Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Alison Richard announces today (27 November) Cambridge’s new plans for bursaries, with student funding of up to £4,000 per year. Professor Richard will also confirm her support for Government proposals on higher fees.

Previously, Cambridge has maintained a neutral position with respect to the Government’s proposals whilst it considered the impact of higher fees on access. The University Council has now accepted a major bursary proposal, described in a Notice to the Regent House published yesterday.

Under the new plans for bursaries, if higher fees are in place, a Cambridge Bursary will aim to provide even greater levels of support from 2006:

Every student in receipt of the proposed £1,000 maintenance grant from Government, will get a Cambridge bursary of £4,000 per year toward the cost of their undergraduate education.
The scheme will cost about £7.9 million per year, which will be financed through fee revenues in the first instance in the main, to be replaced over time through a major fundraising drive.
About one in three of UK undergraduates at Cambridge are likely to be eligible for a bursary, with about one in ten getting the equivalent of basic living costs.
The scheme, designed to avoid poverty traps, will taper up to family income of about £35,000.

Cambridge’s existing bursary scheme offers £1,000 per year to those in receipt of full fee remission. This is already the largest programme of UK undergraduate support, totalling £1.5 million per year. The new scheme will provide more generous support, even with higher fees.

Professor Alison Richard said today:

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