The Board of Graduate Studies or relevant University Department determines which students are to pay which fees (determination of home/overseas status, fee exemption and waiver, for example) and scrutinises students’ evidence of financial means. The College collects the fee on behalf of both the University and College. Students have an obligation to pay their dues according to the deadlines advertised by the Colleges, and to secure the finances of which they gave evidence to the Board of Graduate Studies at admission. The College will take appropriate action when a student gets into arrears without prior negotiation, and in such cases may require special payment arrangements as a condition for the student continuing in residence. A student who is in debt to the College may be required to leave until the necessary funding can be produced. A student should discuss serious financial problems with their Tutor as soon as they start to emerge.
The following provisions will apply for the academic year 2016/2017:
1. Postgraduates who fail to settle their bills following the standard first reminder and the usual seven days’ grace will be charged a standard 8.5% per annum interest charge. This charge, together with the possibility of credit being stopped, can be waived on Tutorial advice once satisfactory arrangements have been made to clear the debt.
2. Postgraduates who fail to settle their account at the end of the quarter following that to which the account refers will not be allowed to remain in College accommodation unless they are given permission by the Tutor for Advanced Students.
3. Postgraduates responsible for the payment of their own University and College fees who fail to clear their fee-account at the end of the quarter following that to which the account refers may be withdrawn from the University Register of Graduate Students.
It is important to identify financial problems quickly so that solutions may be found at an early stage.
The Tutor for Advanced Students or your Graduate Tutor is able to provide advice on identifying and obtaining financial assistance, both from the College and from the University. This might be for future study (eg funding a Ph.D course), childcare, fieldwork expenses, or presenting work at international academic conferences. He/she is also able to provide advice in cases of unforeseen and unexpected financial difficulties (as distinct from a failure to access funds which were guaranteed as part of the admissions procedure). Such help may be via an application to the University Access to Learning Fund, or by adjusted payment schedules, a loan, or, in cases of serious hardship, a grant from College trust funds.
As few Ph.D students submit their theses within three years, it is sensible to save some money from three year studentships to help fund any extension into a fourth year. The College has only limited funding available to support such students and any part-time job is likely to lengthen the time required to finish.
The University restricts taking paid work while registered as a fee-paying student at Cambridge. Please consult the ‘Working while you study’ pages of the University website for more details.