Henry Fund How to Apply

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Sanket Mishra, Unsplash

The Fellowships

The Trustees of the Charles and Julia Henry Fund expect to offer two Henry fellowships, two Procter and two Choate awards for the academic year 2026-2027. Applications for the Fellowships are administered centrally by the Henry Trustees at the University of Cambridge. There is a single competition covering the Henry, Procter and Choate awards and candidates are required to complete an application form, confirming the fellowship for which they are applying by ticking the appropriate box. Candidates can apply for more than one fellowship, but the eligibility criteria do vary, so candidates should make sure they are aware of them.

The Trustees will only consider candidates prepared to give their whole time to the aims of the Fellowships, which include study, social activities with fellow students and travel within the United States. Fellows are also required to undertake to return to the British Isles at the end of their term of tenure. This condition may be waived or modified only in special cases.  
Candidates for the Henry, Procter and Choate Fellowships are normally interviewed on the same occasion. Interviews will be held in London in February 2026. Please note, however, that - under certain circumstances - Trustees reserve the right to select candidates on the basis of the application and references alone, without an interview. Feedback is not a feature of the scheme and it is not possible for the Trustees to provide candidates with comments on unsuccessful applications at any stage of the process.  

The application form

As part of the application, candidates are required to set out their proposed scheme of study or research to be carried out at the American University and submit the following:
  • A copy of the personal details page of their passport (candidates shortlisted for interview only)
  • Certification of their current student status
  • Two written references.

Referees are required to comment on the candidate’s suitability based on their personal knowledge, referring to the candidate's personality, specific interests and scholarly ability. The candidate’s capacity for leadership and ability to make a mark in public life should also be mentioned. Instructions for the referees are contained in the application form. Candidates should supply each referee with a copy of their application, as submitted, to assist them. You can find more information on the FAQ page. 

Henry Fellows are given an assured place at their American university as a Special or Visiting Student, therefore a separate application to that university is not required. 

​How to Apply

Candidates should apply in the following way:
  1. Read the Notes for Candidates document in full (link below).
  2. Complete the online application form located below and submit. Ensure all relevant documents are attached.  Once submitted, the Student Funding team will confirm receipt and email a copy of the completed form back to you for your records and to share with your referees.
  3. Share the Notes for Referees and your application with your referees. We will also need to receive their references directly by email by the 10 January deadline.

The deadline for receipt of all complete applications is 10 January 2026. Applications received after this date will not be considered. 

To access the application form - please click here (available from 1 November 2025). 
Although requirements vary, the application form is the same for all scholarships.

Other application documents

Referees are asked to email their references separately to Bahar Abdi at hpcreferences@admin.cam.ac.uk
Emailed references should have the file name of referee's name and then word reference.

Important dates 

  • 1 November 2025: Applications for the Fellowships open. Please ensure you give your referees sufficient time to complete their reference. Speak to your referee before making your application to ensure they are fully aware of the time limits they have to work to. 
  • 03 January 2026: Closing date for receipt of applications from candidates. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.
  • 10 January 2026: Closing date for receipt of referees’ reports from the referees directly. 
  • February 2026: Short-listed candidates are invited for interview in London.
  • February 2026: Interviews of short-listed candidates in London. 
  • February 2026: Candidates are notified of Trustees’ decisions.

The value of the Fellowship

The Henry Fellowships consist of:
• An assured place, as a Special or Visiting Student; 
• A maintenance grant - 2024-25: $37,500 - payable in two instalments (1 September and 1 January);
• Tuition fees for the course of study approved by the Trustees (billed directly to the Fund by Harvard/Yale);
• Student health insurance (billed with the tuition fees as above);
• A grant towards the cost of travel - 2024-25: £3,000 - paid in GBP to the Fellow before they leave for the US (for transatlantic travel and travel within the US).  

Henry Fellowships for US students

Henry Fellowships are available to current Harvard and Yale students/graduates who wish to study at the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge. Nominations are made separately to the two universities on the authority of the Harvard and Yale Trustees, through the established Harvard or Yale selection process for postgraduate visiting awards. Further details are available from the respective US Universities:
Awards consist of the following:
  • A maintenance grant (2024-25: £26,250), payable in three instalments (1 September; 1 January; 1 April);
  • University and college tuitions fees (at the Home/EU rate) for the course of study approved by the Trustees (billed directly to the Fund by the Colleges concerned);
  • Travel grant (2024-25: £3,000) for: transatlantic travel and travel within the UK.

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