so it might be possible that perhaps by next year there might be financial issues. I'm not expecting them, but I do still want to be sure that if some disaster does occur that there might be a route out.

The reason I don't want to declare it on my SAQ is that I might not need the scholarship to come next year and thus I wouldn't even apply. I wouldn't want to mislead the university and G&C College (the college I've applied to) by stating I will *definitely* need one, and saying "I will likely fully fund it with family funding but may need a scholarship" is not really an answer. However, if I do realise I need one at the time, would my not declaring as such on the SAQ be penalised? I wouldn't intentionally mislead anyone and I would be happy to submit any financial info needed to the scholarship body if needed to prove the facts, just worried that they might hold it against me that I didn't declare it earlier.

As an intl applicant from the China-pacific region, I do intend to apply to any funding opportunities I can get, but just want to make sure all ends are covered.

@Oxford Mum; @Reality Check

This probably is not your area of expertise but i was wondering if you had some comments for the OP. Thanks.

I’m sorry, this is not my area of expertise

Hi there @_Alevelstudent_!

When we're considering applications, we do so in a needs-blind way - that is, we don't look at someone's ability to pay while we're deciding whether or not to give them a place. We ask briefly about a source of funding a) because we want to know you've thought about it and b) because sometimes applicants are applying for scholarships which are only tenable at certain colleges (such as the Jardine scholarships). Even though we ask for these details, we have no guarantee that any international student can actually afford to study with us before we make them an offer because we only ask for Financial Guarantees once offers have been made.

Hope this helps!

Many thanks for the clarity! Makes things a lot simpler
And this is for all colleges, right? i.e. G&C wouldn't have a different rule than others?

Also, do u have any idea about whether fees have to be paid in one lump sum or can they be spaced out over the year?

Hi guys,
So I just wanted to know something w/ regards to funding. I'm an intl applicant and therefore my fees are pretty high if I get in (22k GBP tuition, 9k college fee - basically 30k in fees for the entire year).

As you can imagine, it is a pretty big burden to put on my parents. I'd be hoping to get some support from the Cambridge Intl Trust or the college's own scholarships. However, these are both scholarships that can only be applied to AFTER you have an offer. I will likely want partial funding rather than a full ride, as I think it might be difficult that my family could afford the 30k+ fees per year.

My question is this: in the SAQ, they ask intl students to state their funding. I'm worried that if I write about the scholarships here, that may reduce my chance of getting an acceptance. However, if I state that I will pay with family funding and then come January realise I actually do need that scholarship, would I still be able to apply? Would it disadvantage me that I previously expected to pay with family funding but am now applying for a scholarship? Basically, will stating I intend to apply for a scholarship disadvantage my application? And if I don't state that in my SAQ, will it make it harder to get a scholarship later?

Another Qs: what is the fee payment structure like? Do you have to pay all the lump sum of the fees in one go at the start of the year, or can you pay in instalments (that would be much easier for me)?
Thanks in advance!