Funding for MA and MRes (UK & Ireland)

The RCA administers a number of scholarships however a number of external funding options are also available. We strongly encourage UK and Irish citizens to investigate these options and conduct their own research into funding opportunities.

This page will be updated as new funding options become known. The RCA does not endorse any of these scholarships and funding options, this information is provided as a guide only.

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST)

MastersCompare postgraduate scholarship

FindAMasters scholarship

TopUniversities.com scholarships

MasterStudies.com scholarship

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries

MastersPortal.com scholarship

Subject-specific scholarships

Fashion

British Fashion Council MA Scholarship

Kildare Village Fashion Scholarship (Ireland)

Fine Arts

The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant (Painting, Print, Sculpture).

Design

Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851

Industrial Design Studentships for graduates in engineering and science to study for a master's in Industrial Design.

The UK Government runs a loan scheme for students studying towards Master's degrees. They differ from traditional loans as repayments are calculated as a proportion of income rather than being fixed amounts. All the RCA’s MA and MRes programmes are eligible.

• A loan of up to £11,836 for the programme for students starting their Master's in 2022/23 (£11,570 for students who started in the 2021/22 academic year) is available to help with the costs of Master's study
• The money is paid directly to the student in termly instalments over the duration of the course
• Administered through the Student Loan Company and assessed by Student Finance England
• Non means-tested, so eligibility is not linked to household income, earnings, or other grants
• A student will not be eligible for this loan if they already hold a qualification which is at an equivalent level to, or at a higher level than the MA/MRes course they wish to study.
• A student will also not be eligible if they are not studying the full MA/MRes course or they have previously received a Postgraduate Loan (even if the course was not completed)
• Repayments are 6% of earnings over £21,000 once study is complete

Visit the gov.uk website for additional information.

MA Architecture Student Finance

Subject to meeting the criteria set out by the respective funding bodies, students studying the MA Architecture RIBA part 2 programme can attract undergraduate funding despite this being a Master's level programme. If you have any further questions on this matter you should contact the Student Support team via [email protected]

Applying for Student Finance

Applications for the Student Finance are now open for 2022/23. For more information on how to apply, please click here.

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding

One of the most useful resources to discover funding opportunities is The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding. This is an external resource that the RCA subscribes to and makes available for our students. You can log in with your RCA email or request the pin number from Student Support ([email protected]).  

Grants Online

https://www.grantsonline.org.uk/news/education-and-training/

It is often worth looking around for other funding opportunities. In the UK there are many hundreds of charitable organisations and educational trusts that can offer financial assistance to students. This form of funding requires hard work and some luck MA, but many of our current students benefit from assistance from external organisations. 

Turn 2 Us is one of the many useful places to look for relevant charities.

Full-time UK, EU and International students who have completed the Graduate Diploma or a Master’s degree at the College will be eligible for a £1,000 discount on tuition fees for up to three years of study, when starting a Research degree within five years of graduation.