Funding for US students on UK MA/ MFA Fine Arts degrees

[liebkuchen]

I was bored and curious so I looked into what funding was available for American students at a few of the better known British art schools.  If anything, slightly more funding is available if you are from a Commonwealth and/or developing nation. This is just an indicator of what MIGHT be available. Scholarships are specific to art department unless otherwise stated. Will make a separate list for Home/EU students.

 

General

Rhodes Trust, Marshall, Fulbright and British Council provide scholarships to study in the UK (often full rides)

 

Ruskin (Oxford)

3 x Erna Plachte Scholarships -awarded on strength of application- £8210 tuition fee reduction

Various College based scholarships- need to consult university's own funding search engine

 

RCA

Fees are £27,900 per anum for internationals!!!! Plus at least £12,000 living expenses

Very little funding. Some help in 2nd year via departmental nominations.

 

Glasgow School of Art

Governor's International Postgraduate Scholarships- 1 year only- £2000 tuition fee reduction- open to every department

1 x Mackendrick Postgraduate Scholarship- £5000 for 1-2 years depending on course- requires submission of A5 painting based on 'City of Glasgow'

 

Slade (UCL) 

Annual tuition is £22,350

16x Global Excellence Scholarships- £5000- open to grad students of any department

3 x Overseas Graduate Scholarships- partial fee waivers

1 x Nancy Balfour Trust Scholarship- £2500 over duration of course (18 months or 2 years)

1x Overseas Graduate Scholarship- tuition and stipend (1 year)

Ewan Uglow Memorial Scholarship- £2000 over duration of course

Thomas Scholarship- £5000 over duration of course

 

Goldsmiths

upto 16 x Goldsmiths' International Postgraduate Scholarship- £5000 towards fees- open across university

 

Edinburgh College of Art

5 x ECA postgraduate scholarships- £5000- 1 year

Scotland's Saltire Scholarships- £2000- open to all departments of Edinburgh University

 

Falmouth

£12, 500 pa international fees

3 x Falmouth Global Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship- £5000 for fees- open to all departments

3 x International Scholarships £2500

 

University of the Arts London

Wimbledon College- 1 x Joint Tuition Fee and Housing Scholarships- full fees and accommodation

Chelsea MA Fine Arts- 1 x Patrick and Kelly Lynch Scholarship- tuition waiver to UK/EU rate (£11, 890)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Space Ayn Rand]

I'd like to point out that the "General" scholarships--the Rhodes, the Marshall, etc.--are not for you.

 

By this I mean that these are scholarships meant for the next generation of global intellectual leaders. About 40 or so scholars are chosen every year out of a pool of hundreds, if not thousands, and it takes about a year of hard work in collaboration with your home institution to even get into that pool for consideration.

 

Statistically, nobody on these forums will ever get a Rhodes scholarship. You probably wouldn't want one, either. There are heavy diplomatic expectations put upon those who get the awards, and those who are a good fit for the scholarships generally have publications, patents, important research, a wonderful backstory, top professors vouching for them, incredible athletic ability, or other unique project that, if it includes fine arts at all, is heavily indebted to other disciplines to the point where the actual art plays a very small role in their studies (for instance, a recent Marshall winner was a theatre student, but researches socio-economic impacts of public theatre programs). If you do the Rhodes/Marshall, your work is meant to change the world, really actually change the world. Nobody on the committee cares about your paintings. If you're getting these scholarships, it's not just because you make good art, and it's not a surprise that most of the recipients are in the hard and social sciences. If you want to work on your art and receive guidance, there are better opportunities for you elsewhere.

 

In short, these are not scholarships you just walk up and grab, and if you were offered one it probably would not line up with your goals anyhow. Sorry to nitpick, but I see the Rhodes and Marshall advertised on general scholarship sites as some nice funding you can get if you're a decent student--nothing could be farther from the truth.

 

[Xxanderr]

I was bored and curious so I looked into what funding was available for American students at a few of the better known British art schools.  If anything, slightly more funding is available if you are from a Commonwealth and/or developing nation. This is just an indicator of what MIGHT be available. Scholarships are specific to art department unless otherwise stated. Will make a separate list for Home/EU students.

 

General

Rhodes Trust, Marshall, Fulbright and British Council provide scholarships to study in the UK (often full rides)

 

Ruskin (Oxford)

3 x Erna Plachte Scholarships -awarded on strength of application- £8210 tuition fee reduction

Various College based scholarships- need to consult university's own funding search engine

 

RCA

Fees are £27,900 per anum for internationals!!!! Plus at least £12,000 living expenses

Very little funding. Some help in 2nd year via departmental nominations.

 

Glasgow School of Art

Governor's International Postgraduate Scholarships- 1 year only- £2000 tuition fee reduction- open to every department

1 x Mackendrick Postgraduate Scholarship- £5000 for 1-2 years depending on course- requires submission of A5 painting based on 'City of Glasgow'

 

Slade (UCL) 

Annual tuition is £22,350

16x Global Excellence Scholarships- £5000- open to grad students of any department

3 x Overseas Graduate Scholarships- partial fee waivers

1 x Nancy Balfour Trust Scholarship- £2500 over duration of course (18 months or 2 years)

1x Overseas Graduate Scholarship- tuition and stipend (1 year)

Ewan Uglow Memorial Scholarship- £2000 over duration of course

Thomas Scholarship- £5000 over duration of course

 

Goldsmiths

upto 16 x Goldsmiths' International Postgraduate Scholarship- £5000 towards fees- open across university

 

Edinburgh College of Art

5 x ECA postgraduate scholarships- £5000- 1 year

Scotland's Saltire Scholarships- £2000- open to all departments of Edinburgh University

 

Falmouth

£12, 500 pa international fees

3 x Falmouth Global Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship- £5000 for fees- open to all departments

3 x International Scholarships £2500

 

University of the Arts London

Wimbledon College- 1 x Joint Tuition Fee and Housing Scholarships- full fees and accommodation

Chelsea MA Fine Arts- 1 x Patrick and Kelly Lynch Scholarship- tuition waiver to UK/EU rate (£11, 890)

 

 

Hey you are missing RA (Royal Academy of Arts)  This school is bases in the UK in gives all accepted students full rides. It's one of the oldest art schools in Britain

[liebkuchen]

Thanks. I did forget the RA. It isn't a full ride but tuition is free for all admitted students. The following isn't meant to be pesimistic. I lived in London myself for three years and love getting back to visit- it really is something special for creative people. And my favourite contemporary uk artists all (bar one) attended. Just a little heads up for those of us without deep parental pockets.

 

Bear in mind that their three year course ISN'T an MFA which is important if you're an American. You get a diploma at the end- it's about the experience not a bit of paper. And you wouldn't do any teaching there either while a student. The whole TA thing doesn't really exist in the UK plus it only takes graduate students. Could potentially be problematic if you wanted to teach in higher education back in the US. It might not. I don't know.

 

Also, your living costs won't necessarily be covered. It's pretty much a 9-5 job so you have to work around the course. International students are allowed to work  upto 20 hours a week during term times and full time during vacations. Minimum wage in the UK is currently £6.50 which is what you'd be looking at working in a supermarket, shop or pub/bar. London accomodation is eye wateringly expensive. A bedroom in a shared house in Golders Green- zone 3 North London, Northern Line of the underground- is now around £500+ a month. A monthly bus pass is £54.20, by tube it's £98.70.

 

From the RA Schools prospectus:

"The programme is full-time and intensive. You will need to be in the studios and workshops making work, you will need to participate in group crits, sign up for tutorials, attend lectures and talks, produce two texts and work towards two shows. You may need to find time outside of this to undertake a part-time job, in 

the evenings and at weekends. This must be planned for outside of studio hours. We are able to offer bursaries and materials grants and though these only contribute a small amount towards full living costs it does mean that more time can be spent in the studios and less earning money. We will support 

you in applications for any eligible funding opportunities... The postgraduate diploma is not a Masters degree. Those on the programme study here in 

order to develop as professional artists, rather than to gain a qualification."