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Music scholarships and bursaries for 2024 entry

Students playing woodwind instruments

Bursaries

We offer bursaries to Home undergraduate Music students joining us from lower income households. We will provide information about this bursary support, including how to apply, once an offer has been made. Our bursaries include those generously funded by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Association and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Trust, among others.

Scholarships

All students who audition for a Music course at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) are automatically considered for a scholarship award.

These awards are usually for the first year of study only and offered to applicants who demonstrate excellence or outstanding potential at audition, and/or specialize in a ‘shortage’ Principal Study area.

Some of these awards have been generously funded by external donors, and tend to be named awards in particular disciplines, such as our McDonald Scholarships for organists.

The exception to the single-year entry scholarship takes the form of a small number of Leverhulme Arts Scholarships which we award following exceptional performance at audition to students embarking on BMus, BMus Jazz or MMus; these cover full course fees for the duration of the course.

For Home undergraduate applicants who will have their tuition fees wholly funded by a Student Loans Company organisation, a scholarship award can be taken as a reduction of the tuition fee or as a cash payment. For all postgraduate and International applicants, scholarships can only be used to reduce tuition fees.

Named Scholarship Awards

These include the following, each of which has its own application procedure:

Weingarten Scholarship

For a Hungarian postgraduate student

For a PgDip or MMus student of Hungarian nationality and of any performance discipline, and worth £10,000 per annum for a one-year or two-year course of study. An application form will be made available to eligible offer-holders, and the selection process will involve shortlisting followed by interview.

Tony Brookes Scholarship

For pedagogy/community engagement/outreach

For a PgDip or MMus student (Home or International) who can evidence existing interest and experience in pedagogy, community engagement or outreach work and who seeks to continue to develop skills in this area as part of their subsequent career; the scholarship is worth £5,000 per annum for a one-year or two-year course of full-time study.

The successful applicant will be expected to play a role in RBC’s own community engagement/outreach activity. Details of the application procedure will be shared with all eligible offer holders in Spring 2024, and the selection process will involve shortlisting followed by interview.

Corton Hyde Scholarship

For the study of Historical Performance

For a PgDip or MMus student (Home or International) who specialises in a historical instrument or recorder, or an MA Musicology student (home or international) who wishes to specialize in historical performance practice.

The scholarship is worth £8,000 per annum for a one-year or two-year course of full-time PgDip, MMus study, or £6,000 for a one-year full-time MA Musicology. Details of the application procedure will be shared with all eligible offer holders in Spring 2024, and the selection process will involve shortlisting followed by interview.

Stephen Dodgson Charitable Trust Scholarships

Two entrance awards of £2,500, one each for an undergraduate singer and an undergraduate guitarist.

These will be awarded following a competitive process, details of which will be shared with those who have accepted offers by 1 February, and envisaged to take place later in the Spring Term.

The Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust Scholarships

Two scholarships, each worth up to £33,500 (to cover tuition fees and stipend), are available for students from Africa, India or South America undertaking a 12-month programme of postgraduate study.

Students meeting these criteria are encouraged to register their interest in the award at the point of application. Further details about the selection process will be communicated to prospective candidates after successful audition.