Scholarships & bursaries
The Academy distributes over £1million each year to undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK, the EU and internationally. The need for funding remains paramount – we are only able to fulfil one in every five requests for help. We are striving to build up our Scholarship Fund and welcome your donations.
The Academy awards bursaries on the basis of financial need, and scholarships based on merit.
UK and EU (home-fee status) BMus students can get tuition fee loans to cover the tuition costs; these are funded by the UK government and are administered through the Student Loan Company. UK students can also apply for maintenance awards to assist with living costs. See the Student Finance pages for details of the application process.
Entrance Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit following your live audition, and other loans and grants are available to UK students attending the BMus Programme. Scholarship disbursement for UK and EU BMus students is done through the Student Loan Company payment mechanism, after you have made a loan application. See the Student Finance pages for details of how to do this.
Also, under the terms of our agreement with OFFA, the Academy offers means-tested bursaries to home-fee undergraduates. These are automatically awarded after you have submitted your student loan application through the Student Finance pages and are calculated on the basis of your household income.
UK students who experience difficulties with living costs while they are on their study programme may also apply for assistance from the Academy’s ‘Access to Learning’ funds through the office of the Deputy Principal.
The Academy may be able to assist postgraduate and international students towards the costs of their fees. If you have auditioned successfully in London or are continuing your studies here and are eligible for this assistance, we will give you a Financial Assistance form.
The Academy is able to make substantial provision in scholarship and bursary support to students on the basis of both merit and need.
Entrance Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit following your live audition. Bursaries are awarded through a procedure in which eligible students are asked to complete a Financial Assistance form outlining their financial situation. Funds vary from year to year but the Academy always tries to make available as much money as it can.
In cases of extreme financial hardship that may arise during the course of the academic year, the Academy has limited funds available. Applications for this funding must be directed to the office of the Deputy Principal.
You should begin your search for financial support as early as possible. We recommend that international students contact the British Council and all students can consult the Musicians Benevolent Fund website where there is a useful Funding Wizard.
The MBF’s Young Artist Awards are now allocated after direct nomination from the student’s conservatoire (the Academy does this through the bursary procedure).
International students should begin the search for financial support as early as possible.
Postgraduate Awards: Arts and Humanities Research Council awards, Scholarships Guide for Commonwealth Postgraduate Students and further suggestions for postgraduate funding.
