Higher Education Bursary Scheme
Mayflower Higher Education Bursary Scheme has been designed to support individuals in the local community who want to progress in a career within the arts; whether that is as a performer, a technician or an arts administrator.
Mayflower recognises, particularly in the current climate, how key it is to support young people with this and looks forward to being able to give back to the community through this scheme. The Higher Education Bursary Scheme is open to individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 who reside in Hampshire. Support is prioritsed to those who are either attending a course or audition run by a member of the Federation of Drama Schools (FDS) or Council for Dance, Drama & Musical Theatre (CDMT); experiencing financial or other hardship or who demonstrate outstanding commitment and achievement in their art form.
Awards on offer
Higher Education Tuition Fee Grant
This consists of an award of up to £3,000 to pay part of tuition fees to an educational institution. It is open for application from August to October for those who have achieved a place to study at a recognised higher education institution.
Who is eligible?
To qualify for a Higher Education Tuition Fee Grant you must:
- Be aged 18-25 years old
- Live in Hampshire (as your home address)
- Be from a lower income household
- Have been offered a place at a higher education institution or be currently studying a creative subject at higher education
Support Grants
This consists of a grant of up to £500 to support ongoing costs of study including equipment, books etc., or to support audition fees and/or associated travel costs, or to support short courses in the arts. It is open for application throughout the year and is assessed monthly.
Who is eligible?
To qualify for a Support Grant, you must:
- Be aged 16-25 years old
- Live in Hampshire (as your home address)
- Be from a lower income household
What courses are supported?
Although we do support some university courses, we prioritise those attending a course run by a member of The Federation of Drama Schools or The Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre. You can apply for any year of your study. Please find list of the Drama & Dance schools here:
Levels of support
Higher Education Tuition Fee Grant:
Up to £3,000 for an accredited training course with the minimum course length of one year. Please note, we do not support Foundation courses.
The maximum amount of our Tuition Fee Grant is £3,000. However, in addition we can also offer one of the awards below at our discretion:
- The Edward, Lord Montagu Award for a maximum of £9,000
- The Isobel Gatward Award for a maximum of £6,000
- The Off Stage Award for a maximum of £6,000
- The Malcolm Le Bas Award for a maximum of £6,000
Awards are made directly to the education provider to cover the cost of student fees.
Support Grants:
Up to £500 to:
- purchase equipment and books required for study
- attend a short arts specific training course/workshop of no more than one week’s length
- to support audition fees and/or travel expenses for application to higher education courses. An invoice with receipts is required
How to apply
Apply for Higher Education Tuition Fee Grant
Applications for our Higher Education Tuition Fee Grant are currently open for the 24/25 academic year and will close on 25 October 2024.
Applications for our Support Grant are open throughout the year and assessed at the end of each calendar month starting from September 2024.
Please note you can only receive a grant once. However, you can apply for a Higher Education Tuition Fee Grant if you have received a Support Grant.