External funding sources
Students seeking external financial support are encouraged to begin their search as early as possible.
In addition to the leads on this page, don’t be afraid to approach local businesses within your community to see whether they might be able to help you. Spread your net wide and don’t just concentrate on people who support music. You may be surprised at what other resources are available.
When writing an application for funding, be sure to provide the fullest picture. Successful applicants are, often, those that demonstrate their achievements to date and their goals looking forward, as well as an honest outline of financial resources already in place. Funders rarely provide students with everything they ask for, so try to demonstrate creativity in financial management as much as you would your artistic ability.
The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding
The Academy subscribes to The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding. The guide was written by two postgraduate students who, between them, have won over £50,000 from 50 different charity awards. It contains step-by-step guidance on how to put together a winning grant application, examples of model personal and financial statements, and over 500 links to voluntary sector funding sources.
A link to our gateway can be found here. If you are a prospective student, you will require a PIN access code for this, which the Academy will email to you when you accept our offer of a study place. Current Academy students can use the guide by logging in with their Academy email address.
Further Guides and Resources
- Alternative Classical's Funding for Arts and Creative Projects
- British Council international student funding (tel: 020 7211 6000)
- British Council Study UK Scholarships
- Charities Aid Foundation
- Directory of Social Change Funding Search
- European Funding Guide
- FindAPhD Scholarships
- gov.uk - Student Finance A-Z
- iefa Scholarships and Loans
- Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) Funding Ideas
- The Countess of Munster Musical Trust - Funding Guide
- Postgraduate Search - Funding
- scottishmusiccentre.com
- The Scholarship Hub
- turn2us
- World Federation of International Music Competitions
The following organisations may be in a position to help you – but please check carefully to see if you are eligible before approaching them, as criteria often change. Please note the Academy provides this data for information purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the organisations directly.
The Countess of Munster Musical Trust
CH Dixon Charitable Trust offers funding for musicians of all ages in England. Apply to RM Robinson, 22 Vicarage Drive, London, SW14 8RX.
The Charlotte Fraser Foundation
Donatella Flick Conducting Competition
The Elizabeth Eagle-Bott Memorial Fund
The Eric Thompson Charitable Trust
The Humphrey Richardson Taylor Trust
London Symphony Orchestra Conservatoire Scholarships
London Goodenough Association of Canada
Making Music Awards for young musicians
The Mary Trevelyan Hardship Fund
Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust
Pendle Young Musicians' Bursary
The Philharmonia MMSF Instrumental Fellowship Programme
Radford Charitable Trust Cornwall
The Sir Richard Strapley Trust
Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition
Crowdfunding is increasingly being used as a vehicle to raise funds towards fees. It enables individuals to raise money online to reach a financial target. Although this is a common route for people raising funds for charity, self-financing in this way needs care and thought. If you use crowdfunding, your ‘project’ must be seen to have value and possibly material benefit to a wider audience. These websites contain useful insights:
This page gives some funding options based on your country of origin if you come from outside England.
We recommend that international students contact either their own education ministry and/or British Council office for details of possible awards for study abroad.
On this page, we have details specifically for students from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Turkey, the USA and Wales.
Australia
The Australian Music Foundation is a charitable organisation that promotes and celebrates Australian musical life, offering scholarships and awards to Australian musicians pursuing their further musical education outside Australia.
The Tait Memorial Trust offers annual grants for postgraduate students and young Australian professional musicians (age limit 35) while they’re living in the UK. The grants provide training and performance opportunities and generally help further careers.
Canada
Most Canadian provinces offer some financial support if you are studying full time outside the province, for example through the Canada Student Loan Program. Also see Employment and Social Development Canada for government loan information.
The Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF) provides awards ranging from £2,000 to £5,000 to Canadian students enrolled in postgraduate programmes in the UK.
Canada Council for the Arts offers a broad range of grants and services to professional Canadian artists and arts organisations.
The Hnatyshyn Foundation is a private charity established by the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn, Canada's 24th Governor General. Each year the Developing Artists Grants programme provides eight $10,000 scholarships to exceptional young Canadians in post-secondary performing arts training programmes.
London Goodenough Association of Canada (LGAC) offers scholarships for graduate study in London. These go towards the cost of accommodation at Goodenough College.
Quebec, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut offer their own student financial assistance programmes.
China
Denmark
Anglo-Danish Society Scholarships for postgraduate performance, composition and research are available for Danish students wishing to study in the UK and vice versa.
Germany
There are various funding bodies open to German students wishing to study in the UK, including:
- Studienstiftung des deutschen volkes.
- Evangelische Studienwerk Villigst.
- Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Studienförderung.
India
Private loan assistance for Indian students is offered through Global Education Management Services (GEMS). The application form is available on the GEMS website, and all applicants will require an Indian relative as co-signer, with assets in India.
Ireland
The Arts Council of Ireland Funding Guide is a useful guide to funding sources.
Irish Heritage Music Bursaries are for Irish composers and performers based in Ireland or Britain. For further information contact Patrick Lennon on 01932 229755 or visit the website.
Japan
Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation awards grants to individuals and institutions in the UK and Japan. There are two deadlines each year: 31 March and 30 September. Results are announced two months after the deadline.
Scotland
Sir James Caird’s Travelling Scholarship: grants and scholarships are available to Scottish postgraduate students for one year, but may be renewed for up to two further years.
The Cross Trust: open to students of Scottish birth or parentage. Aims include encouragement of performance participation in music and drama. Applicants must demonstrate outstanding merit; financial hardship is also taken into account.
Glasgow Educational and Marshall Trust helps Glaswegians to advance their academic or vocational qualifications.
Student Awards Agency for Scotland provides a range of awards for undergraduate and postgraduate study.
The Scottish International Education Trust provides support to Scots who show exceptional ability and promise.
Spain
British Spanish Society grants are available to students of either UK or Spanish nationality and are awarded for postgraduate studies in any discipline including any field related to the work of the Society's Principal Supporters, who generously fund the scholarships.
Turkey
The Dr Nejat Eczacibasi Foundation offers scholarship opportunities for prospective postgraduate students from Turkey.
USA
Fulbright Commission offers postgraduate student awards to US citizens wishing to study in the UK.
Marshall Scholarships are available for US students to study at the Academy. Separate applications must be forwarded to both the Marshall administration and to the Academy. If the Marshall administration selects you as a potential recipient of scholarship support, that offer will be held until your Academy entrance audition process has been completed.
Also Federal and Private loans are available, see our Loans page.
Wales
The Arts Council of Wales provides a range of awards for study.
Students may be able to obtain work (both inside and outside the Academy) during their time here.
International students on a Tier 4 or Student Visa are usually allowed to work up to 20 hours per week within the restrictions of their visa regulations. Opportunities to earn money as a musician might be possible if the work is organised through the Academy’s External Bookings department. More information is available on the International page.