Scholarships & bursaries
Get all the info about how you can apply for a supported placement.
LAMDA’s Scholarships Programme
LAMDA’s scholarships programme aims to provide vital financial support for students to overcome financial barriers to accessing and completing their training. We currently provide scholarship support to one in four students across our various cohorts.
There is always a greater demand for scholarships than current supply, and we are working to increase the number of scholarships available to ensure that finance is not a barrier to talented students from underrepresented groups who wish to train at LAMDA.
Before applying for scholarship support
When accepting your place at LAMDA, make sure you understand the full cost of tuition fees and living expenses for the duration of your course. All scholarship applicants must be able to show that they have a plan in place to cover their training costs at LAMDA before applying for scholarship support.
This includes:
- Applying for relevant undergraduate or postgraduate loans in your home country.
- Ensuring you have prepared a realistic budget for your studies at LAMDA, accounting for tuition fees, rent in London and other living costs.
How to apply for a scholarship or bursary
Start early
Competition for scholarships is fierce, so make sure you are prepared to explore alternative options to fund your time at LAMDA. Start thinking about how you will fund your training early and ensure you submit your applications for any student finance and relevant loans in good time, as this will be taken into consideration during the scholarship application process.
Once you're offered a place, complete your scholarship application
Scholarship application forms are sent out to all offer holders. You will need to fill these out and provide a budget for the duration of your studies.
All scholarship applicants must be means-tested as part of our objective scoring system, details of which can be found below.
For students who are dependent on family income and/or under the age of 25, this will include annual household income; for students who are financially independent and/or aged 26 or over, this will be their own annual income.
External opportunities
In addition to the various scholarships administered by LAMDA described above, there are several external opportunities you may wish to explore independently. Please note these scholarships have their own application processes; please check your eligibility carefully before applying.
The Black Heart Art programme aims to provide financial scholarships to underrepresented and under-resourced young people for arts education, empowering the next generation of diverse arts talent. The scholarship programme is open to individuals who are hardworking, under-resourced, and ambitious. Funding amounts are assessed on an individual basis to ensure fair and tailored support. Applications are accepted and reviewed in March and August.
Chevening enables outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue one-year Master’s degrees in the UK and typically offers full tuition-fee scholarships. This Scholarship is open to international Master’s applicants. Applications for this scholarship are made directly to Chevening, not LAMDA, and open annually in August for the academic year that begins thirteen months later. N.B. You must apply to Chevening before you apply to LAMDA and there is no guarantee of a scholarship from Chevening even if you are offered a place by LAMDA.
This Award is for an incoming student on LAMDA’s MA Classical Acting for the Professional Theatre course and provides a full tuition-fee scholarship as well as a living stipend. Applications from students from under-served populations are encouraged. This Award is generously provided through an endowment from the MLDauray Arts Initiative. Applications for this scholarship are made directly to Fulbright, not LAMDA, and open annually in early November for the following academic year. N.B. You must apply to Fulbright before you apply to LAMDA and there is no guarantee of a scholarship from Fulbright even if you are offered a place by LAMDA.
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to fifty Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. N.B. You must apply to Marshall before you apply to LAMDA and there is no guarantee of a scholarship from Marshall even if you are offered a place by LAMDA.
The National Youth Arts Trust grants bursaries of up to £1,000 each to talented young people aged 12–25 who can’t afford to access opportunities in the arts. A bursary can be used to cover tuition fees at drama school.
The Sidney Perry Foundation assists students who are pursuing their first or further degrees (full- and part-time) by providing financial support. Its mission is to promote access to education and ensure that individuals can achieve their academic goals, regardless of financial circumstances.
The Split Infinitive Trust supports individual students on acting or musical theatre courses, especially those from Yorkshire or studying in the region, with awards of £250 to £500 towards living costs.
Scholarships available following enrolment
LAMDA is asked by various external awarding bodies to nominate eligible students for a limited number of competitive scholarships. Awards are made on the basis of financial need, with priority given to those from low-income and underrepresented backgrounds. LAMDA nominates these students based on their original scholarship applications (as per the process described above) and training progress, and we will inform those nominated accordingly.
These scholarships include the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship, BAFTA Scholarship, David Garrick Scholarship, The Ellen Terry Award, ITV Tony Warren Scholarship, Lilian Baylis Award, Lionel Bart Bursary, Sir John Gielgud Bursary and the SOLT Lawrence Olivier Bursary. Individual applications to these awarding bodies are not accepted and that an audition/interview may be part of the application process for these awards.
LAMDA students may also be invited to apply for the following scholarships throughout the year. LAMDA will send out calls to apply once applications open.
The Constellation Creative Bursary aims to encourage and promote greater participation and representation of British East and Southeast Asian actors on stage and screen by supporting the pathway from graduating student to professional actor. This is awarded by New Earth Theatre and open to all graduating students of East and Southeast Asian descent.
This Scholarship is for Welsh individuals aged 18+ who plan to pursue advanced (postgraduate) study in a creative drama discipline, such as acting, scriptwriting, directing, or set design. The charity aims to support education for the public through performance arts.
The Dewar Arts Awards provide financial support to talented young people, helping them overcome barriers and achieve their potential in the arts. Candidates must be under 30 years old, live and work in Scotland, demonstrate genuinely limited financial means and showcase strong artistic and/or creative ambition. Applications are accepted throughout the year.
The Luke Westlake Scholarship supports working-class actors in the UK through a financial bursary and exclusive industry opportunities. Each year, the scholarship provides over £6,000 in financial and professional support to the selected recipient. Applicants must be in their penultimate year of an undergraduate acting course and submit a self-tape audition as part of the application process. Applications open in October, with the award announced in December.
In partnership with Manic Street Preachers, the Mab Gwalia Welsh Drama Student Scholarship awards up to £15,000 each academic year to support up to three eligible students. Applicants must be Welsh or reside in Wales and come from a low-income background, with selection based on financial circumstances and a personal statement.
The Wayne Sleep Foundation support talented students of the Performing Arts (Dance, Drama, and Music) with awards of up to £2500 to help with accommodation and living costs. Applicants must have confirmed places at leading performing arts institutions in the UK. Applications open in Spring each year.
