Pembroke College Cambridge

Undergraduate specific support

Nearly all the awards mentioned in this section are provided out of the College’s Restricted Funds.  This is money donated by benefactors, either in the past or on an ongoing basis.  Their generosity allows us to offer these resources.

You should apply for the different kinds of support in different ways, as explained in this document.  The general grant form is the form you are most likely to need, your Director of Studies or Tutor will need to approve and comment on your application. 

If you have any questions about any of the sources of support it describes, or your eligibility for them, please consult with the College Registrar

In general, students who will have graduated by the time that the expenditure occurs are not eligible for support (unless they are returning for a postgraduate degree).

The grants listed below are for students undertaking a degree-bearing course at Cambridge; if you wish to apply for one of grants listed but are not undertaking a degree-bearing course please talk to your Director of Studies or Tutorial Bursar about your eligibility before submitting an application.

Vacation Study Grants

Study grants are available to help students pursue work which is directly related to their course, during the vacations.

Study grants for students remaining in Cambridge during the vacation

Undergraduates who have strong academically-approved reasons to remain in Cambridge during the vacations can apply for a grant to help towards living costs whilst remaining in college.  Any application must have the support of your Director of Studies.  The grant will only apply for the days outside the period covered by your termly rent.  Students undertaking a paid placement will not normally be eligible for a vacation study grant.

Who: All undergraduate students

How much: Maximum 75% of the cost of your room

How: Vacation Study Grant form

Limit: 5 weeks maximum in the Michaelmas and Lent vacations, 8 weeks for the long vacation.  N.B. Vacation Study Grants will only cover a minimum of 3 nights’ continuous residence.

Deadline: Vacation study grant application forms must be submitted to the Tutorial Office by the end of the term for the forthcoming vacation (it is recommended that students ask their Director of Studies to approve their application for a grant at their end of term meeting)

Funding for research in laboratories

The college may be able to offer up to 75% of the cost of your room to students intending to undertake unpaid research projects in laboratories in Cambridge; similar levels of funding may be available for students working away from Cambridge.  These awards are known as Hickson or Shepherd bursaries. Candidates should apply on the college grant form (if working outside Cambridge) but should include full details of the laboratory and their intended working role there. The onus is on the student to contact the institution before applying, in order to get permission to work there. Preference will be given to those with definite plans, who are unable to attract funding from elsewhere.   Paid placements are not supported but modestly paid placements may be supported in certain circumstances.

Who: All students

How much: Maximum 75% of the cost of your room

How: If working in a Cambridge based lab: vacation study grant form

If working in a lab outside Cambridge: standard​ college grant form

Grants for Strictly Academic Purposes (e.g. compulsory vaction courses, travel or other related costs for optional dissertations or non-compulsory fieldwork)

Participation in vacation courses regarded as compulsory by the University.

Certain courses require students to participate in fieldwork, language study etc. as a compulsory part of their course.  These courses are normally funded through, or heavily subsided by, departments/faculties however the College will consider an application for a contribution to the cost.  Please apply on the standard​ college grant form.

Participation in other vacation study, e.g. travel for optional dissertations or non-compulsory fieldwork

The College is often able to assist undergraduates with essential travel expenses incurred in work done for Tripos that is not funded departmentally.  For example, we can support the cost of research visits to libraries, archives or other collections (normally by those writing dissertations); travel outside Cambridge for unfunded fieldwork; unfunded language study (see also language based awards below).

Wherever possible, applicants are expected in the first instance to seek funding from their Faculty or Department or from University funds. Departments and Faculties may have some money available for ‘non-compulsory’ study and it is important to check this.  Applications must always include full details of what other funding has been applied for and/or received.

In order to ensure a fair distribution of the resources available, the following norms apply to college awards for this study-travel:

Who: Any undergraduate

How much: From October 23 grants may cover the total cost of essential travel (food costs are excluded) up to a maximum of £500.

How: College grant form

When: At any time of year, but before the expenses are incurred.

Limit: £500

If a grant is approved, payment will be made only on production of the necessary receipts. If the total receipted expenditure is significantly less than the sum originally estimated, the grant will normally be reduced accordingly.

Language-based awards

In addition to taking language courses where appropriate, undergraduates reading Modern Languages or AMES are encouraged to travel abroad, particularly at the end of their first year.  The college will support up to 75% of the costs of such a trip (excluding food costs), and each undergraduate is entitled to a maximum of £1,000 support for this purpose during their course.  Students are not eligible for such grants during the compulsory Year Abroad.  Students should apply using the standard​ college grant formOther undergraduates travelling abroad to improve their languages (e.g. while taking a language diploma) should apply for support for up to 50% of costs. Students should note applications for this type of language support are normally considered alongside other general travel grants and should apply using the standard College grant form by the deadline of 31st May.

General Travel Grants

In addition to specifically course related travel or the 1966 Mill Lane Award, the College has a limited sum of money available for less restricted but serious, educationally beneficial, travel.  These awards are separate from the specific course- and research-based grants that the College gives to students needing to travel for fieldwork, dissertations and so on.   As the funding for these types of trips is limited applications will be considered as a gathered field.  Completed applications must to be submitted by 15th May.  Late applications will not be considered.  When applying, please make the case for the educational value of your plans. Usually there will be an academic connection of some sort, though it need not be narrowly course-related. Grants are not given to support holidays.

Students wishing to apply for a general travel award should use the standard College grant form.  From October 23 grants will cover 75-50% of costs and will normally be in the range £400-£300. 

General points

Travel awards are intended for undergraduates who are continuing their studies in Pembroke after the travel is undertaken, i.e. after October 2023 in the case of travel over the summer. Students leaving permanently before travelling are not usually eligible. Most grants will only be made retrospectively, on submission of receipts. However the college is sometimes willing to make a loan in advance, for airfare costs etc.  The loan will then be converted to a grant after receipts have been submitted, along with any other paperwork requested. The amounts granted will vary depending on the number, quality and appropriateness of applications. In setting the sum, applications to other bodies will be taken into account. The amount actually granted will depend on receipts being submitted for the total travel expenditure budgeted (not just the amount granted), unless specified otherwise. In line with College policy, students who are in academic or disciplinary difficulty will not normally be considered for grants. Those awarded grants will be required to write a short report on the travel undertaken, for the information of the Governing Body.  Excerpts may also be used in future college publications, for example the Martlet.

1966 Mill Lane Award

A group of alumni who matriculated in 1966 wish to offer one or more awards of up to £2,000 to Pembroke undergraduates to enable them to ‘fulfil their full potential’ whilst studying at Pembroke.

An award can either be used to help with recipients’ extra-curricular interests while at College, to support them while they pursue contributions principally to College Life, or to allow a recipient to undertake an internship or other “broadening experience”, which is unpaid, low-paid or requires travelling expenses which are not funded from another source. Normally this activity would be expected to take place during the Long Vacation of the current academic year.
 
The 1966 Mill Lane Awards are open to all undergraduate students and applicants should be actively involved in the life of the College and have a solid academic record, regardless of subject.  Applicants should have at least one year left on their course of study, or a guarantee of returning to the College for post-graduate study.

Students applying would probably – but not necessarily – be expected to be in receipt of a maintenance grant (or at least the means-tested element of the student loan).  Any award offered would be in addition to any other financial support which the student receives.


Successful applicants would be expected to produce a short report for the 1966 Mill Lane Group at the end of the academic year (or the end of the Long Vacation depending on the type of award) to outline how they have used the money and how it has helped them, and/or potentially the College as well. Examples of what previous receipents have done can be found here.

Students wishing to apply to be considered for one of these Awards should complete the appropriate application form.  Applications should be made by 15th May.  The successful applicant(s) will be informed during the course of the Easter term.

The Pembroke Engineering Curriculum Enrichment Fund (Engineering students only)

The practical application of skills learnt by Pembroke engineers during their degree has a positive benefit for their academic development and career progression. The Fund enables Pembroke students to undertake extra-curricular engineering-related activities. 
Students can apply for funds up to the value of £400 Examples of how the money might be spent include: 
1.    Materials and equipment charges for individual projects in the Dyson Centre and elsewhere. 
2.    Support for participation in student led engineering societies 
3.    Training: attending courses in an engineering-related skills 
To apply: 
Please submit an application using the standard college grant form putting jhd25@cam.ac.uk as the CRSID email for approval in box 6. Please also send a 500 word description of the proposed project directly to jhd25@cam.ac.uk: 
1.    Why you are applying for funding 
2.    The amount you are applying for 
3.    How you expect to spend the money 
4.    How you think it will benefit your engineering studies 
On completion of the project, successful or not, recipients of funding should submit a short report on how they used the money and how it has benefited their study of engineering. 
The fund was established by Dr John Lumley (1972). John read Electrical Engineering at Pembroke, and then went on to have a career in software engineering, including working at Cambridge Consultants and HPLabs, before setting up his own R & D consultancy. 

Financial Assistance Support

The University and the College are both committed to the principle that students should not be debarred from studying here because of cost, and a number of schemes exist to alleviate genuine financial difficulties. Whatever their background or source of funding, students who consider themselves in severe financial need should, as a first step, discuss their situation in confidence with their Tutor.

All those in genuine need, irrespective of their fee status, are eligible for consideration for one-off financial assitance grant from the College, whether because of an unexpected and sudden change in circumstances, or for other reasons. If you are in any doubt about making an application, consult your Tutor. We expect Home students to normally carry an overdraft, but it is important to let your Tutor know if your overdraft is near its limit.  Students should also talk to their Tutor if they are incurring large credit card bills as the College discourages students from running up such debts.  Student Finance funded students should also remember that if their family circumstances have changed since they submitted their form, and the family income has reduced by more than 15%, then they can ask for a reassessment.  The College expects students to supplement their income by taking, where possible, paid work especially during the long vacation.

If after talking with your Tutor you would like to apply for financial assistance from the College you should complete a financial assistance form.  Applications can be made at any time of the academic year.  You will be required to give details of your finances, but these will be treated in confidence by your Tutor and the Tutorial Bursar.

Awards may be either grants or interest-free loans.  Loans are usually offered until the end of the summer, allowing students to pay them off with earnings.  Late arrival of your grant or student loan can produce cash-flow problems; if you are unable to pay your College Bill, see Dr Coombs – it is often possible to defer payment in certain circumstances, but it is important to make a formal arrangement about deferral, or you will be fined and charged interest for non-payment.

Managing finances is a skill that comes more easily to some students than others.  When loans are offered to individuals, they may be accompanied by some advice about better management of funds in future.  Any financial assistance grant that is awarded will be based on a calculation of sensible levels of student expenditure rather than on students’ actual spending if this is deemed excessive.  Tutors will be sympathetic to a one-off mistake in budgeting, but much less so to a regular pattern of over-spending.  If you would like advice on managing your finances then please feel free to consult your Tutor, the Tutorial Bursar or the College Registrar.

Caltech Exchange (Long Vac)

Caltech Exchange summer 2024:

Each year Pembroke can nominate one or two high-flying science undergraduates to travel to Caltech for a summer undergraduate research programme. If you go you will learn a lot, have a wonderful time, and even get paid enough to cover your time in the US. (Caltech has a superb campus on the edge of Los Angeles).

Successful candidates are committed to spending 10 weeks at Caltech, arriving in June 2024. On Campus housing is available, and the stipend is c. $7200 (basic living costs amount to $5,000-5,500, so you will have enough for your airfare and other travel in the US). You will need a preliminary idea about the field that you would like to work in, and possible supervisors at Caltech, when you submit your application, but project subjects are developed during further discussion with Caltech once the decision as to who is going is taken.

Who is eligible?

Second or third year students in STEM subjects: Natural Sciences, Medicine, Computer Science, Engineering or Applied Mathematics. Preference will be given to third years who intend to study for 4 years (your graduation year must be later than 2024), but promising second year students will be considered. Students with prior research experience will be preferred.

Application process

The following documents should be sent to Dee.Kunze@pem.cam.ac.uk by 16 October 2023:

A short essay in Word format (no more than one page, single-spaced) on why you would like to undertake this summer of research at Caltech and how the experience would complement your academic and professional plans and goals. --- A statement of research interests and previous research, in Word format, together with a note of any familiarity with relevant academic software, databases, and other resources and equipment. --- A current CV, in Word or pdf format. --- The names of two referees (please ask them first). References should be in pdf format. --- A list of 8-10 Caltech professors with whom you would possibly like to work, in Word format.

Please see the extensive application guidance notes

Selection will take place shortly after the deadline and interviews will be taking place on or around 24/25 October.