Hughes Hall, like Cambridge University, expects you to have your funding fully in place before starting your course. This is a condition of acceptance. It also means that you should not be distracted from your study by funding worries.
And please note that it is not possible to work part-time in order to fund yourself, given the intensity of a full-time Cambridge course. In any case, the university has strict rules limiting the amount of time for any paid work.
Nevertheless, students occasionally experience financial challenges. Both the university and the college have some funds available to support financial difficulties caused by ‘unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances’ (the traditional definition), and occasionally for other needs.
Speak to your College Tutor if you have financial concerns. They can give you advice, and they will have to comment on any application to college or university funds.
NB. For College Grants for Travel, Language Learning, Varsity Sport and PhD Thesis Binding, see the Funding and Prizes page.
College Financial Assistance Funds
To apply for Hughes Hall financial support or assistance, complete the Application Form, and arrange to discuss this with your tutor, who may wish to follow up certain points. Your tutor will then forward your application to the college’s Student Welfare and Finance Committee, which usually meets weekly during term. Note that if you wish to receive help from funds generously given by others, you need to be open about your income and expenditure. The college will respect your privacy and handle this information sensitively.
The College has several funds, and the SWF will allocate sums from the most appropriate fund where they accept that there is genuine financial need and there are funds available. These are:
- Chui Wen Mei Memorial Bursary Fund, generously donated in memory of Ms Chui Wen Mei
- Hughes Hall Financial Assistance Fund, from historic donations and other sources
- Hughes Hall Innominate Fund, for small grants
Please note that the cut-off dates for eligibility to apply for College financial assistance funds is in line with those set out for the University financial assistance funds.
University Financial Assistance Funds
For these funds, you must consult your tutor, since some need the Tutor to apply on your behalf and all will need college support from either tutor or Senior Tutor. There is a helpful round-up of University financial assistance funds on the University website. The University provides several central sources of financial support including but limited to the following:
- Undergraduate Financial Assistance Fund
- Postgraduate Financial Assistance Fund
- The Crane’s Charity – This is financial assistance to students in financial need who need treatment for physical or mental illness.
For Crane’s Charity, the College will normally contribute a maximum of one-third of the total treatment cost requested. If Crane’s support is more than one-third of the amount, this will offset the College contribution. Students can apply for College financial assistance funds if they are not able to fund their portion of the treatment cost.
You can use this flow diagram to help identify which funds may be most appropriate for you to apply for.