Funding for Postgraduate Students
Please note, subsequent years of study will be charged at the rate for that year.
| Headline fees for 2019/20 | |
|---|
| Standard, long-year postgraduate programmes (UK/EU) | £9,820 |
| Standard postgraduate programmes (non EU/ELQ) | £22,250 |
The tuition fee schedule for 2019/20 is available here.
The full tuition fee schedule for 2018/19 is available here.
UK/EU Postgraduate Student Loans
Guidance booklet for download
Government-backed postgraduate loans are available to help Masters students towards the cost of their tuition fees and living expenses. These are non-means tested, repayable postgraduate student loans similar to those that are offered to undergraduate students.
New students in 2019/20 who are resident in England or the EU can borrow up to £10,906* for the entire length of their course (*figure subject to government approval). Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have not confirmed figures for 2019/20 yet but based on 2018/19 figures, new students from Wales were able to borrow up to £13,000 for study in London, new students from Northern Ireland were able to borrow up to £5,500, and new students from Scotland were able to borrow up to £5,500 for study at universities in the UK, if the course is not available in Scotland.
Applicant Eligibility - England, Wales, Northern Ireland & EU
- Nationality / residency requirements:
- If you are a UK national or you have ‘settled status’ (i.e. there are no restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK):
- you must be normally resident in England for SFE or Wales for SFW or Northern Ireland for SFNI; and
- you must be ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for at least three years before the start date of your programme (i.e. since 1 September 2016).
- If you are an EU national:
- you must be living in England on the first day of term; and
- you must be ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for at least three years before the start date of your programme (i.e. since 1 September 2016).
- You must be under the age of 60 on 1 September 2019. (There is no age limit for students from NI.)
- You must be undertaking your first Masters level and not have a higher level degree.
- If you already hold the equivalent of a master’s degree (or higher), you will not be eligible; this includes non-UK qualifications and non-music/drama qualifications. (Students from NI are exempt from this criteria.)
For more information and full details of the eligibility criteria for English and EU students, please see the Government's website on Postgraduate Loans. Full eligibility criteria for students from Wales and Northern Ireland will become available.
Course Eligibility
There are additional course eligibility requirements. For further information on the Guildhall Artist Masters course eligibility, please see Guildhall Artist Masters Eligibility for Postgraduate Loan Schemes. For information on all other course eligibility, please see Funding for Postgraduates.
Loan Details - England & EU
Students resident in England and the EU can apply for a loan of up to £10,906* as a contribution towards their tuition fees and living costs (*figure subject to government approval). Payments will be made directly into a student's bank account in three instalments over the academic year. For courses longer than one year, the loans will be disbursed in six instalments over two years.
Students need to be prepared to pay their deposit and complete enrolment before the postgraduate loan will be released to them.
The postgraduate loan disbursement schedule differs from the School’s termly tuition fee deadline.
15 July 2019: 15% tuition fees due to secure offer
16 September 2019: 25% tuition fees due
Following confirmation of enrolment, the 1st loan instalment is paid directly to the student’s bank account (SFE & SFW)
6 January 2020: 30% tuition fees due (Students in receipt of the postgraduate loan are extended a grace period until the second loan disbursement has been received)
January 2020: 2nd instalment released from SFE/SFW
20 April 2020: 30% tuition fees due
April 2020: 3rd instalment released from SFE/SFW
Students are responsible for paying their termly fees as soon as their loan is received.
Loan Details - Northern Ireland
Students from Northern Ireland will be able to borrow up to £5,500 towards the cost of a Masters degree. Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma. Northern Irish postgraduate loans will be available for courses lasting up to 3 years. The loan will be paid to Guildhall in three instalments during each academic year. Students will not receive any money directly into their bank account.
Erasmus+ Master Loans
The Erasmus+ Masters Loan aims to offer affordable loan support for students who want to study for a Masters degree in a different country. The Erasmus+ Master Loan is entirely new and will not replace Erasmus+ grants, which continue to be the main part of the Erasmus+ exchange programme.
The loans are up to €12,000 for a one-year Masters programme and up to €18,000 for a two-year Masters and can cover both living and tuition costs in any of the 33 Erasmus+ programme countries.
To apply you must be resident in a member state of the EU, or an associated country (currently Iceland, Norway, Turkey, Liechtenstein and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
You must also be planning to study in a country that is:
- Not your home country
- Not the country where you completed your undergraduate degree (i.e. you would not be eligible for this loan scheme if you have already completed a BMus degree in the UK).
The Erasmus+ Master Loan Scheme is being rolled out on a country by country basis and is not yet available in all member states. For the latest information about whether these loans are now available in your country, you should contact your National Agency.
For more information, please see:
US Federal Loan
If you have been accepted on one of our Masters degree programmes and you are a US citizen, you may be able to apply for a US Federal Loan. This can help towards tuition fees and maintenance costs. However, if you are studying on the doctoral programme or on a non-degree course (eg. Artist Diploma or Advanced Certificate) then you are NOT eligible to receive federal aid from Guildhall. You may, however, be eligible for a private loan such as Sallie Mae loans (with the exception of short courses).
For more information, please visit our US Federal Loan page.
Professional and Career Development Loans
Please note that the Professional and Career Development loans scheme will close to new borrowers next year. The final date for students to submit applications, including top ups to any existing loans, will be Friday 25 January 2019. Existing borrowers will not be affected. They will continue to receive a full service from the Bank during study and repayment.
This means that for those students wishing to apply for such a loan for the 2018/19 academic year, you will need to submit your application by Friday 25 January 2019. Information on the scheme is included in our Funding for Postgraduates guidance booklet.
For new students starting a course in 2019/20, unfortunately you will not be able to apply for these loans, as the scheme will have closed.
For further information and updates, please visit the gov.uk website.
Guildhall School Financial Awards
The School also offers various financial awards, including Guildhall School Scholarships. Find information about financial support provided by the School here.
External Funding (all postgraduates)
Postgraduate students who are not able to find private sponsorship will need to find alternative means to fund their studies. The School expects students to take the initiative in supporting their studies and advises that they should apply to as many sources of funding as possible.
To help students find as many funding opportunities as possible, the School provides guidance on potential sources of external funding such as charities, foundations and educational trusts. In addition, the School also provides information on how to plan and execute a fundraising campaign. Ideally, potential students should consider how they will fund their studies a year prior to starting their studies as many closing dates are between January and March of the previous academic year.
Students applying for external funding should check that the organisation does not already donate money to the School. You can find a list of current donors on the School's supporters page.
Guidance booklets for download:
External Funding Checklist: External Funding checklist (XLS)
