Commoner (academia)

They paid double the tuition fee and enjoyed more privileges than pensioners, such as commoning with fellows.

As fellow‑commoners had considerable wealth, they were ineligible for scholarships and paid fellowships at some colleges.

[3] Today, a fellow‑commoner at Cambridge is one who enjoys access to the senior common room without a fellowship.

Formerly, there were also fellow-commoners (Socii Comitates or, more likely, Sociorum Commensales[4]) who paid twice the normal fees but could incept for their degree a year earlier, dined at the high table and wore velvet collars and sleeves.

[6][7] A gentleman‑commoner at the University of Oxford, equivalent to Cambridge's fellow‑commoner, was historically a rank of student above commoners but below noblemen.