Financial support

Financial support

Scholarships

We offer a range of scholarships to support you financially whilst you study.

Scholarships are a form of extra funding made available thanks to the generosity of individual donors, businesses, and trusts and foundations, who are committed to assisting our students throughout their studies. They are entirely separate from student finance funding, and so do not need to be repaid.

Am I eligible?

The following students will be prioritised for scholarship support:

  • Students with protected characteristics with particular emphasis on ethnic diversity and disability*
  • Students in financial need (currently household incomes of below £30,000)
  • Welsh domicile students (Students who have been a resident in Wales for six years)

For Music courses, priority is given to students studying endangered instruments such as the bassoon, French horn, viola, double bass, and oboe, as these currently have the lowest uptake and are most highly sought after at a professional level. There is also a limited number of exceptional talent scholarships available, which will be allocated by the head of study after the audition process is complete.

Once students have been offered a place, all but those studying the MA in Advanced Opera Performance will be sent an application form and invited to apply for a scholarship.

The Admissions office will send out the scholarship application form directly to students, with details of any relevant deadlines.

For MA Advanced Opera Performance students, no application form is required. Scholarship offers will be made by the Head of Vocal Studies following the audition.

All scholarships are awarded for the duration of study unless otherwise stated and are subject to satisfactory progression and engagement with the course.

What scholarships are available?

Below are a few examples of externally funded awards and scholarships we offer.

  • The Bad Wolf Scholarship

    The Bad Wolf Scholarship supports a student from an underrepresented group studying a production arts course (such as Design, Scenic Construction, Stage and Event Management, etc.)  Read more about Bad Wolf’s commitment to RWCMD here.

  • The S4C Scholarship

    The S4C Scholarship supports a Welsh speaking acting student from an underrepresented group. Find out about how S4C are supporting RWCMD here.

  • Tony Warren Bursary

    The Tony Warren Bursary was created by ITV Studios in honour of the late Tony Warren MBE to recognise his outstanding contribution to British television and creative writing. This is an external award. We will invite all eligible candidates to apply, and shortlisted students will undergo an audition and interview with the ITVS Bursary Committee.

    The successful candidate will receive a bursary of £45,000 which will be split over the course of three years of study. This bursary is available to undergraduate acting students from the Northwest of England with a household income below £25,000.

    Find out more about the Tony Warren Bursary here.

  • The Ida Phillips Scholarship

    The Ida Phillips Scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate or post-graduate piano student who requires financial support with their tuition fees.

Undergraduate Bursaries (UK students only)

RWCMD offer bursary support, which is available on top of government-funded maintenance grants and loans. All first-year UK undergraduate students with an assessed household income of below £30,000 are eligible for bursary support of up to £1,200 per annum, for the duration of their studies, as follows. Please note that bursary support is ONLY available to students studying for their first undergraduate degree.

Household Income

Bursary Amount

£0-£18,370

£1200 per annum

£18,371-£30,000

£800 per annum

 

 

 

 

You do not need to apply for a bursary. However, the College will need to receive your data from your award authority regarding your household income. If you wish to be considered, please ensure that you do not tick the box on your initial Student Finance assessment form to withhold consent to share this information.

 

RWCMD Student Hardship Fund

Our Student Hardship Fund is available to all UK and EU students who are experiencing financial difficulty during their studies and once you have applied, you may be awarded a non-repayable grant to assist with these costs.

Current students can access the Hardship Fund application form and further information here: https://hub.rwcmd.ac.uk/?s=hardship+fund