Fees and Financial Support

With effect from 1 August 2022, the School’s registered Higher Education provider is the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). All BOVTS students are covered by UWE Bristol’s fees policy. For further information, please see the School policies and procedures page.

There is an application fee of £25 for BA (Hons) Professional Acting. Please note that all application fees are non-refundable.

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is pleased to be able to offer a number of free audition places via its fee waiver scheme. To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

You are a current UK resident
You have no previous degree qualification
You have an annual household income of less than £25,000 before tax

Fee waivers are processed on a first-come basis, so you are advised to apply early. 

Applications for this course will close completely at 4pm (GMT) on Wednesday 31st January 2024

The fund closes to applications on Wednesday 24th January 2024, but may close earlier if funds are exhausted before this date.

You should apply for your fee waiver before submitting your application.

Please click this link to apply for the fee waiver: https://fs6.formsite.com/CtgtAs/2vjl7skkt7/index.html

If you apply before Friday 29^th September 2023, we will endeavour to give you a decision by Friday 13^th October 2023.
If you apply before Tuesday 31st October 2023, we will endeavour to give you a decision by Friday 17^th November 2023.
If you apply before Friday 1st December 2023, we will endeavour to give you a decision by Friday 15^th December 2023.
If you apply before Friday 5^th January 2024, we will endeavour to give you a decision by Monday 15th January 2024.
The last date to apply by is Wednesday 24th January 2024, we will endeavour to give you a decision by Friday 26th January 2024

Applications for this course will close completely at 4pm (GMT) on Wednesday 31st January 2024

Undergraduate – BA (Hons) and FdA Courses

UK Students

• The annual tuition fee for UK undergraduate students commencing their studies in 2023 will be £9,250. This includes students from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

International Students

• The tuition fee for international (non UK) students on our undergraduate courses will be £22,050 per year.

Postgraduate – MA and MFA Courses

UK Students

• Tuition fees for UK students on a 38-week (one year) course will be £11,700

International Students

• Tuition fees for the 40-week MFA Professional Acting for International Students will be £27,000
• Tuition fees for international students (non-UK) on a 38-week (one year) course will be £26,000

Tuition fees are liable to increase in each subsequent year and these increases will be in line with UK Government policy.

ⓘ Please note that from 2021 entry onwards, EU students are considered as international fee payers. Permanent Irish residents will be classed as ‘home’ student status as a result of the Common Travel Area agreement and are not liable for international fees.

Undergraduate – BA (Hons) and FdA Courses

UK Students

• The annual tuition fee for UK undergraduate students commencing their studies in 2022 will be £9,250. This includes students from the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.

International Students

• The tuition fee for international (non UK) students on our undergraduate technical courses, will be £22,050 per year.

Postgraduate – MA and MFA Courses

UK Students

• Tuition fees for UK students on a 38-week (one year) course will be £11,400

International Students

• Tuition fees for the 40-week MFA Professional Acting for International Students will be £26,510
• Tuition fees for international students (non-UK) on a 38-week (one year) course will be £25,500

Tuition fees are liable to increase in each subsequent year and these increases will be in line with UK Government policy.

ⓘ Please note that from 2021 entry onwards, EU students will be considered as international fee payers. Permanent Irish residents will be classed as ‘home’ student status as a result of the Common Travel Area agreement and are not liable for international fees.

Are you eligible for government support?

Most of our students on undergraduate courses are funding their courses through student loans.

If you are a UK student, in addition to tuition fee support, you can also apply for funding towards your living costs, and the amount available to you will vary according to where you are from in the UK. You will be able to access a basic maintenance loan towards your living costs regardless of your household income level and if you are from a lower-income household you will also be eligible to receive additional means-tested maintenance support.

You should apply to your regional funding agency (see below) each year before the end of the Easter holidays to ensure that funding is in place for the following year of your course.

What does it mean to be ‘means-tested’ or ‘financially assessed’?

If you want to be considered for a higher level of maintenance loan (students from England) or a non-repayable maintenance grant (students from Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales), you will need to complete a financial assessment as part of your application to your funding agency in order to calculate your household income. Although much of this process is automated, you may need to provide financial information to support your assessment.

What is household income and how is it calculated?

Your household income is made up of your income plus that of the people who live with you, such as your parents / step-parent / partner. Household income is assessed based on gross taxable income for the last full tax year. If your household income is likely to drop by at least 15% you can request a Current Year Income Assessment Form from your regional funding agency.

What if I suspend my studies?

If you decide to suspend your studies for any length of time you will need to inform your regional funding agency. If you repeat any years of study, you should be aware that this might affect your entitlement to financial support.

For further information about funding your studies, please see the UK undergraduate funding pages on the UWE Bristol website.  

Where can I find a list of external scholarships?

For Postgraduate Students you can find the list here.

For Undergraduate Students you can find the list here.

Please see our Student Financial Support FAQ’s here.

The UK Government offers postgraduate Master’s loans through Student Finance England. Funding for postgraduate loans is different if you usually live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Information about the Master’s Loan scheme is available from UK Government website.

The loans, which are valued at up to £11,836 per student for entry after 1 August 2022, are a contribution towards the cost of study. They can be used for fees, maintenance or other costs associated with your study. They are not means tested and paid directly to the student into a UK bank account

What you’ll get

Further information about funding postgraduate training can be found on the UWE Bristol,  Prospects and Find A Masters websites.

Where can I find a list of external scholarships?

For Postgraduate Students you can find the list here.

Please see our Student Financial Support FAQ’s here.

Each year, the School and UWE Bristol administer a range of bursaries and scholarships. 

Please see our Student Financial Support FAQ’s here.

Bursaries are available to students from low income backgrounds, those with childcare responsibilities, and those who have spent time in care. For eligibility criteria, please see the UWE Bursary webpage. BOVTS students are also eligible to apply for a range of other UWE bursaries and scholarships – for further information on eligibility criteria, please see the UWE website.  

If you have concerns about financing your training, or require further information about the support available, please contact us for further advice. 

BOVTS – Student Financial Support

• Who is on the Hardship Fund committee?

Currently, Fiona Francombe (Principal/CEO), Julia Trow (Head of Finance), Julia Heeley (Student Support Manager) and Ali de Souza (Director of Drama) sit on the board that decides the allocation of funds. Marchia Abokie chairs this meeting but does not vote.

• How are Hardship funds allocated?

Anonymised data from applications received by Marchia are presented to the committee. Each individual case is considered and Marchia informs students if they have been successful after each meeting. The Terms of Reference for the Hardship Fund Committee can be found here.

• Where can I find the BOVTS Hardship Fund form?

The link to the form can be found here. If you have any questions about the application process or form then please contact Marchia Abokie at [email protected].

• When are the deadlines for the BOVTS Hardship Fund?

The deadline can be found on the Hardship Fund form itself. Marchia will send out reminders a few days before the deadline.

• How much can I get from the BOVTS Hardship Fund?

The awards are capped at £2,100 per application and is normally paid in three instalments of £700 each month. There is no standard award amount and an award to one student does not set a precedent in respect of an award to another student.

• What happens if I miss the BOVTS Hardship Fund application deadline?

We understand that students may not be able to apply by the deadline or have issues happen after the deadline that cannot wait until the next meeting of the committee. You can contact Marchia directly and we will assess applications on an ad hoc basis throughout the year.

 Can I apply for the BOVTS Hardship Fund more than once?

Yes, you can apply once per term and if you have unforeseen circumstances you can apply again within the same term, if needed.

• How is any BOVTS Hardship Fund award paid to me?

Most payments will be made directly to the student’s chosen bank account by BACS transfer. If the student has a debt to a third party and has given permission to pay this from their award, this will be paid to the third party. The amount paid to the student will be reduced accordingly. If the amount to be paid to the student is over £2,000, this may be paid in instalments, spread throughout the year. The student will be informed of the payment dates. We may request additional, up-to-date information before an instalment is paid and may recalculate an award and adjust instalments still to be paid. We do not usually reclaim funds already paid. The Team will check that the student is still fully registered on the course before releasing future instalments.

 How do I apply for the UWE Student Support Fund?

You can apply for the fund here.

The Student Support Fund is a significant fund provided by UWE Bristol to support UK undergraduate and postgraduate students who may need extra financial support to remain in higher education.

Applications open on the 18^th September.

Please note that those students who are self-funding need to meet UWE’s Minimum Required Provision (MRP) as advised by National Association of Student Money Advisors (NASMA)

The Minimum required provision is, for Full-time undergraduate students who are not eligible for statutory funding due to previous study and all full-time postgraduate students must have sufficient income to cover their living costs (after payments for tuition fees are accounted for) to be eligible. The minimum required provision (MRP) is the sum of the composite living costs and rent and/or mortgage payments over the assessment period. The student’s total assessed household income must be at least the MRP minus £1,500 to be eligible for an award from the Student Support Fund. For example, a single student with a 39-week assessment period and rent of £500 per month will have a MRP of: CLC: £100 x 39 = £3,900 Rent: £500 x 9 = £4,500 + Total: £78 x 39 = £8,400 To be eligible for an award, their assessed income must be at least: £8,400 – £1,500 = £6,900

Also, there is a section on the application asking that students have to confirm that they have completed a Blackboard lesson, BOVTS students can skip that part of the application, by just ticking yes to this question.

Please remember that UWE will only email you via your UWE email address and NOT your BOVTS email address.

• What is the UWE Summer Fund and when can I apply?

The UWE Summer Fund is a fund provided by UWE Bristol to support UK undergraduate and postgraduate students who may need extra financial support to remain in higher education during the summer break.

Applications open on the 18^th September 2023 for Summer 23. Applications for Summer 24 will open in June or July 2024

Please remember that UWE will only email you via your UWE email address and NOT your BOVTS email address.

What scholarships and bursaries are available to me?

A list of UWE Scholarships and bursaries are available here.

BOVTS has some scholarships, however, most of those scholarships are for undergraduate acting students.

Some bursaries are chosen by the individual charities and students are put forward for those scholarships by their tutors. Please speak to your tutor or Marchia regarding these.

There are no scholarships available for postgraduate students here at BOVTS.

• Why is my course not eligible for some of the internal scholarships?

Some donors have specific wishes as to what courses they wish their funding to be directed towards (known as restricted funds). As a charity, the School is legally obliged to follow charitable guidelines and the wishes of the donor. The donor’s web pages should give more information about the criteria but if you have any further questions, please contact Marchia.

• Where can I find a list of external scholarships?

For Postgraduate Students you can find the list here.

For Undergraduate Students you can find the list here.

• Where can I get help with applying for bursaries and scholarships?

For help with applying to UWE Scholarships or BOVTS financial help please contact Marchia.

EU students commencing training after 2021 will classified as international students for tuition fee purposes. Please note that permanent Irish residents will be classed as ‘home’ student status as a result of the Common Travel Area agreement and are not liable for international fees.