With effect from 2020/21, the RCM will be offering a minimum of two tuition fee bursaries per year to students from the areas with the lowest levels of participation in higher education in the UK, to encourage equality of access to conservatoire study.
The bursaries will be worth a minimum of half tuition fees (currently £4,625) for each year of the Bachelor of Music course.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must:
- be a UK national and eligible to pay Home tuition fees
- be resident in a postcode that is classified as POLAR quintile 1 for young participation in higher education. You can check the classification of your postcode on the Office for Students website
- apply for the Bachelor of Music course
- apply on time by the 1 October deadline and attend an audition (or interview for composers) during the main London audition period in late November to mid-December
POLAR is a widely recognised measure that categorises how likely young people are to participate in higher education based on where they live. Areas of the UK are classified into five quintiles, with residents in quintile 5 areas being the most likely to participate in higher education, and those from quintile 1 areas the least likely. The RCM uses POLAR data to provide contextual information, allowing staff assessing an application to take into account the possible impact of educational disadvantage.
How to be considered
Applicants must audition in London during the main audition period and successfully be offered a place on the BMus course. All other eligibility criteria listed above must also be met.
Awards will be made to applicants who would not ordinarily meet the criteria to receive an RCM Scholarship but who, on the basis of this contextual information and evidence of musical potential demonstrated at audition, are identified as meriting support. Where there are more eligible applicants than available awards, bursaries will be allocated on merit based on performance at audition.
Notification of awards
Successful applicants will receive an award letter via e-mail before Christmas.
How awards will be paid
Tuition fee bursary holders will normally have the value of their award deducted from their tuition fees. However, they can alternatively opt to have the award paid to use towards their living expenses.