Bursaries and scholarships

Bursaries and Scholarships are two types of financial support you can receive during your time at Norwich. Scholarships and bursaries are non-repayable, and students will receive this support alongside their regular student loans.

Bursaries

A university bursary is an award that can help those who may not have otherwise been able to afford to attend university. Bursaries are usually based on your financial situation, personal circumstances, or the subject you study.

We have provided some useful information below, however, if you have any further queries, please contact us at student.finance@norwichuni.ac.uk

Norwich University of the Arts Bursary

For new UK entrants, whose household income is assessed by their funding bodies (e.g. Student Finance England) as £25,000 or less, the University will offer a contribution towards the costs of studying at Norwich (such as equipment, materials and other course-related costs). This will be:

• £500 for new entrants to Year 0 and Year 1
• £300 in Year 2
• £200 in Year 3.

You do not need to apply for this bursary. By submitting an online application for government grants or loans, you consent to share your information with the University. This allows our Student Fees team to assess your eligibility. You will be notified if you are eligible to receive this bursary.

Care Leavers and Estranged Students Bursary

Norwich will offer £1,000 per year to new UK entrants, aged under 25 at the start of their course of studies, who are care leavers or formally estranged from their parents. The bursary will be paid at the start of each academic year once you have enrolled.

We use the legal definition of care leaver – a person who, from the age of 14, has spent a minimum of 13 weeks in care, some of which was at the age of 16 or 17. This bursary will continue throughout a student’s degree course even if they exceed the age of 24 during this period.

We will use evidence from students’ funding body (e.g., Student Finance England) in order to process this bursary. This bursary will continue throughout a student’s degree course even if they exceed the age of 24 during this period.

How and when to apply

You must have applied for your 2024-25 funding and the information must be received by Norwich University of the Arts by 31 July 2024 for us to process your bursary payment. Additionally, any amendments to your student finance eligibility must be made by 31 July of each year.

Bursaries will be paid at the start of each academic year once you have enrolled. If a student repeats a year of study, the bursary will not be paid for the repeat year.

Access and Participation Plans

The University’s Access and Participation Plan sets out our commitment to ensuring — through outreach work, financial and other kinds of student support — fair access for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

The Access and Participation Plan for students joining in 2024-25 is provided below:

Students who started at Norwich in previous years can view the relevant access agreement for their year of joining.

The Heathfield Accommodation Bursary

The Heathfield Accommodation Bursary is awarded to an international student who holds an offer to study a postgraduate degree at Norwich University of the Arts. It provides accommodation at Heathfield Student Community Home for an academic year.

Heathfield Student Community Home is a privately-owned 44-room hall of residence. The owners are keen to support the University’s commitment to diversity by offering one year’s free accommodation to a postgraduate international student.

Heathfield promotes a welcoming and supportive community among its residents, who are students from the UK and around the world. To broaden the range of interests and backgrounds among residents, Heathfield accepts students from Norwich University of the Arts, UEA and other institutions. 

The Bursary is in the form of accommodation at Heathfield for an academic year. The successful candidate will be required to sign a tenancy agreement directly with Heathfield.

The Bursary is awarded to an international student who holds an offer to study a postgraduate degree at Norwich University of the Arts.

For further information on how to apply for the Heathfield Accommodation Bursary, please contact international@norwichuni.ac.uk.

Scholarships 

We have a range of scholarships available for those with different skills, abilities, and backgrounds. Scholarships are non-repayable in most cases; however, they are competitive due to limited availability.

The Norwich University of the Arts Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund

The Chancellor’s Scholarship supports students of Black or Mixed Black heritage who demonstrate talent and potential in a creative discipline and wish to study at Norwich University of the Arts.

The University’s community is innovative and distinctive but needs to be more diverse, like the industries it supports.

To encourage talented students from diverse backgrounds to study at Norwich, with the support of our Chancellor, film director Amma Asante MBE, we have set up the Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund.

Financial concerns are one of the primary barriers to Black people progressing into Higher Education. The Chancellor’s Scholarship Fund empowers students to continue their education and gives them the freedom to access resources and support they might not otherwise have.

The Scholarship of £9,250 a year for three years of study was first awarded in 2021. It is granted as nine termly payments and can be used to cover tuition fees, accommodation, living costs and course materials.

Chancellor’s Scholarship 2025

After the UCAS deadline of 29 January 2025, all students will be emailed and invited to apply for the scholarship.

You will need to complete a Declaration Form which outlines the scholarships terms and conditions, along with uploading a statement of up to 300 words addressing why you would like to study at Norwich University of the Arts and how the scholarship would support you to do so.

Applicants must be of Black or mixed Black heritage, domiciled in the UK, have a combined household income of £50,778 or less and hold an offer to study an undergraduate degree at Norwich University of the Arts.

The deadline for your completed form and statement is midday on Friday 4 April 2025.

You will receive a link to the form in your email, but you can also access the Declaration form and add your 300 word statement here from 29 January 2025.

If you have any queries regarding the Chancellor’s Scholarship, please email awards@norwichuni.ac.uk.

Dubery & Brogden Scholarships

The Dubery and Brogden scholarships are presented by East Anglia Art Fund (EAAF), awarding £2500 to undergraduate and postgraduate students on the following courses: Fine Art, Illustration, Textile Design and Fashion.

The Dubery and Brogden scholarships were established in 2016 following a substantial bequest to EAAF from the Estate of artists Fred Dubery and Joanne Brogden.

These scholarships acknowledge emerging talent and respond to financial needs, providing significant support for Norwich University of the Arts students throughout their degrees. Scholars are presented with membership of EAAF, providing networking opportunities and peer support.

Eligibility

• Undergraduate Scholarship – Open to year 1 students studying Fine Art, Fashion, Textile Design, and Illustration. Students will be emailed and invited to apply in September of their starting year. To be eligible for the scholarship you must have a combined household income of £50,778 or less.
• Postgraduate Scholarship – Open to part-time and full-time postgraduate taught students studying MA Fine Art, MA Textile Design and MA Fashion. Students will emailed and invited to apply in October of their starting year, with a statement of up to 400 words, outlining your practice, the reasons why you chose to study at Norwich University of the Arts and how the scholarship money will assist/enhance your practice and/or your future career ambitions. Along with this we will request three recent images of your work.

All students will be shortlisted in October and the scholarships presented in November. If you have any queries regarding the information above, please email awards@norwichuni.ac.uk.

BAFTA Scholarships

BAFTA Scholarships are available for BA Games Art and Design and MA Film applicants.

The BAFTA Scholarship Programme aims to assist talented students in need of financial support. Applications for 2025 are expected to open in Spring 2025.

Recipients receive up to £12,000 to cover their annual course fees (up to a maximum of £20,000 across 2 years), an industry mentor, and free access to BAFTA events around the UK. BAFTA will make a contribution towards living expenses for undergraduate courses, but if the course is three or four years long, only those going into their 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of study are eligible to apply.

You can access further information and to register your interest apply through Bafta.org.