The history of Corpus is one of community and benefaction. The College’s foundation was a result of 14th century crowdfunding. Successive generations of students have benefitted from the kindness of those who went before them. Today, the many opportunities available to Corpus students exist thanks to the continuing generosity of donors.

Corpus is a charity that strives to:

• Inspire those with the greatest academic potential to choose Corpus;
• Equip students with everything they need to realise their full potential; and
• Enable them to fulfil their aspirations and go on to play full and active roles in society.

To succeed, the College must be:

• Accessible to talented and ambitious individuals from all backgrounds.
• Affordable for every student, so that they can come to Corpus and make the most of their time here.
• Exceptional not only in terms of world-leading teaching, but also the very best research support, living environment, pastoral care and extra-curricular opportunities.

Like all charities you know, Corpus relies on the help of those who share its values and vision. These are just some of the reasons why the College needs your support:

• Tuition fees cover less than half of education expenditure. The supervision system is unsurpassed and treasured by those who benefit from it. Your help safeguards its future.
• UK undergraduates can leave university, be it Cambridge or elsewhere, with student loan debts of more than £60,000. Financial support is vital to many students. With donors’ help, Corpus awards more than £800,000 a year in bursaries, scholarships and other grants.
• Corpus is a truly remarkable place to live but the cost of maintaining its exceptional and distinctive buildings and spaces is substantial. We strive to keep students’ costs down and do not profit from accommodation charges. Donors enable improvements to College facilities, for the benefit of current and future generations.
• Overall, the College spends substantially more on its students than it receives from them. The total shortfall is equivalent to more than £6,000 per student per year.
• Income from the College’s investments (its ‘endowment’) contributes just one-third of annual expenditure. This does not bridge the funding gap outlined above.

The importance of donors is clear. In 2022/23, 845 donors together gave £2.05 million. This represented 15% of College income.

Donors contribute to all aspects of College life: access and outreach, financial support, teaching and research, extra-curricular activities, and buildings and spaces. You can read about the power of giving in the Impact Report.

You can find more on current priorities here.