The V&A and the Royal College of Arts (RCA) aim to widen participation and help students of limited means to study with us.
V&A Foundation Awards
For 2024 entry there will be two fees-only awards for full time MA students. The award value is £16,550 and funding is for 12 months.
Eligibility
Applicants should qualify for UK Home Student fees status.
Priority criteria
Priority is given to those who self-identify as one of the current under-represented groups on the V&A/RCA MA History of Design:
- Those with African, Caribbean, Asian, mixed or multiple ethnic backgrounds
- Persons who have been granted refugee status in the UK
- Care-leavers
- Those with a disability
- Those in socio-economically deprived groups or from low-income households
The two awards will be made based on the academic and/or professional strength and potential of eligible applicants who meet the priority criteria.
Applicants should also check if they meet one category or more from the following list:
- Have you received means-tested student funding at undergraduate-level in the last 5 years?
- Have you received any means-tested government benefit in the last 5 years? (for example, Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payments)
- Have you experienced unavoidable financial hardship?
- Do you have a disability or chronic health condition that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on your ability to do daily activities?
- Do you currently have or have you ever had refugee or asylum status?
- Do you consider yourself care experienced?
- Do you have primary caring responsibilities for a dependent or another family member?
- Do you consider this to be a career change or are you returning to work after a career break / parental leave?
If an applicant does not meet any of the eligibility categories, they may still provide a short statement to outline why they would benefit from a V&A Foundation bursary.
Application instructions
To apply, supply the following information in a PDF or Word Document:
- Your name
- Correspondence address
- Email address
- 600-word statement detailing how you meet the selection criteria.
Within this statement, please include an outline of:
- Your background and financial need
- How you would benefit from a V&A Foundation Award. What will this enable you to do on the V&A/RCA History of Design MA Programme?
- What you see as the positive outcome of receiving a V&A Foundation Award beyond your studies.
Application documents should contain the subject heading V&A/RCA MA History of Design Bursary – [your name], and be emailed to:
hod@rca.ac.uk
Deadline
The deadline for applications is midday, 24 May 2024.
Interviews
We will let you know as soon as possible after the deadline if you have been shortlisted.
Interviews for shortlisted candidates are expected to be held in the week commencing 3 June 2024.
Notification of the Award
Successful candidates will be notified by a member of the V&A/RCA History of Design Programme team and asked to formally confirm their acceptance in writing.
Bursaries are awarded for a specific programme and entry point, and cannot be deferred without consent from the academic programme and bursaries panel. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the reasons for the decision. No appeal is allowed, as once bursaries are awarded all available funds have been committed.