Scholarships
The NFTS awards more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK.
We are committed to ensuring it is open to students of genuine ability, no matter what their background or financial circumstances.
And, as an institution that develops the next generation of creative talent, we feel a special responsibility to ensure our creative industries reflect the full diversity of our country.
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Eligibility
Candidates must have been permanently resident in the UK for the last three years and hold a British passport in order to be eligible.
Applying for a Scholarship
When you are offered a place on an MA course, and if you are eligible, you will be invited to apply for these scholarships. We will also provide advice about other potential sources of funding.
You cannot apply for or request a specific donor when applying to the fund, however, If you match the criteria for a specific donor, you will be contacted.
Scholarships can provide some (and in certain cases, all) of tuition fee support. They are provided by a named individual or institution that has some connection with the Industry and School. They may have an interest in mentoring you. These awards carry considerable prestige.
Awards to UK MA students for the academic year commencing January 2023 have ranged from £1,000 to £10,000, depending on demonstrated individual need.
About our Scholarships
The NFTS Scholarship programme is made up of a multitude of donors and patrons. We are grateful for the generous assistance of its scholarship donors, such as BFI and BBC, who between them provide more than £400,000 of support for students to help with their fees. Both BFI and BBC monies are targeted at students from diverse backgrounds including those from the regions, nations and from ethnically diverse communities.
You can find out more about our BBC Scholarships and the courses supported and our partnership with the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.
The School also receives significant scholarship funding from a range of trusts and grant-giving organisations, such as the Leverhulme Trust who provide £150,000 in support to NFTS students.
Toledo Productions supports diverse new British voices and talent. The Toledo Scholarship was established in 2005 by one of the world’s most successful producers and NFTS governor Duncan Kenworthy (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) to enable talented newcomers from underrepresented backgrounds in the UK to fast-track their ambitions and join the British film industry. Since its inception, over 30 scholars have benefitted from £300,000 of funding including writer/director Shola Amoo (The Last Tree) and producer Kurban Kassam (Ginger and Rosa). More information is available on our Toledo Scholarship page, where you can see how it has helped British Black and Ethnic Minority students successfully train at the NFTS.
In 2022, we announced our new Black British Woman Cinematographer Scholarship Award, in partnership with Netflix, with the first recipient joining the NFTS Cinematography MA in January 2023. For scholarship recipients, Netflix will entirely fund the two year NFTS Cinematography MA in addition to supporting annual living expenses. If you are offered a place on the Cinematography MA and are eligible, you will be invited to apply for the scholarship.
As part of their commitment to local communities, Pinewood and Shepperton Studios offers scholarships to those living in the local area to Pinewood Studios, UK (within a 5-mile radius) and the Borough of Spelthorne, local to Shepperton Studios, UK.
For more information visit: pinewoodgroup.com/pinewood-today/futures-nfts
More than £100,000 is available to support students from the UK on the courses listed below. UK students, subject to meeting eligibility requirements, are invited to apply for scholarship funding once they have been offered a place. The applications are then means-tested to ensure the funding is allocated on the basis of need. UK Candidates who are offered a place on a diploma course will be invited to apply for any diploma specific scholarships that are available.
Candidates must have been permanently resident in the UK for the last three years and hold a British passport in order to be eligible.
Please go ahead and apply for the course of your choice, if you’re successful at gaining a place, you will be contacted by our funding team with details on how to apply for a scholarship.
Apply now
- Assistant Camera (Focus Pulling and Loading)
- Assistant Directing and Floor Managing
- Cameras for Television Production
- Location Sound Recording for Film and Television
- Model Making for Animation
- Motion Graphics and Titles
- Production Accounting
- Production Management for Film and Television
- Script Development
- Sound for Television Production
- Sports Production
- Vision Mixing for Television Production
- Writing and Producing Comedy
BAFTA UK Scholarship Programme
If you are applying to a number of NFTS MA and Diploma courses, you can apply for the BAFTA UK scholarship programme. It is open to British citizens in need of financial assistance to take a post-graduate course in the UK. You can apply to BAFTA before you are offered an NFTS place.
Each BAFTA Scholar receives up to £12,000 towards their annual course fees, as well as mentoring support from a BAFTA member, and free access to BAFTA events around the UK.
Find eligible courses and apply online on BAFTA's website.
Applications are now closed for 2023/24. The deadline was 23 May 2023. They will re-open early in 2024.
The Snowdon Trust Master's Scholarship
The Snowdon Trust Master's Scholarship has been designed to identify and accelerate exceptional Disabled Students through their higher education, creating the influences of the future.
The award will provide up to £30,000 for exceptional Disabled Students applying to study a master’s degree. We are investing in the influencers of the future. This consists of up to £15,000 towards course fees and a maintenance allowance of £15,000 for the duration of your course.
The eligibility requirements are as follows:
· You are applying for master’s level study at a UK institution
· Your course will start in 2023/24
· You are eligible to study in the UK
· You identify as Disabled. Please note that if you identify as experiencing a mental health condition, challenge or disorder (e.g. anxiety or depression) you can only apply if you also identify as living with one or more other disabilities.
For more information and to apply, visit the website: www.snowdontrust.org
Regional Screen Agencies
Some of the remaining UK Regional Screen Agencies offer scholarships to students from within their region. Some are arranged through the School as NFTS Scholarships, while others must be applied for direct, in competition with students at other institutions. Please contact the Registry, or your local Regional Screen Agency, for more information.
Pinewood and Shepperton Studios
As part of their commitment to local communities, Pinewood and Shepperton Studios offers scholarships to those living in the local area to Pinewood Studios, UK (within a 5-mile radius) and the Borough of Spelthorne, local to Shepperton Studios, UK.
For more information visit: pinewoodgroup.com/pinewood-today/futures-nfts
All3Media
Andy Harries
BAFTA
BBC
Beaconsfield Film Society
Betty Willingale Scholarship
British Film Institute
British Society of Cinematographers Scholarship
Carol Wiseman Scholarship
Chelsea Arts Club Trust
Columbia TriStar
Creative Scotland
Curtis Brown
The David Lean Foundation
David Yates
De Mouilpied Charity Trust
Des Hamilton Casting
Devoniaroad
Discovery Networks International
Elisabeth Murdoch
Freddie Francis, BSC Scholarship
Freddie Young, OBE, BSC Scholarship
Hamilton Hodell Ltd
IMG
Ink Factory
James Walker Legacy
John Sargent Scholarship
Sir John Terry Memorial Fund
Kodak Entertainment Imaging
The Lesley Land Scholarship
The Leverhulme Trust
The Lew Grade Foundation
The Louis Malle Scholarship
Mark Baker
Mark Farley
Mike Frankovic/Columbia TriStar Scholarship
Musicians Union
NEOM
Netflix
New Name Entertainment
Nik Powell Scholarship
Northern Ireland Screen
Pinewood and Shepperton Studios
The PRS for Music Foundation
Richard Dunn Scholarship
Royal Mail Special Stamps
Sargent Disc
ScreenSkills
Spotlight
Sue Bruce Smith Scholarship
Toledo Productions
United Agents
UK Cinema Association
Warner Bros.