Emmanuel College has told incoming postgraduates that the University believes they will need a minimum of £15,600 to cover their living expenses next year, a letter seen by Varsity suggests. 

This figure does not include the cost of meeting tuition fees.

The quoted estimate exceeds the maximum Cambridge Bursary and maximum Student Finance England (SFE) maintenance loan combined.

If the University's prediction is accurate, incoming postgraduates – predominantly medics – reliant on these for funding will be left more than £2000 short.

It is also likely to increase the number of students forced to rely on their own money to meet the costs of their studies, and further squeeze those already doing so. 

In 2020/21, 36% of PhD and 86% of Master’s applicants had to at least partially self-fund their studies.

Writing on the Facebook page 2 Cam 2 Fess, one student asked: “How do they expect students to cope if we can’t have a job?”

One Emmanuel student, who asked not to be named, also expressed concern over the College’s requirement that incoming students pay a deposit of £2,510 at the beginning of term to access their room. 

Students were warned that they would not be allowed to collect their room keys until the payment was made.

One student, who asked not to be named, told Varsity that not all students would have received funding by the time they needed to move in.

Clinical medics in particular will not receive maintenance funding until the 5th of September, the day their course begins.

This means that financial issues could arise for students unable to raise £2,510 on their own.

Students anticipating problems paying this deposit were told to contact the Bursar, who ‘in appropriate circumstances’ can authorise porters to issue a room key.

Emmanuel College did not respond to a request for comment.