The Gates Millennium Scholarship
The Gates Millennium Scholarship is a very competitive, last-dollar award for excellent high school graduates from low-income families. The scholarship is awarded to great student leaders each year in order to help them reach their full potential.
Why Gates Millennium Scholarship
Our society’s rising diversity reminds us that all of America’s residents must have access to higher education opportunities if our country is to survive and advance as a global, competitive democracy in the new millennium.
The survival of our country’s economy, democracy, and quality of life is contingent on the development of a broad cadre of leaders who will help construct a more resilient society.
These potential leaders, who come from communities that have traditionally and historically been denied access to higher education, must be given the help they need to navigate the path to college completion.
The Gates Millennium Scholarship (GMS) Program, established in 1999 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides outstanding African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with the opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline of their choice.
Continuing Gates Millennium Scholars may seek financing for a graduate degree program in one of the following disciplines: computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health, or science.
Eligibility of the Gates Millennium Scholarship
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be high school seniors with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, be Federal Pell Grant qualified, and plan to enroll full-time at an authorized U.S. college or institution.
Applicants must also be citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents of the United States and of African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian-Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American descent.
Applicants should be able to show strong examples of personal success and progress (emotional maturity, motivation, perseverance, and so on), as well as exceptional leadership talents.
The scholarship program is extremely tough, with only 1,000 students picked from over 50,000 applicants. GMS scholars who pursue graduate studies in education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health, or science are eligible for ongoing scholarship.
How to Apply
Scholarship Reward
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the entire cost of studying at Cambridge. It also offers additional discretionary funds.
Core components
- the University Composition Fee at the applicable rate
- a maintenance stipend for a single student (£21,000 for 12 months at the 2024-25 rate; pro rata for courses shorter than 12 months); for PhD students, the grant is for up to four years.
- One economy single airfare at the start and end of the course.
- Incoming visa expenses and the cost of the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Discretionary components
The Trust also reviews submissions for a variety of supplementary grants on a discretionary basis:
- Academic development support ranges from £500 to £2,000, depending on the length of your term, for attending conferences and courses.
- Dependent Children Allowance: up to £11,604 for one child and £16,548 for two or more children (2024-25 rate). There is no funding for a partner.
- Fieldwork – You may apply to maintain your standard maintenance allowance while conducting fieldwork as part of your PhD.
- Maternity/Paternity money – if you require it, you may apply to interrupt your studies for up to 6 months while continuing to receive your maintenance allowance.
- Hardship funding – for unexpected problems affecting the scholar.
If you receive a salary from your employer or have another substantial scholarship, the Trust maintains the right to modify or discontinue the normal maintenance allowance. If you receive any support for your Cambridge degree, please notify the Trust as soon as possible.
What’s not covered?
Gates Millennium Scholarship covers the majority of costs, although Gates Cambridge does not pay for bench fees, research equipment, or other academic resources. The Trust expects Cambridge’s academic department to reimburse such core course costs.
