Gates Scholarship

The Gates Scholarship is a post graduate scholarship founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This award is offered to 100 graduate students each year, for one to three years of study at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Students from any country, besides Great Britain, can apply for the scholarship if eligible. Typically, just a little less than half of the scholarship recipients are from the United States.

The goal of the Gates Scholarship is to educate future leaders who will strive to cultivate the quality of life for the people of their countries. These scholars would be mindful of world issues and work to solve problems associated with health, learning, justice, and technology. Thus, the foundation will be looking for qualities that suggest potential leadership and the ability to improve society. Students will be expected to take courses associated with these concerns, but can typically study any of the subjects that are taught at Cambridge.

Graduate students are eligible to apply for the Gates Scholarship if they are citizens of a country outside of Great Britain, and no older than 30 years of age. They must have a bachelor's degree and all prerequisites needed for the particular area in which they plan to study. Candidates are also expected to have scored exceptionally well on the GRE and have a high GPA. Another necessity to be considered for the Gates Scholarship is the ability to pass an English proficiency test, if English is not the applicant's first language.

The scholarship amount will cover all tuition, and scholars will receive a maintenance allowance along with money to pay for activities that accompany their studies. Although applications need to be turned in to the University of Cambridge, applicants should check with their present schools to find out additional information concerning endorsements and pre-applications.