Transforming women's life and work

Supporting Students

Transforming women's lives and work

Over 80% of Lucy Cavendish College students are originally from state school backgrounds. Many have not taken a traditional route into university or, having reached a particular point in their lives and careers, have decided to return to Higher Education, often for new training in professions including Medicine, Veterinary Studies and Law.  

Outstanding women over 21 from a very wide variety of backgrounds from all round the world come to the College to access a Cambridge education at a time of their lives that suits them. Lucy Cavendish is a relatively new college - it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015 - and has grown significantly, expanding its student numbers by 50% over the last five years to a current total of over 350 with approximately 40% undergraduates and 60% graduate students. 

The College has a reputation for the support it gives to its students and its concern for their wellbeing as well as assisting them in achieving their academic ambitions.

In the 2010/2011 academic year undergarduate students gained an array of 'Firsts' in a wide range of subjects including Mathematics, Law, English, Linguistics, Medicine and Veterinary Sciences, Economics, Politics, Psychology and Sociology, and Engineering. 

Financial need

Mature women students often have extreme financial need and would generally prefer help with the costs of supporting themselves (and any dependents) whilst studying rather than simply receiving bursaries for tuition costs; thus maintenance bursaries and other support such as accommodation grants are most attractive to them. This issue is of great concern to the College since our resources to support students in this way are so limited.

Lucy Cavendish is committed to enhancing its provision of student support, so that the new funding arrangements for Higher Education do not dissuade students of modest means from applying to the College, or prevent them from continuing their education once they have joined our community. From 2012, undergraduates will be required to pay annual University tuition fees of £9,000, almost triple the fees paid currently. 

The high number of students studying veterinary science and medicine at Lucy Cavendish creates a particular need as these courses are long, and veterinary science students, in particular have to gain professional practical experience, which is unpaid, in their holidays.This means that they are not able to work to generate money to cover their living costs during term time. 

The College is happy to name a new bursary according to the donor's wishes, and to earmark a particular named bursary for a student reading a specific subject, where circumstances permit; however donations that assist students with the greatest financial need or support academic excellence wherever it is found are particularly important in the new funding climate for Higher Education. 

The College is working with Allia to raise funds for students from the issuing of charitable bonds. Click here to find out more about the bonds. 

How you can help Lucy Cavendish College support students:

Every gift will allow Lucy Cavendish College to nurture the talents and aspirations of students, enabling them to make the most of their time in this unique community and achieve their ambitions to transform their lives and work.

For further information about supporting students please contact:

Caroline Sier, Head of Development, Email: cs554@cam.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 1223 764020

The Development Office, Lucy Cavendish College, Lady Margaret Road, Cambridge, CB3 0BU.

How Lucy Cavendish College has transformed my life and work

Pritika Pradham biography