The Royal College of Art to Offer Dedicated Fine Art Scholarships

The aim is to ensure that talented fine art candidates, who have been offered places to study at the RCA are able to take those up, regardless of their financial situation. Fine Art candidates have previously had to apply for bursaries through a process where they competed against applicants from all disciplines within the College.

With the support of the Leverhulme Trust, for the next three years RCA Leverhulme Arts Scholarships will pay half the tuition fees for one (home/EU) student from each of the School of Fine Art programmes – Photography, Printmaking, Painting and Sculpture – for the duration of their programme. The scholarship programme will begin this autumn.

Each head of programme in the School of Fine Art will identify potential candidates during the recruitment process, considering merit and financial means. These candidates will be invited to apply for the scholarship, setting out how they will use it to deepen their practice and aid development. Shortlisted candidates’ applications will be reviewed annually in June by an RCA fine art panel.

Professor Ute Meta Bauer, Dean of School of Fine Art said: 'The scholarships constitute a substantial support to students of highest merits to pursue a master programme regardless their financial situation. On behalf of our students, I'm very grateful.'

The Leverhulme Trust, one of the largest research and education funding bodies in the UK, streamlined its performing and fine arts funding portfolio last May, consolidating a number of training and mentorship bursaries and teaching awards into one stream of activity, the Leverhulme Arts Scholarships. At the same time, it increased its support to the arts sector from £2.5 to £3m.

The Trust, now more than 87 years old and with annual funding of around £60m, supports research projects, fellowships, studentships, bursaries and prizes across all academic disciplines that demonstrate originality and help break down conventional barriers between disciplines.

The RCA offers its students over 150 bursaries, scholarships and prizes across all disciplines.