Undergraduate Scholarships & Bursaries

Audition fees are no longer charged for any Undergraduate or Postgraduate course at Leeds Conservatoire to make our courses accessible to as many applicants as possible.

We provide financial assistance to applicants from the following backgrounds:

• lower income households (income less than £25,000)
• underrepresented Ethnically Diverse or Minoritized Communities

This is to ensure that no one is deterred from attending an audition or interview at the conservatoire due to their background or cost.

Apply for an Audition Travel Refund here.

An accommodation start up grant worth £150 for essential items is available to applicants starting their course in September 2025, who have been receiving benefits, are care leavers, or are estranged from their family.

Applications for September 2026 entrants will open in July 2026.

The conservatoire will provide a cash bursary for lower income Home (UK) undergraduate students who commence their first year of study in 2025, as follows:

The information about the household income is obtained from the financial assessment which is undertaken in order to receive the income-assessed part of the maintenance loan, so you must have applied for income-assessed Student Finance in order to be eligible. The bursary will be paid in 2 instalments, 50% in November, 50% in March.

How do I apply for the bursary?
You do not need to apply for the bursary – we will calculate your entitlement automatically. Leeds Conservatoire reserves the right to review and change bursary provision.

Generous support from Duncan Abrahart, a Leeds Conservatoire graduate and previous Student's Union president have made it possible to offer two annual scholarships of £1,500 to deserving undergraduate students. These scholarships are:

• Award amount: One scholarship of £1,500, paid in year 1 of study.
• Eligibility: Open to first-year Home (UK) students enrolled in any programme who play a wind, brass, or percussion instrument, with a special focus on rarer instruments.
• Requirements: Recipients must participate in the Leeds Conservatoire Wind Orchestra project or a local Yorkshire community wind band.
• Selection criteria: Candidates are chosen based on their instrument, potential demonstrated during audition/interview, and financial need i.e. from low income households.
• Selection process: Candidates are identified during the audition/interview stage

• Award amount: Scholarship of £1,500 for one year in year 2 or 3.
• Eligibility: Open to second or third-year Home (UK) students studying Classical composition.
• Requirements: Scholars are encouraged to compose a piece for a wind ensemble as part of their assessed composition.
• Selection criteria: Selection is based on the quality of submitted works, potential, and financial need, i.e. from low income households.
• Selection process: Eligible students are nominated by composition tutors based on their first or second-year compositions.

Alan Hawkshaw was a successful composer of television and film scores. The Alan Hawkshaw Foundation has been established to put investment back into the industry by supporting gifted musicians and provide young musicians with opportunities they would otherwise not have access to.

• Award amount: 2 scholarships of £1,500 each, per year of study are awarded to support gifted students on the conservatoire’s Classical undergraduate programme.
• Eligibility: Open to gifted UK BA (Hons) Music (Classical) students.
• Selection criteria: The award is open to all instruments, however selection may be partially on the basis of instruments in short supply so we especially welcome applications from instruments such as (but not exclusively): Trombone, tuba, bassoon, French horn, oboe, double bass, Violin and Viola, although this may vary each year. Priority will be given to those from the lowest income households.
• Selection process: Candidates will be selected based on musical, academic ability and potential identified at audition stage and interview.

Awards are subject to the provision and conditions of funding from the Alan Hawkshaw Foundation and may change.

Generous support from the Leverhulme Trust has enabled us to provide 4 scholarships for exceptional UK students. The following scholarships are available:

• BA (Hons) Jazz - one scholarship of £10,000 per year of study
• BA (Hons) Music Production - two scholarships of £5,000 per year of study
• BA (Hons) Folk, Roots & Blues - one scholarship of £5,000 per year of study

Recipients must be eligible for home rate of fees. Scholarship recipients are selected based on musical and academic ability, as well as potential demonstrated during the audition and interview process. Selection takes place at the audition stage. For the Music Production scholarship, priority is given to female applicants, who are currently underrepresented in this area.

Reuben Vincent was an accomplished jazz trombonist who played professionally. He qualified as a physiotherapist, later entering into sales and marketing with medical companies before founding his own manufacturing company in 1974.

His wife, Carole, wishes him to be remembered for his enduring love of jazz, his great sense of humour and powerful personality, as well as being a highly successful businessman, with this scholarship. As such, she has endowed the conservatoire with the Reuben Vincent Trombone Scholarship.

• Award amount: 2 scholarships of £2,500 each during year 1 of study, to either purchase a new instrument, or to support them financially throughout their studies.
• Eligibility: Open to gifted UK Leeds Conservatoire trombone player, in year 1 of study.
• Selection process: Candidates will be selected  based on potential identified at audition and interview for trombone principal applicants.

Awards are subject to the provision and conditions of funding from Medasil and may change.

• Up to £2,000 per year - number of scholarships awarded depends on demand each year
• Sing with an outstanding choir
• Free singing lessons and opportunities this year including Radio 3 and Radio 4 broadcasts, partnerships with The Sixteen, Gabrieli, University of Texas El Paso and the possibility to gain experience in an internationally-acclaimed Schools Singing Programme.

How do I apply?

The bursary is awarded by application and audition during the winter term. Information will be sent out via student channels and tutors ahead of time.

• 3x £1000 bursaries for the year (£450 in Autumn and Spring terms with an optional £100 extension into summer term)
• Two terms membership of the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir, based in Wakefield
• Attend a 2-hour professionally led rehearsal every Tuesday evening in Wakefield
• Sing in 3 choral concerts (with an optional 4th) with the choir and professional musicians in Wakefield Cathedral.

How do I apply?

The bursary is awarded by application and audition, normally in March/April. Information will be sent out via student channels and tutors ahead of time.

• Minimum £1,500 per year with the possibility of receiving over £2,000. The number of scholarships awarded depends on demand each year
• Sing with an outstanding choir
• Sing Choral Evensong on Thursdays and Sundays during term-time, and for the Sunday Choral Eucharist.

How do I apply?

The bursary is awarded by application and audition during the winter term. Information will be sent out via student channels and tutors ahead of time.

Leeds Conservatoire offers a limited number of instrumental and composition bursaries across the disciplines of Classical, Jazz, Pop, Folk, and Songwriting.
 
It is also available to Voice students and Production students if they play an instrument and wish to pursue a second study in one of the other areas.
 
The bursary can be applied for once the student has enrolled and is available throughout all the academic years they are here. If successful, the student is provided with eighteen 30-minute one-to-one lessons with a Conservatoire tutor during the academic year in which they are awarded.
 
If a student wishes to continue with the lessons in the following academic year, they will need to reapply, but they are not guaranteed it if they received it one year.
 
Please note the bursary is not currently open; however, students will receive communications about when the bursary opens and closes. Unfortunately, we can't accept any late applications.

There are many charities and trusts that give additional funding to students in various circumstances.   

The Scholarship Hub and the charity turn2us have search engines on their websites with some great tips so start looking early to ensure you can apply in good time. You can also find some ideas and tips on the Save the Student website.

National Youth Arts Trust offer music, dance and drama bursaries of up to £1,000 each for UK students who receive Pupil Premium and/or Free School Meals, or whose household receive state benefits.

Snowdon Trust provide grants and scholarships to students who have a disability.