Funding for MA and MRes (UK & Ireland)
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Advice on sources of funding for MA and MRes students available from external bodies.
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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.
Scholarships and bursaries
MastersCompare postgraduate scholarship
Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST)
Postgrad Solutions Study Bursaries
TopUniversities.com scholarships
Subject-specific scholarships
Fashion
British Fashion Council MA Scholarship
Kildare Village Fashion Scholarship (Ireland)
Arts & Humanities
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant (Painting, Print, Sculpture).
The Paul Mellon Centre MA Studentship (join the PMC Scholarship Information Session on 10 January)
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.
UK Government Postgraduate Loan Scheme for UK students
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.
Funding guides
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/
Charitable funding
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.
Progression discount
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.
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Contact us
If you have any queries about the scholarships and funding and have not yet applied to study, please complete an Enquire to Study form.
