Students on our three-year degree courses are usually in receipt of either an ArtsEd Scholarship and/or a Student Loan, both of which contribute towards tuition fees and offer means-tested maintenance support. As ArtsEd is an alternative provider, the Student Loan only covers £6,525 p.a. towards the full tuition fee but the Scholarship and our many Bursary opportunities help bridge this gap (see details below)
CertHE and MA students are also eligible for Student Loans and limited bursaries are now offered to MA students, but please note that ArtsEd does not currently offer Bursaries or Scholarships to students on the CertHE course.
For entry in September 2026, our courses do not have designation for student support from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. This means that students ordinarily domiciled in Wales are not eligible for student loans.
As of 2026, we will no longer be participating in the Dance & Drama Award Scheme for incoming BA (Hons) students.
ArtsEd is proud to announce the launching of the ArtsEd Scholarship: a new award aimed at students with a household income of less than £70,000 per year. The Scholarship is designed to work in conjunction with the Student Loan and will cover up to 50% of each year’s course fees. As with the DaDA, the Scholarship is means-tested and awarded on a sliding scale – part student contribution / part Student Loan contribution / part Scholarship.
Related income bands and further details of the application process will be distributed to registered students as part of our student information pack.
BA (Hons) & CertHE Acting / Musical Theatre validated by City St George’s, University of London
To be eligible for Student Loan Company funding, students must be studying a designated course. Our BA (Hons) degrees and CertHE courses in Acting and Musical Theatre (validated by City St George’s, University of London) are designated each year by the Department for Education.
Student Finance England (SFE) currently lends a maximum of £6,525 per academic year towards tuition fees.
Students living away from home and studying in London are able to apply for up to £14,135 per year in maintenance loans. Students on a low income may be eligible for income support.
Please note: Student Finance Northern Ireland currently lends a maximum of £4,985 per academic year for any NI student wishing to study at ArtsEd.
Subject to the normal Student Finance eligibility requirements, our CertHE courses qualify for student loans towards tuition fees and maintenance. Following a 1-Year CertHE course at ArtsEd, students offered a 3-Year BA programme at an HE provider should be entitled to funding for a further full three years.
For further information about student loans, please see the student finance website at https://www.gov.uk/student-finance.
MA Acting validated by City St George’s, University of London
To be eligible for Student Loan Company funding, students must be studying a designated course. Our MA in Acting is designated each year by the Department for Education.
Student Finance England (SFE) currently lends a maximum of £13,206 towards maintenance or tuition fees. Please note: only a limited number of smaller ArtsEd Bursaries are currently available to MA students.
Our courses do not currently have designation for student support from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, meaning that students ordinarily domiciled in Wales are not eligible for student loans.
For further information about student loans, please see the student finance website at https://www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study
As a higher education student living in England, you can apply for a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) if you have a disability. This includes the following:
You must meet the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010. The support you receive depends on your individual needs and not on household income. Details on eligibility and how to apply can be found at gov.uk/disabled-students-allowances-dsas.
The ArtsEd Bursary Fund is intended to provide additional support to three-year BA (Hons) students who are struggling to fund their full tuition fees.
The Fund has grown considerably in recent years and we are continually working to secure additional funding for our students. In 2025/26, over 40 awards ranging from £1,000 to £5,000 were made to degree students from the Bursary Fund.
The bursary scheme is means-tested and awards vary year-on-year, depending on individual circumstances and funds available. The average bursary awarded is £2,500, although larger bursaries are available and awarded to students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and commitment to their studies. Students must apply each year, as bursaries are awarded annually and are not guaranteed for the full three years of study.
ArtsEd bursary funds are strictly limited so not all applicants will be successful in securing funding.
The ArtsEd Hardship Fund is an internal fund that helps us to provide timely and flexible support to current students who find themselves facing unexpected financial constraints. The fund is administered internally and directly to students by the Student Support team.
We are delighted that the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation is continuing its long-term support of ArtsEd with a full three-year scholarship for the BA Musical Theatre course.
Prospective students who score the highest marks at audition will be invited back to ArtsEd to audition for this prestigious award (which is judged on the combined basis of merit and financial need).
The recipient of the award will have their full course fees covered for the entirety of the course. They will also be able to apply for a student loan towards maintenance. Most importantly, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship carries a great deal of prestige in the profession. Former scholars include Emily Langham, Shane O’Riordan and Georgina Onuorah.
We are thrilled to be working with the Lynne & Land Foundation, established by world-renowned dancer, director and choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne and her husband, actor Peter Land, to encourage, nurture and support aspiring, young, and talented students to realise their full potential.
This year, the Lynne & Land Foundation will be generously offering two scholarships to support fees for two Musical Theatre students. Prospective students will be invited back to ArtsEd to audition for this exciting opportunity, based on exceptional talent and financial need. The panel will include trustees and patrons from the Lynne & Land Foundation, supported by members of staff from the School of Musical Theatre. We are truly delighted to offer this scholarship and be a part of honouring the remarkable legacy of Dame Gillian Lynne.
We are delighted that the Leverhulme Trust has increased its support of ArtsEd and we are now able to offer six Leverhulme Trust Scholarships per year. Allocated as part of our internal Bursary Fund process, these scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate talent and commitment to their studies and who are in financial need.
Every year, we are invited to nominate or invite students to apply for awards from external organisations. The following are examples of schemes in which our students have recently been successful. Please note: these Bursaries are primarily aimed at BA (Hons) students in their 2nd Year of training.
Equity is continuing its Student Bursary Scheme under which two awards of £500 each will be made. The scheme is funded by donations from Equity Life Members who wish to help support talented young people at the start of their professional careers in the entertainment industry. Each year, ArtsEd nominates up to two students (one male and one female) who, in the opinion of the school, have a bright future in the industry. There might also be a consideration of financial hardship, but the prime reason for nomination must be talent. Nominated students must be existing Equity Student Members and in their final year of training.
Each year, drama students from across the UK are awarded bursaries by the Society of London Theatre to help them complete their training. ArtsEd nominates two 2nd Year BA (Hons) Acting students, who then audition in front of a panel at a West End theatre and are interviewed by a panel of theatre industry professionals, led by West End producer and Chair of the Laurence Olivier Bursaries Committee, Lee Menzies.
The Lilian Baylis Awards are granted to Acting students from each of the 11 accredited London Drama Schools to help them complete their training by reducing financial stress. Nominated by their drama schools, students have to fulfil three criteria: show promise, with the potential to make a significant contribution to the development of theatre; experience hardship, with their course completion in jeopardy without additional finance; and complete two years of a three-year course.
Final Year drama school graduates from across the UK and Ireland are selected to perform in front of an exclusive industry panel at the annual Spotlight Showcase. Over seventy drama schools and universities are invited to nominate a student from their graduating class to submit a self-tape audition for each year’s Spotlight Prize. Twenty finalists are selected by a panel of industry experts based on the quality of their audition. Nominees then take part in a screen acting workshop, and their final performances are filmed and judged by a panel of leading casting directors for TV and film. These performances are screened as part of a theatre showcase, with footage shared with industry professionals throughout Ireland, the UK and the US. Two prizes of £2,000 are awarded for Best Screen Acting Performance and Best Stage Performance, in front of an invite-only audience of casting directors, agents, producers, directors and actors.
Undergraduate students can apply to the Foundation through the school. One-off grants towards fees are given in the range of £1,000 to £3,000.
The Sir John Gielgud Charitable Trust principally grants bursaries to Final Year BA (Hons) Acting students who are suffering financial hardship. Each year, one student is nominated by the school to be considered for an award of £4,500.
The BAFTA UK Scholarship Programme is open to students in need of financial assistance to undertake eligible undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the UK. Eligible candidates are nominated by the school, with each BAFTA Scholar receiving up to £12,000 towards their annual course fees, as well as mentoring support from a BAFTA member and free access to BAFTA events around the UK.
Students embarking on their third year of study on the Musical Theatre course can apply for this award. Help Musicians warmly encourage applications from students from underrepresented backgrounds. Awards are made following an audition process.
Each year the Society offers a bursary grant to a Musical Theatre student, nominated by ArtsEd, to provide financial support to a student who shows exceptional potential and financial need.
Some charities require students to apply directly, which is often the case for smaller, local organisations. We encourage you to have a look for other funds that may be available to you. A great place to start is the Grants Search tool on the Turn2Us website.
