Our second Postgrad Offerholder Webinar was on Thursday 19 June. We had a great turnout of Panelists and offerholders - thank you for coming. The link to the recording is available below. Here is a link to the Q&As asked and responded to on Thursday.
Message from the Postgraduate Admissions Office re Processing times for uploaded documents as of 8 July
We are currently processing uploaded documents to meet offer conditions with the following timeline of applicants uploading them to their self-service portal: 7 working days; 10 working days for uploaded finance documents. We have now begun processing offer confirmations (MATR) for entry in MT25 when all conditions have been marked as completed. We are now issuing CAS to MT25 offer holders who are confirmed and have completed the visa information request form.
Postgraduate Admissions Office Help link. This link is the closest University page to compare accommodation costs across Colleges.
Once you’re ready to submit the Financial Undertaking form to your applicant portal, then please return your College Declaration form to us. We know that some of you do not need to upload an undertaking form - that is fine, but please return the College form to us. And PLEASE apply for accommodation if you hope to have some within College. Both the date of confirmation and the date of your accommodation application form will inform when you go on the College room allocation list.
Here's a link to the College's Postgraduate Accommodation pages where you can find the 25-26 Residence charges (rent and other charges). Detailed information about paying your bills and the bill schedule is at this link.
The Information for New Postgraduates pages, primarily for confirmed postgraduates, are where you'll find a variety of University webpages that offer guidelines and answers to more general questions you may have about your time ahead as a postgraduate in Cambridge, i.e. working as a postgraduate, vacations, and how to apply for things, etc.
Accommodation in Cambridge - quite a number of postgraduates choose to live privately, i.e. not in College-owned accommodation.
Once you have been fully confirmed by the University you are eligible to engage the help of the University Accommodation Service. For example, this past year, a UK student took the lease on a large house in Cambridge via the Accommodation Service, and, via the Girton MCR WhatsApp group (which starts up around mid-August), a number of our Girton postgrads joined him in this house.
There are also quite a few agencies and webpages you can check for available accommodation in Cambridge - we just ask you to use discretion when engaging with agencies, or people advertising on SpareRoom, etc. as you would normally do with anyone selling you something. If you wish to check on anything that you're told by such an agency or private individual, please don't hesitate to email us to check - it's better to be sure that something is legitimate.
Here's a link to the PG Administrator's presentation from the 19 June webinar. Also still available are links to both the Postgraduate Administrator's presentation and the Accommodation Manager's slides from the 19 March webinar.
Page updated: 9 July 2025
Postgraduate Offerholder Webinar #2 - 19 June 2025
Postgraduate Offerholder Webinar #1 - 19 March 2025
Arrival and Cambridge Terms
The University Michaelmas term begins 1 October so you should plan to be in Cambridge by that date (5 January for Lent Term start and 17 or 22 April for an Easter Term start). If you are on a student visa, you will need to have your documents scanned before you start study. For those in College-owned accommodation, the College leases for Michaelmas term begin on Tuesday 23 September, therefore, the best window in which to arrive in Cambridge is between the 23rd and the 1st if at all possible, and ideally not earlier unless you are undertaking an in-person pre-sessional course.
If you need to arrive LATER than 1 October, you should inform your department as well as the accommodation office if relevant.
Do read this helpful pre-arrival information courtesy of the International Student Office.
The University has a service whereby you can chat to current Cambridge postgraduates - this is University-wide not just College-wide.
Here's the University's map where you can look up Girton College/ Swirles Court and see where it is in relation to your Department/Faculty.
The standard College offer letter for Postgraduates is here. You will all have been sent one of these on offer.
The documents linked below and linked in the above letter are subject to change prior to your arrival in Cambridge and you are advised to re-read the documents nearer the point of arrival.
Now that you have received offers from both your department and the College, we would like to give you a further opportunity to let us know if you have accessibility concerns or a Specific Learning Difficulty, and whether you will require any support or advice when you come to Cambridge. You can disclose your disability, get further information and provide additional information on the ADRC’s Student Information Form. Particularly for those who are on taught courses, if you wish to apply for exam access arrangements, you will need to make contact with the ADRC and obtain what's called a Student Support Document (SSD) which will outline special conditions for any exams you might have. We strongly suggest if you do receive an SSD, that you agree to have it shared amongst all the parties you will deal with whilst at Cambridge - the College and Department particularly. Some prospective students are reluctant to disclose a disability as they fear that it may be viewed negatively. We would like to assure you that the disclosure of a disability will in no way adversely affect your studies.
The earlier that we are aware of any disability, the better we are able to ensure that all the arrangements you require are in place before you start here (eg study skills support, suitable accommodation and exam access arrangements). You may also find that you are eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) or other available funding to support your requirements.
Like all the Colleges at Cambridge, we work in close cooperation with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC). Their dedicated team of experts provide support, advice and guidance for students. With your permission, our College staff can liaise with them to create a support plan that meets your requirements. If you would like to discuss any of this further with a member of the ADRC Team, then either phone +44 (0)1223 332301 to speak to one of their Disability Advisers, or email disability@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Please also tick the consent box to give the ADRC permission to send a copy of the form to the College. Upon receipt of this form online, the ADRC will send you an email with further important information for disabled students. Information is also available on the ADRC website.
Check out Girton's accessibility at this link.
*If you have already disclosed your disability as part of your application you do not need to return the form.
Things financial
Remember to send us evidence of any funding - full, partial or loans, particularly if you initially have declared that you are self-funding. We need proof of any sponsorship to pass on to our Finance Office. If you are on a student loan, you would be considered as self-funding so would pay your College and Fee bills from the money you receive from a loan company.
Detailed information about paying your bills and the bill schedule is at this link.
Here's a copy of the University Financial Undertaking Form for information. The online version must be completed by all applicants and uploaded to your self-service portal ONLY when you are sure about your funding source(s). At that time, you can also sign and return the College's Declaration form to postgraduate.office@girton.cam.ac.uk.
The University has a Postgraduate Funding Search.
If you have declared a disability on your original application form, our College nurses will make contact with you before you arrive to check in on any needs you may have as soon as you do arrive. An advisor from the ADRC will also contact you before you arrive - we encourage you to engage with both of them.
You may also contact the College if you would like to share specific information with us directly – i.e. about major allergies, accessibility / mobility issues. College offers comprehensive pastoral/welfare support - in addition to your Postgraduate Tutor (allocated in late September), we have a College Head of Welfare and a Health Centre staffed by three College nurses.
This will be available by 23 September for all new students living in College accommodation.