If you've got what it takes, we want to hear from you - whatever your circumstances
Going to University isn’t cheap, but that doesn’t mean that cost should be a barrier. Both the University and its Colleges are committed to ensuring that higher education is accessible to all.
All sorts of initiatives exist to ensure that if you need financial support, it’s available. If you are a Care Leaver or estranged student, there is additional support available to you.
Our philosophy is that it doesn’t matter where you went to school, or what your circumstances are; if you’ve got what it takes to make the most of life at St John’s, then we want to hear from you.
Fees
University tuition fees
Undergraduate fees at Cambridge vary depending on where a student is permanently resident. Each student is classified as one of (1) Home or (2) International / Overseas.
Tuition fees for students qualifying for Home fee status are regulated and capped by the Government. Cambridge's current policy is to charge fees at the maximum level permitted. Tuition fees for standard Home fee status students starting their first undergraduate degree in 2024 will be £9,250 for all courses. You can find complete information about University Tuition Fees, and any inflationary rises, on the University of Cambridge website here.
Year abroad tuition fees
If your course includes a year abroad, the tuition fee for that year is different. Currently, the fee for a Home student on a full year abroad is set at 15% of the tuition fee for that year in Cambridge. Further information can be found on the University of Cambridge website here.
Tuition fees for EU students
The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020.
The Universities Minister for England announced on 23 June 2020 that EU nationals (except Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland), other EEA and Swiss nationals who do not have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme will usually no longer be eligible for home fee status for courses starting in the academic year 2024-25. Please see the section below for further information on fees and costs for international and Islands undergraduates.
Our international students contribute to making St John’s College a vibrant and diverse place in which to study and we continue to extend a welcome to those students.
Fees for international and Islands students
Tuition fees for International students (including students from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man), vary depending on the course you are studying. You can find a full list showing all the latest costs for students in these categories here.
College fees
College fees cover the cost to St John's of providing various educational and domestic services as well as other support. Subject to a fee status check, the College fee for Home undergraduates who are on their first undergraduate course is included in the University fee and does not constitute an additional charge. Home students who are eligible for public support do not normally have to pay an additional College fee, unless they are studying for a second degree.
There are different regulations for ELQ (Equivalent or Lower Qualification) students, who study for a degree which is equivalent to, or at a lower level than, a qualification they already possess when they commence their course. Please refer to the University's document for Undergraduate Tuition Fees for 2024-25. For those ELQ students being admitted in 2024-25 the College fee will be £11,800.
The College Fee for International students admitted in 2024-25 will be £11,800.
Maintenance costs
Undergraduates at St John’s normally live in College accommodation for all three (or, in some cases, four) years leading up to the BA Degree. The room licence normally runs from October to June.
Students will incur certain maintenance charges. These vary from case to case, but the following estimates offer a guide as to how much you might expect to pay in the academic year 2024-25.
Rooms and service in College: | £2,020 - £3,065 per term |
In addition, you will need to budget for meals, clothes, books, travel, entertainment and other lifestyle costs. This usually brings the total maintenance figure up to around £11,000 - £12,000 per academic year.
University-wide support
The University of Cambridge offers extensive financial support to all Cambridge students. In particular, the Cambridge Bursary Scheme enables any student to meet the cost of his or her education, regardless of circumstances.
Bursaries are available to students studying for their first undergraduate degree who are eligible for UK Government funding and have a residual household income of up to £62,215. The bursaries are worth up to £3,500 per year and are assessed based on household income. There is no limit on number of bursaries awarded, so every eligible student can receive one.
In addition to the Cambridge Bursary, students who have been eligible for free school meals (funded by their local authority) will receive the Educational Premium which is an additional non-repayable bursary of £1,000 per year.
The Cambridge Trust administers various awards for students with international / overseas fee status. Most of the awards are part-cost awards and only students in financial need are eligible. Please visit the Cambridge Trust website for further details regarding eligibility and the application process.
Means-tested College support
In addition to the support offered by the University, St John's also offers lots of extra financial assistance for students who are eligible for UK Government funding.
St John's Undergraduate Studentships
In addition to the Cambridge Bursary, St John's will add a further £2,000 of 'top-up' funding for all UK undergraduates with household incomes of £16,190 or less. Students with household incomes above £16,190 will receive an amount tapering from just under £2,000 at a household income of £16,191 to £100 for those with a household income of £25,000.
Free Places
St John's College has announced a programme to fully fund, in the future, the education and living costs at Cambridge University for students from lower-income backgrounds who are eligible for Free School Meals.
Summer Bursaries
The Cambridge summer vacation is a long one, but it's hard to make the most of all that time if you also need to get a summer job to help to pay for your education. At St John's, Home undergraduates with a household income of less than £67,000 can apply to our Summer Bursaries Competition with project proposals to broaden their education and help develop their future careers.
Financial Shortfall Assistance
Not all financial problems can be anticipated – sometimes students unexpectedly run into trouble with their tuition and living expenses. If this happens, your Tutor is here to help, both by offering advice and, if necessary, pointing you in the direction of College and University financial support.
Crucially, any such funding is designed to help you to do more than “get by”; the aim is to ensure that you can get the most out of your Cambridge experience free from financial worries.
College scholarships
The Davies-Jackson Scholarship
The Davies-Jackson Scholarship is a scholarship for students who are the first generation in their families to go to University, come from families of modest means and have outstanding academic standard to thrive in the Cambridge environment.
The Scholarship for French students
The Scholarship for French students is open to all students from France who receive an offer to study at St John's College.
The John Crook Scholarship
The John Crook Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship for a second 2-year BA degree at St John's College for UK students who are the first in their families to have gone to University.
Prizes
The College is immensely proud of its students, and every year we make a number of prizes and scholarships available to people who have reached the very highest standards both academically and in their wider contributions to College life and society as a whole.
There are also all sorts of College prizes and competitions throughout the year. These are great opportunities to expand your interests and educational experience, and there is usually some sort of cash reward if you win. There are prizes for research projects, academic work, photography, music, art – even writing comedy.
More information about the various awards and prizes available may be found here.
Student support bodies
Our friendly College Admissions Office are always happy to answer any questions that you might have about covering the cost of your education at St John’s. You can find contact information here.
For further help and information about student finance, you can also contact one of the following organisations:
Students from England
Directgov Student Support Helpline
Telephone: 0845 300 5090
www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance/
Students from Northern Ireland
Student Finance NI
Telephone: 0845 600 0662
www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
Students from Scotland
Student Awards Agency for Scotland
(SAAS)
Telephone: 0845 111 1711
www.saas.gov.uk
Students from Wales
Student Finance Wales
Telephone: 0845 602 8845
www.studentfinancewales.co.uk
Students from the EU
Student Finance Services European Team
Telephone: +44 (0) 141 243 3570
https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/eu-students
Students from outside the EU
The University of Cambridge website contains useful information
Students from the USA
Students from the USA might be able to apply for a Federal Loan to study at the University of Cambridge.