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) (UK) 

MastersCompare postgraduate scholarship (UK/EU/OS)

FindAMasters scholarship (UK/EU/OS)

TopUniversities.com scholarships (UK/EU/OS)

MasterStudies.com scholarship (UK/EU/OS)

Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries (UK/EU/OS)

MastersPortal.com scholarship (UK/EU/OS)

Fashion

British Fashion Council MA Scholarship (UK/EU/OS)

Kildare Village Fashion Scholarship (Ireland)

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.

• Loans of up to £10,906 per programme to help with the costs of Master's study
• Money is paid directly to the student in termly instalments
• 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
• Repayments are 6% of earnings over £21,000 once study is complete

Visit the gov.uk website for additional information. Applications for the Postgraduate Loan are now open and you can find further information and the application form 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.