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RCA scholarships

Last updated 13 December 2024

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The RCA is committed to celebrating diversity, eliminating discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity to all.

Our scholarship programme is growing, with over 300 scholarships available for the 2025/26 academic year. These awards support students in financial need and those from under-represented groups, including students with disabilities and students with refugee and asylum seeker status.

What sorts of scholarships are available for study at the RCA?

Different types of scholarships include:

  • Full fee payment plus living costs
  • Full fee payment
  • Partial fee payment
  • Contributions to living costs

Most scholarships are for UK (Home) students, though international scholarships are also available.

How to apply for an RCA scholarship

For detailed eligibility guidance, application process and deadlines, visit How to apply for an RCA Scholarship.

How to apply for a GREAT Scholarship

These scholarships are awarded in partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign.

For detailed eligibility guidance, application process and deadlines, visit Great Scholarships 2025/26

MPhil/Phd studentships

As well as the scholarships listed below, the RCA often offers several MPhil/PhD studentships every year. Studentships are typically funded by a research council or funding consortium, and support an MPhil or PhD researching a specific, predefined project or topic.

For more information on current studentships, visit our Funding for MPhil/PhD students page.

Other funding opportunities

Scholarships are extremely competitive and limited in number, and meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee that you will receive one. We recommend that you look into external funding options and apply for any other sources of funding available to you.

See our Funding your studies page for more information.

Confirmed scholarships for 2025/26 and examples of scholarships offered in 2024/25

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £5,000 towards fees

This scholarship is awarded to high-scoring students on the basis of academic merit.

Round 1 and 2 programme applications will be automatically assessed for one of these scholarships. If you are successful, you will be told about this at the same time as receiving your RCA programme offer.

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligibility criteria: Students from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, USA

Eligible fee status: Overseas fee status

Value: £9,000 towards fees

This scholarship is awarded to high-scoring students on the basis of academic merit.

Round 1 and 2 programme applications will be automatically assessed for one of these scholarships. If you are successful, you will be told about this at the same time as receiving your RCA programme offer.

For: All programmes excluding PhD & short courses

Eligibility criteria: Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British African, Other Black Background, Mixed - White and Black Caribbean, Mixed - White and Black African

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligibility criteria: Students who identify as D/deaf or disabled

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £6,000 towards living costs

For: All MA programmes, MArch, MFA, MDes, MRes & MEd

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £5,000 towards living costs

For: MA City Design, MA Environmental Architecture, MA Photography, MA Intelligent Mobility, MA Architecture

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Architecture, MA Writing, MA Animation, MA Design Products

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Design Products, MA Sculpture, MA Intelligent Mobility, MA Fashion, MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £6,000 for living costs

For: MA Fashion

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Architecture, MA Ceramics & Glass, MA Sculpture, MA Animation, MA Digital Direction, MA Information Experience Design, MA Visual Communication, MA Design Products, MA Fashion, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering, MA Service Design, MRes Healthcare & Design

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance (Home) / Fee discount (Overseas)

For: MA Ceramics & Glass, MA Contemporary Art Practice, MA Curating Contemporary Art, MA Design Products, MA Fashion, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering, MA Jewellery & Metal, MA Painting, MA Photography, MA Print, MA Sculpture, MA Service Design, MA Textiles, MA V&A/RCA History of Design, MA Writing

Eligibility criteria: Black or Black British Caribbean, Black or Black British African, Other Black Background, Mixed - White and Black Caribbean, Mixed - White and Black African

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Painting

Eligibility criteria: Students from China, France, Monaco, Portugal, Spain

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Intelligent Mobility

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas (EU) fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance (Home) / Fee discount (Overseas - EU)

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Jewellery & Metal

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £2,000 towards living costs

For: MA Visual Communication

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Sculpture

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Visual Communication

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance (Home) / Fee discount (Overseas)

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £3,000 towards fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £3,000 towards fees

For: MA Intelligent Mobility

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: Any MA programme

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Sculpture, MA Painting, MA Contemporary Art Practice, MA Print, MA Photography Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Design Products, MA Fashion, MA Service Design, MA Textiles, MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering

Eligibility criteria: Students from under-represented communities

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees

For: Preference MA Design Products

Eligibility criteria: Students from under-represented communities

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & Maintenance

For: MA Painting

Eligible fee status: Students from the EU with Overseas fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Fashion

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Painting

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees

For: MA/MSc Innovation Design Engineering

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £5,000 towards fees

For: MA Painting, MA Sculpture, MA Jewellery & Metal, MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £9,000 towards fees

For: MA Fashion

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £20,000. If Home, Full Tuition Fee & Maintenance / If Overseas Tuition Fee Discount

For: MA Textiles

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £20,000. If Home, Full Tuition Fee & Maintenance / If Overseas Tuition Fee Discount

For: MA Sculpture, MA Painting, MA Contemporary Art Practice, MA Print and MA Photography

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Environmental Architecture, MA Sculpture, MA Writing, MA Innovation Design Engineering

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: Full fees & maintenance

For: MA Ceramics & Glass

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Jewellery & Metal

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 for living costs

For: MFA Communication

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £2,000 towards fees

For: MFA Arts & Humanities

Eligible fee status: Home & Overseas fee status

Value: £5,000 towards fees

For: MA Visual Communication

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

For: MA Interior Design

Eligible fee status: Home fee status

Value: £10,000 towards fees

Contact us

For more information, please contact the Scholarships team

Email us at
[email protected]
Scholarship recipients