Financial support for students in the creative and humanities fields exists — and in some cases covers a significant part of the costs. Here is a specific picture by major countries and universities.
- University of the Arts London, UAL (UK)
For the 2026/2027 academic year, UAL offers up to 288 scholarships for international master’s students. Each scholarship covers £10,000 of the tuition fees. A separate scholarship for international students of preparatory programs is £7,000. You can apply after receiving an offer to study. The deadline for the first round is March 27, 2026, and the deadline for the second round is June 26, 2026.
- The Royal College of Art, RCA (United Kingdom)
The tuition fee for international students ranges from £33,500 to £41,000 per year. For the 2025/2026 academic year, the RCA has announced over 300 scholarships. Scholarships are awarded in two areas: academic merit (automatically when applying for MA, MFA, MDes programs) and financial need or underrepresented groups. The President and Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship for International Students provides £9,000 towards tuition fees. The Rose Finn-Kelcey Bursary offers £7,050 for international master’s students with financial need. There are also GREAT Scholarships in partnership with the British Council, which offer £10,000 scholarships for students from selected countries.
- Goldsmiths College, University of London (UK)
Known for its programs in contemporary art, media studies, and cultural studies. It offers over 35 international scholarships annually for undergraduate and graduate students. These scholarships are available to students from various countries, including refugees and asylum seekers. The exact amounts vary depending on the program and the year of admission.
- DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service (Germany)
DAAD is one of the largest scholarship organizations in the world: annually supports more than 100,000 students, since its founding in 1925, about 3 million people have received funding. Programs cover the humanities, arts, social sciences and natural sciences.
The amount of scholarships for 2025/2026: the monthly payment for master’s students is 992 euros, and for doctoral students it is 1,300 euros (from February 2026, it is 1,400 euros). In addition to the monthly payment, the scholarship covers medical, accident, and liability insurance, as well as transportation costs. The DAAD competition is around 10-15% of the number of applications. Deadlines for most programs are October–December for next year’s studies.
- Public universities in Germany
Studying at public universities in Germany on most humanities programs is free or costs a symbolic administrative fee – usually 200–400 euros per semester. This applies to international students as well. Exceptions are paid master programs in individual states and private universities.
- The Chevening Programme (UK)
A UK government state scholarship programme for future leaders. Covers the full cost of tuition, accommodation, flights, and other expenses for one year of master’s studies. Open to students from most countries around the world, including humanities and creative fields at the Royal College of Art and other British universities. The competition is high, and leadership potential, academic achievements, and a clear career goal are important.
General principles of funding in the field of arts and humanities:
Scholarships for creative programs are often evaluated based on a portfolio and artistic potential, rather than just on the GPA.
Public universities in Germany and several other European countries offer tuition-free education, providing a viable alternative to expensive private academies.
It is advisable to apply for a scholarship simultaneously with the admission application or immediately after receiving an offer, as most programs have specific deadlines.
In addition to university scholarships, it is worth exploring external programs such as the DAAD, Chevening, GREAT Scholarships, and national foundations in the host country.
At SelfStartGlobal, we assist students in finding the right scholarship opportunities based on their specific profile and helping them develop a successful application strategy. In total, our students have already saved more than $25 million.
