Royal academy of music scholarships

Scholarship Opportunities at the Royal Academy of Music

Bychidiuto Length: 5 minutes

There are various funding programs at the Royal Academy of Music, London. These programs help to make top-notch musical education available to people who can’t afford it on their own. They are collectively called the Royal Academy of Music Scholarships. This article briefly covers several of the programs and what potential benefits they pose to their awardees.

Some of these scholarship programs include;

  • Bicentenary Scholarship
  • ABRSM Scholarship
  • Disney Theatrical Productions Scholarship
  • The Hans Keller Scholarship
  • The Snowdown Trust Master’s Scholarship
  • International Students House Residential Scholarship
  • Julian Bream Trust Scholarship
  • Sony Music UK Social Global Justice Fund Scholarship

About Royal Academy of Music

Founded in 1822, the Royal Academy of Music in London is the oldest music academy in the United Kingdom. It is an international institution with students from around the world, spanning over 60 countries. The academy focuses on finding a meeting point between the artistic beauties that are traditional musical standards and modern-day musical finesse.

About London, UK

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom as a whole. It is also the largest city in the country. When it comes to history, culture, and art, there is very little that London lacks. Hence, it is only appropriate that it plays host to one of the grandest artistic institutions in the country; the Royal Academy of Music. 

London is one of the world’s major cities, with about 9 million people populating the city. It also has several notable landmarks, including London Bridge, the Big Ben clock atop the Elizabeth tower, and the London Eye observation wheel.

Scholarship Benefits

Value of the Royal Academy of Music Scholarship?

Several scholarship awards are available to students of the Royal Academy of Music. These different scholarships differ in value, depending on their benefactors. Generally, they are either fully funded, partially funded, bursaries, or awards. Some publicly specified scholarship values from RAM are;

  1. Bicentenary Scholarship: Fully funded scholarship; covers tuition and maintenance fees with added professional benefits.
  2. Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM): Fully funded scholarship; covers the beneficiary’s full tuition fee and a maintenance fee of £5,000 until the end of your program.
  3. Snowdon Trust Master’s Scholarship: Variable reward; could be up to £30,000

How Many Students Are Eligible for Royal Academy of Music Scholarships?

The Royal Academy of Music scholarships each has a given number of applicants they award yearly. While some of these numbers are publicly known, others are less public. Here are some of the ones we know about:

  1. Bicentenary Scholarship: Twelve (12) scholarships per year
  2. ABRSM Scholarship: Six (6) scholarships per year; two international students, two UK home students, and two EU students.
  3. The Hans Keller Scholarship: Offers only one scholarship slot per year.
  4. Sony Music UK Social Global Justice Fund Scholarship: Offers two (2) scholarships per year.

Applicable Courses

What Fields of Study Are Eligible for Royal Academy of Music Scholarships?

The Royal Academy of Music is a school of music; hence, all its departments revolve around the same theme; music. There are 23 departments in RAM, London, including Opera, Jazz, Musical Theatre, etc. However, these 23 courses are grouped into four categories, all of which are eligible for RAM Scholarships:

What Levels of Study Are Eligible for Royal Academy of Music Scholarships?

The Royal Academic of Music, London, offers scholarship opportunities for several levels of learning, including undergraduate, diploma, Master’s, Ph.D., and other postgraduate studies.

Eligibility Criteria

General Eligibility Requirements for Royal Academy of Music Scholarships

The Royal Academy of Music Scholarships are open to UK or EU-based students in any degree or diploma program seeking to specialize in the performance or study of classical or contemporary music. Eligible applicants must demonstrate a high level of musical competence and talent, as well as existing academic qualifications. Preference will be given to those with a strong commitment to future career plans in the music industry.

The foremost requirement for being a RAM scholarship beneficiary is to be an academy student in the institution. Exchange or Study Abroad students are not eligible for the scholarship programs unless otherwise stated. The several scholarship programs available, however, may have specific eligibility criteria. We shall discuss them in the section below:

Program-Specific Requirements

  1. Bicentenary Scholarship: This scholarship is offered to 12 students on the grounds of merit and need. Hence, the eligibility is subject to the scholarship board’s discretion.
  2. ABRSM Scholarship: Like the bicentenary scholarship, the ABRSM scholarship is offered based on need and merit. That is, at the scholarship board’s discretion.
  3. Sony Music UK SGJF Scholarship: This scholarship aims to promote social justice, equal rights, and anti-racist initiatives in the world. As such, it is open to Black UK or international undergraduate students.
  4. Disney Theatrical Productions Scholarship: This scholarship is available to Royal Academy of Music students whose ethnic or cultural backgrounds need better representation in the music industry. The awardees must show the ability or potential to be role models that inspire others from their culture to take up a career in musical theatre.
  5. Julian Bream Trust Scholarship: The JBT scholarship award is open to guitarists who showed exceptional talent in their entrance auditions. They must be below 20 years for undergraduate admission or under 26 years old for postgraduate entry.
  6. Internal Student House Resident Scholarship: The ISH Resident Scholarship is for Royal Academy of Music students from low-income homes in developing countries. The academy scholarship board decides who to award here as well.
  7. Snowdown Trust Master’s Scholarship: This scholarship is open to Master’s degree students from the Royal Academy of Music, London. Awardees are decided internally by the university board.
  8. Hans Keller Scholarship: The Hans Keller Scholarship is open to postgraduate students of any nationality at the Royal Academy of Music, London. Like most other scholarships at RAM, London, this award rests on the Scholarship board’s discretion.

Fees & Funding

#1. What are the eligibility requirements for Royal Academy of Music scholarships?

The primary requirement for being a Royal Academy of Music scholarship awardee is to gain admission into the academy. The different scholarship awards have their unique criteria as well.

#2. What financial assistance does the Royal Academy of Music scholarships provide?

The Royal Academy of Music scholarships offer fully funded scholarships (full tuition with maintenance award), partially funded scholarships, income bursaries, hardship funds, etc.

#3. Is there a deadline for applying for Royal Academy of Music scholarships?

The deadline for applying for Royal Academy of Music scholarships is January 31st.

#4. Are there special scholarships available for international students?

Several scholarships at the Royal Academy of Music are available to international students. However, some prominent ones are Sony Music UK SGJF Scholarship, the Hans Keller Scholarship, and the Internal Students House Resident Scholarship.

#5. Which performance opportunities are available for Royal Academy of Music scholarship recipients?

Some scholarships at the Royal Academy of Music provide other benefits for awardees besides financial assistance. The Bicentenary scholarship, for example, provides opportunities such as professional recording or even personal tuition with globally renowned performers.

Application Procedure

The application procedure for most Royal Academy of Music scholarships is the same. They do not require any unique application besides the audition you will take to gain admission into the academy.

For the Snowdown Trust Master’s Scholarship, however, applications go through the official Snowdown Trust website. Before forwarding this application, prospective applicants should contact Christiana Jefferson, the Student Funding Manager for the Royal Academy of Music, via the email address; cjefferson@ram.ac.uk.

Applications for Snowdown Trust Master’s Scholarship run from January 31st to March 31st.