Other funds

Funding is available to support students studying at Cambridge.

• Up to £250 towards the cost of students' active participation in charitable or community projects. (Projects are normally without remuneration.)
• Awards can be in addition to other College funding, with an overall cap at no more than 50% of the project cost.
• To be eligible for funding, a charitable or community project should not form part of any course requirements.
• Student members, who will have completed their course of study by the end of the Easter term of the current academic year, may still apply.

To apply: Complete the online application form giving full details of your project and stating that you wish to apply for funding for a community or charitable project.  

Deadline: 2 June for projects taking place before the end of the same academic year (30 September).

The College offers financial support to students attending conferences, symposia, workshops, etc. in Cambridge and to those organising such events at the College.

• To apply to attend a conference or event

Undergraduate students: should apply to the Student Opportunities Fund, with support from their Director of Studies if the event is related to their academic study, or from their Tutor in other cases.

Postgraduate students: should apply through the Graduate Research Awards scheme, with support of Supervisor and Tutor, to support attendance at events relating to their academic work and through the Student Opportunities Fund, with support from their Tutor, for other activities.

• To apply for College support in organising a conference or event at Fitzwilliam

Students organising events under the auspices of University societies, charitable activities, etc., are encouraged to hold them at Fitzwilliam College. The cost of room bookings may in some circumstances be subsidised through an award from the Student Opportunities Fund.

In the first instance, please contact the College Events Co-ordinator to enquire about room availability.

Unfortunately, the College is not able to support the organisational costs or overheads of conferences, symposia, workshops, etc., held outside the College. 

Up to two awards, to the value of £150 each, may be made to separate deserving candidates who are Pre-Clinical or Clinical students studying human or veterinary medicine at Fitzwilliam College, to support scientific research activities. Please click here for further information. 

The College has funds to support students learning a foreign language through the Cambridge University Language Programme (CULP) and for the in-sessional Academic Development and Training for International Student (ADTIS) programme, if this is not a condition of admission.

• Cambridge University Language Programme

The Cambridge University Language Programme offers courses in 11 different languages: Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Russian, Spanish, and Swahili.

Each course consists of 30 hours (15 sessions of 120 minutes each) in the classroom, 15 hours work with online resources, and 15 hours self-study.

This programme is open to all Fitzwilliam students. Students make their own arrangements for registration on a particular course. The College will pay 50% of the course fee, on successful completion of the course. 

How to apply for College funding:

• please send completion certificate and breakdown of marks to the Tutorial Officer (Ms Anne Haworth).

NOTE:

• Students seeking support for more than one language in an academic year should also supply a letter of support from their Director of Studies (for undergraduates) or Course Director/Supervisor (for postgraduates).
• Funding cannot be offered for 'attendance only' courses.

• Language Centre in-sessional courses

The Language Centre runs an in-sessional support programme or those who wish to improve their academic English communication and language skills, which is tailored towards the needs of individual students.

The College will pay the full cost, for a student attending the course if:

• Attendance on the course was not a condition of your admission to the University
• In the case of a Graduate student, the Supervisor or Course Director supports the request and agrees that it would be beneficial
• In the case of an Undergraduate student, the Director of Studies and the College Tutor supports the request and agrees that it would be beneficial
• The time commitment required for the course would not be detrimental to your main study
• The College will require termly reports from the Director of Studies or the Supervisor regarding your progress

How to apply for College funding: 

• Review the information on the Language Centre website
• Discuss your request to take the course with your Supervisor or Director of Studies
• Ask your Supervisor/Director of Studies and your Tutor, to complete this form
• The authorised form must be returned to the Tutorial Office and the College will then inform the Language Centre
• The Language Centre will book you onto the course and invoice the College, so you should not need to pay yourself or complete their on-line booking.

The Master's Gift Fund provides awards to undergraduate and graduate students to support extracurricular activities which are not supported (or cannot be adequately supported) by the JMA or any other College Funds. Applications should be made through the Tutor to the Master, and can be made at any time.

Students may apply for a Performance Award to support a project for the current academic year. These awards may be made from either the Fitzwilliam Society Milner Walton Fund or the Lewis Brierly Eggbox Fund.

Fitzwilliam Society Milner Walton Fund

Its purpose is to support projects undertaken by Fitzwilliam students in the musical and dramatic arts – to contribute to the cultural life of Fitzwilliam College. Ordinarily, these projects will be presented in College during the year in which they are funded. Awards for projects to be presented outside of College will be considered, but applicants are advised to include in their application an explanation of how the presentation of their project at an external venue will enhance the musical or theatrical life of Fitzwilliam students and/or the reputation of the College.

Lewis Brierly Eggbox Fund

The Lewis Brierly Eggbox Fund was established in 2019 by a benefaction to the College from Lewis Brierly (Music, 2015) and Eggbox Comedy. The income of the Fund shall be used to support the involvement of college members in comedic and theatrical works outside of Cambridge.  The Fund shall be used for the award of bursaries to undergraduate and graduate students to support expenses incurred through participation in comedic or theatrical works outside of Cambridge, in particular at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
 

To apply:

• Please use the following application form 
• Applications will open at the start of each Term, and the deadline for applications is Division of Term.

Awards Panel: Financial Tutor, Director of Music, President of Fitz Theatre, President of Clubs & Societies.

Students may apply to the ED Davies fund or the Dorothy Pounds Fund for a grant to assist with music lessons as follows:

• students reading Music as part of their Tripos or Postgraduate Studies - up to £50 per lesson with a maximum of £400 per year.
• students who are not reading Music  - up to £20 per lesson with a maximum of £200 per year.

To apply: all students - send a covering letter and copies of payment receipts to Anne Haworth in the Tutorial Office.

The Sailbridge Special Project awards were established in 2016 by a donation from Mr Philip Behenna (Modern Languages, 1985-1989) in honour of Lawrence Sail and Robert Lethbridge. Mr Behenna explains his inspiration for establishing these awards as follows: ‘Lawrence taught me to be imaginative. Robert taught me to persevere. Both qualities will be required for an interesting project. To me the word Sailbridge connotes the idea of a device that allows for movement from one state to another, a physical journey perhaps or a mental process of discovery. The sail and the bridge helped human beings overcome barriers to exploration and knowledge.’

Applicants for Sailbridge Special Project awards are encouraged to think adventurously as they plan projects that combine both physical and mental voyages of discovery. No direct connection to the student’s coursework is required, but applicants should make clear their motivation for undertaking the project. Projects that foster cross-cultural communication and meaningful interpersonal experiences are particularly encouraged. Applications should specify the purpose and likely impact of the project.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a report on the project that will discuss how it was planned and carried out, its immediate outcome and likely longer-term impact. This report will be forwarded to the donor, who has stated that he hopes the reports will indicate how students have been changed, challenged, awed, terrified, frustrated and enlightened by their experiences.  Previous recipients of the Sailbridge Special Project Awards have traveled to Sierra Leone, Nepal, Kenya, Russia, Zambia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Italy, Spain and Senegal. Adventurous applications to carry out projects in any part of the world are welcomed.

Eligibility: Awards from the Fund may be made to any Junior Member of the College with the exception of those in the final year of their course (whether undergraduate or graduate).  This rule excludes graduate students on one-year MPhil or MSt courses.  Exceptions may be made, at the discretion of the awards panel, for finalists who have accepted a place at Fitzwilliam College for a graduate course, or for MPhil students who have accepted a place at Fitzwilliam College for a PhD course in the year directly following their receipt of a Sailbridge Special Project Award.

Awards: The number and value of Sailbridge Special Project Awards made shall be determined by an awards panel according to the numbers and quality of the proposals. Awards are not normally intended to cover the full costs of a project; where appropriate, applicants should demonstrate that they have applied for complementary funding from other sources. 

To apply: Complete an application form and send to the Tutorial Officer (Ms Anne Haworth) (applications now closed).  
Students are encouraged to address any queries about the awards or the application process to the Senior Tutor, Dr Paul Chirico (senior.tutor@fitz.cam.ac.uk) 

Deadline: 29 April 2020

Thanks to the generosity of alumni of the College and other donors, the College is able to award Sports Bursaries to eligible students. 

These instructions are for both the Paul Day Sport and the Sports Support Funds

(Your application will automatically be considered for both funds and awards made from the most appropriate)

• Paul Day Sports Fund

The Paul Day Sports Fund was established in 2013 with a donation from Paul Day (Mathematics 1977), who played table tennis for England while he was an undergraduate at Fitzwilliam.

The Fund is used to support student members of the College who play sport at the highest levels and require financial assistance to take advantage of sporting opportunities.

The distribution of this expendable Fund is at the discretion of the Executive Trustees of the JMA.

• Sports Support Fund

The Sports Support Fund was established in 2012 through donations from members of the College. The Fund is used to provide assistance to student members of the College, directly or indirectly, in taking advantage of sporting opportunities.

The distribution of the Fund is at the discretion of the Executive Trustees of the JMA.

How to apply:

Only one award can normally be made per applicant, in each academic year. It may be advisable to wait to apply until you know your full range of activities for the year.

Please read these guidance notes before you apply. 

This year the applications will be collected using Moodle.

1.  Please follow this link which may prompt you for your Raven password
2.  Please self-enrol in the Moodle course 'Sports Funding'
3.  Please click on the 'Sports Funding' questionnaire (Next to an orange bullhorn icon )
4.  Click on the link 'Answer the questions...'
5.  Now you should find the form. Don't forget to answer all the required questions (red asterisk*) and any optional ones you wish.
6.  Click 'Submit your answers' to complete the form. 

Deadlines: 

Applications open at the beginning of each term and the relevant deadlines are available on the above Moodle course.
 

• John Adams Fund

For student members of the College participating in the activities of the Boat Club.

The John Adams Fund was established in 2012 by members of the Billygoats Society in recognition of John Adams' 50 years of service to the Society and Fitzwilliam College rowing. The income of the John Adams Fund is used to provide bursaries and prizes.

John Adams Bursaries are awarded to individual student members of the college to assist with expenses incurred in connection with rowing either for the Boat Club or for University crews. To apply for a bursary submit a completed application form to the Tutorial Office. 

The Trustees of the Billygoats Society (President, Secretary and Treasurer) decide on these awards.

Application form >>

• University funding

There are also University funds available to support University athletes.

Alongside the Fitzwilliam student rent review the College has developed the following schemes, funded from the Members Accommodation Account and the Student Opportunities Fund. The aim is to support students studying in Cambridge on reduced incomes. The schemes pay an allowance of £20 /night for up to 14 nights/academic year for students meeting all the criteria. 

Undergraduate students - criteria

• Undergraduate students in all years on all forms of rent agreement
• Nights of residence during Christmas and Easter vacations in excess of the 29 week residence period 
• Residence is in College accommodation
• Have been awarded a College Maintenance Bursary during the current academic year.

There is no need to apply: 

• The Accommodation Officer will advise on the number of nights to be included
• Awards will be processed by the Tutorial Office in May each year and credited to the students college account.

Postgraduate students - criteria

• Postgraduate students in all years of study
• Residence is in College accommodation on a standard graduate contract.
• Have been awarded a College Maintenance Bursary during the current academic year.

There is no need to apply: 

• As postgraduate students are all on a full 39 week contract, all those eligible will receive the full £280
• Awards will be processed by the Tutorial Office in May each year and credited to the students college account.

• Undergraduate students may apply for funds towards travel in the long summer vacation
• An undergraduate student who will be graduating at the end of Easter term can still apply, but the travel must therefore relate to a future course of study at Fitzwilliam College
• The maximum available for non-academic travel in both cases is £175
• Funds are also available for both undergraduate and graduate students for travel that is related to studies.

To apply:

• Undergraduate students should use the application form on the Undergraduate travel funds page.
• Graduate students are not eligible to apply for funding towards non-academic travel projects, unless they are charitable or community projects.

An allowance of £50 per week towards College accommodation is available for Undergraduate students taking part in research projects or academic-related internships in or near Cambridge during Long Vacation. The following criteria apply:

• Projects are during the Long Vacation
• Projects are not directly related to undergraduate course work
• Awards are for a maximum of 10 weeks
• Awards are subject to the availability of a suitable College room
• You must stay in College accommodation during the period of the award
• You must have the support of both your Tutor and  Director of Studies
• Students must detail financial support/remuneration received during the project. Funding under this scheme will be reduced if payments exceed £250/week and no awards will normally be made where applicants will be paid more than £300/week
• During the Long Vacation following graduation, awards are available only for those returning for postgraduate studies at Fitzwilliam College

To apply:

• Application form - Undergraduate students only
• Graduate students are not eligible to apply for a vacation project allowance.

Funding for other projects – available from the Student Opportunities Fund

The Student Opportunities Fund was established in 2009 through donations primarily from former students of the College. 

The fund supports many of the projects already listed on this page, allowing students to take advantage of academic or extra-curricular opportunities. This includes support for community projects, language study, student rent allowance, and vacation project accommodation.  The fund also supports some disability-related costs such as rent rebates and diagnostic testing.  In general, Fitzwilliam College cannot provide funding to support the purchase or repair of personal IT equipment such as laptop or tablet computers. If necessary expenditure on such equipment leads to financial difficulties, students should discuss their situation with their Tutor and may be able to apply for hardship funding.

Direct application to the Student Opportunities fund is also possible for financial assistance towards projects or expenses not covered elsewhere on this web page.  These can be individual projects, or wider College based activities.

What sort of projects are supported? Every case is considered individually, but examples of what has been covered in the past include;

• Language courses related to studies, but not Cambridge based.
• Non course related travel – career enhancing opportunities.
• Academic related conferences held in Fitzwilliam by current students.

To Apply:  Return the Application Form to the Tutorial Office (there is a MS Word version of this form if you prefer).