MFA programs in the UK -- funding?

[ellal]

hello everyone,

i'm an artist based in the US and I'm looking into visual arts programs in the UK, particularly interdisciplinary and/or sculpture. something that is definitely unclear to me is funding opportunities for international students. does anyone have information on this? 

[nongfuspring1]

It would be best to contact the universities directly, the process and the opportunities can be contingent on a wide range of factors and differ from school to school. I was looking into PhD programs in the UK two years ago and I was a bit disappointed by the lack of funding available - virtually all of the schools I was interested in wouldn't even offer a fee reduction let alone the free ride I'd expect for doctoral study. Hopefully that won't be the case with your search, but as you may have heard the funding situation in the UK for the arts and academia has been very dire for a while now. 

If you're interested in studying in Europe I would consider Germany; there are quite a few famous programs, no fees, and tenured stipends for international students. There are also interesting programs in Scandinavia that are well supported. 

[soysauce1030]

As I know you would be able to apply for US Federal Student Aid if you are US citizen and got accepted to RCA (master programs only). I am not sure how much it can be covered. 

UK art colleges usually do not give many scholarship or loan options to international students. However tuition is cheaper (except for RCA or UCL (Slade)) than private art colleges in US. There is also big difference in tuition between UK students and International students. I am sure you already know about this.

For interdisciplinary or sculpture, I would recommend Glasgow School of Art. Both BFA and MFA are highly competitive however it is very well known for interdisciplinary visual practice. And you get pretty large studio individually. A lot of artists prefer Glasgow than London because rent is cheaper and there is enough art scene and networking you can get.

Goldsmiths in London would be my second choice if you would like to study fine art in UK.