In 2015/16 the School gave total bursaries of £92,339 to undergraduates. Five years later, in 2020/21 this total increased by 244% to £225,610. This was met by the School’s own income and fundraising.
In the next few years, we anticipate this need to grow. The financial impact of the global pandemic has been devastating on many of the families of our students. The cost of living is rising sharply and following Brexit, all EU students are now expected to pay international fees.
We are working hard to secure the future of these young people by removing these financial barriers. We want to ensure their training is guaranteed. To fulfil our mission of being inclusive and accessible, we are working towards a fundraising target of £300,000* per year for the student bursary fund.
A target of £300,000 would provide ten scholarships of £20,000 for international students and twenty bursaries of £5,000 for UK students with a household income of less than £25,000. UK students are eligible for student loans to cover their fees, but these are not available to our international cohort.
This level of support will make a significant financial difference to more students, helping them with their fees and other costs associated with their training. The demanding schedule of a specialist course like this with classes, rehearsal, and self-practice makes it difficult for students to seek part-time work to support themselves therefore bursary support in this way is essential.
If you would like to find out more, please read our case for support and find out how you can support the next generation and the future of dance. Alternatively, please contact Galina Wilkinson, Head of Development.
