Scholarships and bursaries

Entrance scholarships (for degree and diploma students) are awarded on the basis of merit following your audition assessment (either by live audition or by video recording). Composers are assessed for scholarships on the basis of their second-round interview. There is no separate application process for scholarships.

Scholarships range from small awards to full fees. Most awards are to help with tuition fees, although undergraduate scholarships for UK students, and EU students eligible for UK student finance, are administered as maintenance awards for living costs.

Scholarship disbursement for UK and eligible EU BMus students is processed through the Student Loans Company payment system after a loan application has been made, and payment is to your UK bank account. To open a student account, after you have completed enrolment you can ask Registry for a letter that confirms this, using the ‘Request Form for Bank Letter’ available on the Academy's Intranet.

Gap Year and Organ Foundation students are not eligible for Academy scholarship support.

If your course is longer than one year, the scholarship award will be reviewed each year and will depend on your satisfactory progression and engagement with the course.

Scholarships for the Research Degree (MPhil/PhD) are for the standard full-time supervised enrolment period, i.e. excluding the writing-up period.

Bursaries are given to students based on financial need. A Financial Assistance application form is sent to all eligible students when they are made an offer by the Academy, and every January to eligible enrolled students.

Funds vary from year to year and the Academy always tries to help as many students as it can, although not all applications are successful.

UK-fee undergraduates are not usually eligible for Academy bursaries because they can access Student Finance tuition fee loans and maintenance support. However, we are now offering Waiver Bursaries as payments for UK-fee students in the most challenging financial circumstances.

We also recommend that international students contact either their own education ministry and/or British Council office for details of possible awards for study abroad.

In order to make a successful online bursary application you need to demonstrate that you are:

1. Applying for any tuition fee or maintenance loans that are available in your country.

2. Applying for external funding from as many funds as possible. See here for more information.

3. [Non-UK students]: Contacting your own education ministry and/or British Council office for details of possible awards for study abroad.

4. Prepared to work during the long Academy vacations.

Once you have submitted the form your Financial Assistance application will be discussed by the Bursary Committee at its next meeting, you can expect to be notified of the decision within ten weeks.

The Committee will make one of three decisions:

a. Bursary awarded: this is likely to be in the region of £1,000 - £2,000.

b. Application on hold: the Committee may postpone making a decision on your application if you are waiting to hear the outcome of external funding applications.

c. Unsuccessful application: the most common reasons for bursary applications being unsuccessful are that steps 1 – 4 above are not demonstrated.

Bursaries are awarded for one academic year only, so students need to make a new application if they require bursary support in subsequent years of study.

Hardship funds may be available to enrolled students who find themselves in particular difficulty due to unforeseen circumstances. Applications should be directed to the office of the Deputy Principal and Dean after you have enrolled. All students are eligible and will be means-tested.

For enquiries, please email Sarah Low.

BMus students from the UK, and BMus students from the EU who are eligible for UK Student Finance, can provide their household income details to Student Finance when applying for a loan. If the income is below a certain amount, they will receive an Income Bursary.

Students whose household income is £25,000 or below will automatically receive a £3,000 Income Bursary.

Students whose household income is between £25,001 and £33,500 will automatically receive a £2,000 Income Bursary.

UK BMus students – your household income details will be drawn from HMRC records. After you’ve completed your online loan application and consented to share your details, you will need to include your National Insurance number in your loan application and agree to be means-tested.

EU BMus students – if you cannot apply online for a tuition fee loan, you must download, print and complete the loan application on paper and return it as instructed on the form. You will then be emailed a link to a bursary form, which you print out, complete and return by post to the Student Finance EU Office with the requested documentation.

NB EU BMus continuing students: you are only income assessed once, usually at the start of the course; you will not need to complete the income assessment again but you must renew the loan application each year.

Your household income will be put into the Student Finance system and if you meet the eligibility criteria for the Income Bursary, the calculated amount will be paid to your UK bank account through the Student Finance system in three termly instalments.

Student Finance will ask you for your UK bank details if they do not have them when the Income Bursary is assigned to your loan application. If you are coming to the UK to join your course, you will be able to open a UK bank account after you have enrolled. You will need a Bank Letter which you request from the Registry using the online request form on the Academy Intranet.

This scholarship programme is offered to up to 12 students each year on the basis of merit and need. Candidates are considered automatically following the annual auditions, so no additional application is required.

The scholarship can include full tuition and maintenance fees. It also includes bespoke opportunities for career advancement and artistic development, ranging from a professional recording to enhanced personal tuition with globally renowned performers.

Beyond the musical opportunities, the programme invites scholars to become part of the Bicentenary network, encouraging international collaboration and support with artistic endeavours. There is an annual reunion, alternating between London and Italy, for all past and present scholars and students of the Bicentenary Scholarship Programme and the Mascarade Emerging Artists Programme. The network continues to support scholars and artists after graduation, as they shape their careers and begin to make their mark on the music industry.

Read more about this programme from our Principal Jonathan Freeman-Attwood and learn about previous recipients.

Disney Theatrical Productions and the Royal Academy of Music are committed to encouraging greater ethnic and cultural diversity in the industry and to enabling outstandingly talented artists from underrepresented backgrounds to take advantage of the world-class training and opportunities the Academy has to offer. We are proud to work with Disney to offer this scholarship for Musical Theatre students.

Selection criteria:

• Outstanding talent as determined through the usual audition process
• Priority will be given to candidates who are ethnically and culturally diverse, and are currently underrepresented in the musical theatre industry
• Potential to act as a role model to encourage students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds who aspire to careers in musical theatre

These scholarships are available to exceptionally gifted classical guitarists and lutenists who gain a place at the Academy. Each Julian Bream Trust Scholarship is awarded on the basis of musical merit and the award varies each year.

The Academy selects nominees during normal auditioning procedures. There is no separate scholarship application process.

Applicants may be of any nationality but must be under 20 years old for undergraduate and under 26 years old for postgraduate programmes at the date of enrolment.

Applications are open with a deadline of 29th February 2024 at 17:00pm

We strongly encourage students wishing to apply to firstly contact the Academy's Student Funding Manager, Christina Jefferson at CJefferson@ram.ac.uk

The aim of the Snowdon Trust Masters Scholarship is to give exceptionally talented disabled students an opportunity to flourish and achieve their full artistic potential. These competitive awards, generously supported by the Snowdon Trust, are intended for the next generation of disabled young people who will become leaders with the ability to influence and innovate in their chosen field.

The Snowdon Trust Masters Scholarship is open to applicants from the Royal Academy of Music, studying a taught degree at Masters level or above (on the MA, MMus, Professional Diploma or Advanced Diploma programmes). Those applying will need to demonstrate exceptional talent, passion and determination to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals, thereby providing inspiration and an example to others. The Snowdon Scholarships may be awarded up to the level of £30,000.

Please note too that the Snowdon Trust also runs a separate grants scheme where students can apply directly for help with additional disability related costs that are not fully provided for by available statutory funding. Being in receipt of a Snowdon Trust-funded scholarship does not preclude a separate application for a Snowdon Trust grant.

Applications for 2024/25 are now made directly through the Snowdon Trust website.

More information about the scholarships and the selection criteria can also be found on the Snowdon Trust website

The Hans Keller Scholarship is awarded annually to an exceptionally gifted postgraduate student in the Department of Strings. Awardees may be of any nationality.

There is no separate application process: the Academy selects nominees for the Hans Keller Scholarship during normal auditioning procedures.

The scholarship is funded by the Cosman Keller Art and Music Trust, in memory of the musician and writer Hans Keller (1919-1985), who was a dominant force in British musical life for forty years after the second world war.

More information about the scholarship and about Hans Keller can be found at the Cosman Keller Art and Music Trust website.