Funding
There are a number of funding and financial support options available to students on our MA Filmmaking, MA Screenwriting, MA Film Producing or MA Film Marketing programmes.
Funding for UK Students
UK or Home status students who are due to start their studies at LFS might want to consider applying for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan.
This is a loan for up to £13,206 and is at the student’s discretion to use the loan towards fees, maintenance costs or other costs. The loans are non-means tested and paid directly to the student. The maximum loan amount available will be divided equally into three payments across each year of the course. If your course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of your course. Whether or not a student qualifies depends on:
- The course
- The student’s age
- The student’s nationality or residency status
LFS wants to help access and widening participation for UK domiciled students so that they can participate and benefit from the School’s culture and prepare for a career in the film industry.
London Film School has up to five £5,000 bursaries available for home applicants who enrol on our MA Film Marketing course, commencing in Sept 2026.
The criteria:
- You must have the right to reside in the UK and be assessed as a home fee status student.
- You must apply for the course and the Bursary and then subsequently receive an offer and enrol on the MA Film Marketing course to start in September 2026.
- The bursaries will be awarded based on merit of application and financial need.
Complete all relevant sections of the application and enclose any relevant supporting documentation as incomplete applications will not be considered and it is your responsibility to ensure that we have received all the relevant information .
What is the amount?
The bursary is £5,000 per student and awarded in the Spring Term 2027 towards the MA Film Marketing course tuition fees. This means that your tuition fees will be reduced.
MA Film Marketing Tuition Fees are £14,941 and the bursary of £5,000 will reduce fees to £9,941.
The Government Masters Loan is £13,206.
How do I apply?
You will need to apply to the MA Film Marketing course using our applicant portal.
- Complete all relevant sections of the application and enclose any relevant supporting documentation as incomplete applications will not be considered and it is your responsibility to ensure that we have received all the relevant information.
- We will confirm receipt of the application. Please contact us immediately if you have not received confirmation of receipt.
If you have any questions, please contact us at admissions@lfs.org.uk.
The Leverhulme Trust has awarded London Film School funding for 8 scholarships for the September 2026 intake
6 for MA Filmmaking and 2 for MA Screenwriting. Each scholarship provides £10,000 towards tuition or living costs, awarded in spring 2027. Applicants must:
- Have applied for MA Filmmaking or MA Screenwriting for September 2026 (deferrals not eligible)
- Hold UK residency and home-fee status
- Demonstrate financial need
- Show ability to support themselves during the course
The scholarships support talented UK-based applicants who exceed expectations in at least two selection criteria and contribute to widening participation at LFS. Scholarships are awarded based on:
- Meeting entry requirements and holding an unconditional offer
- Financial need
- Commitment to LFS student life and future contribution to the UK screen industries
- Agreement to update LFS on industry activity for 24 months post-graduation
Applications open 20 January 2026 via the applicant portal. Deadline for applications is 31 May 2026. Complete all sections and submit all required documents; incomplete applications will not be considered. Only 8 scholarships are available and competition is high. Unsuccessful applicants who receive an unconditional offer will be required to pay full tuition fees. You will receive confirmation once your application is submitted; contact us if you do not.
Postgrad Solutions Postgrad Solutions offers Postgraduate students from any country the opportunity to get a bursary for £2000.
Film and TV Charity Stop-Gap Grants of up to £750 for anyone in immediate financial need and financial guidance and resources. The charity also offers its Sir Horace Ové Grant to help Black and Global Majority people working behind the scenes in film.
Funds for Women Graduates Various grants to help women graduates with their living expenses while registered for Postgraduate study.
Th Gilchrist Education Considers applications from Postgraduate students who have made proper financial provision to fund their studies but find themselves facing unexpected financial difficulties.
The Yorkshire Ladies Council of Education For women from Leeds, Yorkshire and the North East of England requiring funding for a university course.
The Richard Stapley Trust The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust supports the work of students of proven academic achievement, and in financial need, who are pursuing certain postgraduate qualifications.
Funding for International Students
US Federal Student Aid
London Film School is eligible to participate in the William D. Ford Direct Student Loan Program authorised by US Education Department. Applicants must meet the criteria set by the US Department of Education on the Federal Student Aid website to be eligible for US federal loans.
Eligibility: In addition to the criteria specified on the Federal Student Aid website, students must also:
- Be studying on an eligible, degree-bearing course. A LFS these include:
- Remain a full-time enrolled student in good academic standing for the course
- Make satisfactory academic progress during your course
- Notify LFS if they withdraw from their course
- Meet all remaining financial obligations in a timely manner
- Confirm whether they are in receipt of any other financial assistance or US loan other than the ones declared in the Cost of Attendance
- Notify the school of any changes to any financial assistance while studying at LFS.
Satisfactory academic progress (SAP): The school’s SAP policy applies to all students taking federal loans at the London Film School, specifically Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS loans. Full details of the SAP process, and the procedures to be followed if a student fails to meet SAP requirements, are outlined in the SAP policy – see our Consumer Information and Policies.
Loan amounts: There are two types of federal loans available to eligible U.S. students studying at LFS.
- Unsubsidized Loan: A loan for which the borrower is fully responsible for paying the interest regardless of the loan status. Interest on unsubsidized loans accrues from the date of disbursement and continues throughout the life of the loan. Eligible students can borrow up to $20,500 each year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
- Direct PLUS Loan: A loan made by the U.S. Department of Education to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students. The borrower is fully responsible for paying the interest regardless of the loan status. A Direct PLUS Loan can be used to cover the remainder of your Cost of Attendance not covered by other financial aid. Note: a credit check is required for a PLUS loan.
Disbursements: Student loan amounts are per year. The loan, however, is divided into equal disbursements and normally paid over three (3) terms for students starting in September, two (2) for students starting in January and one (1) for students starting in April/May. Students with less than three terms left in an academic year, will have the loan amount divided into equal disbursements for the remainder of their studies (one per remaining term).
Any amounts owed by the student are deducted from the disbursement as per the offer letter. The credit balance, if any, is paid into the student’s bank account within 14 days of the disbursement date.
Please note: the Department of Education charges an origination fee which is deducted from each disbursement.
Exchange rate: We regularly review and, if appropriate update, the exchange rate we use to convert the CoA from GBP (£) to USD ($). The exchange rate used already allows for some currency fluctuations. You will find the exchange rate applied to your CoA on the spreadsheet. Exact disbursement amounts in GBP are not known to us until the funds have reached our bank account and we will inform you of the GBP amount you’re entitled to as soon as possible.
How to apply: There are several steps involved in applying for federal loans. In addition to the information provided on our website, please also read the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education on the Federal Student Aid website.
- FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid: Before we can start processing your loan, we will need you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). As you complete your FAFSA, we encourage you to include London Film School as one of the schools you wish to receive your FAFSA information. Our federal school code is G10574.
- Direct PLUS Loan Application: In order for us to process your Direct PLUS Loan (if you decide to request one), we suggest that you complete a Direct PLUS Loan Application here. This will provide you with all the information you need and guide you through the relevant steps, including credit check, entrance counselling and MPN requirements.
Complete your loan agreement (MPN) for each loan type: Please complete your loan agreement (MPNs) on StudentLoans.gov. As we are a foreign school to the US, new MPNs must be completed every year of study you apply for a federal loan at LFS. You must complete an MPN for each type of loan you are taking
- Graduates: complete up to two MPNs – one for the unsubsidized loan and one for the Grad PLUS loan.
Complete annual student loan acknowledgement: Complete the Annual FSA Student Loan Acknowledgement module in order to help you understand your loans and how they affect your financial future. If this is your first time accepting a federal student loan, you are acknowledging that you understand your responsibility to repay your loan. If you have existing federal student loans, you are acknowledging that you understand how much you owe and how much more you are eligible to borrow.
Complete entrance counselling: An applicant must complete entrance counselling for each loan type they are taking. Please complete the entrance counselling using the StudentLoans.gov link.
Documentation: As we process your loan, we will need a number of documents from you. Some of those we’ll be able to obtain ourselves, others we’ll need you to send to us. We will write to you as and when we need documents from you. To give you an idea of the types of documents needed to process your loan, we’ve included a non-exhaustive list below. The list includes both documents we may need you to provide and documents we obtain ourselves directly from the U.S.
- A scan of your passport to confirm eligibility
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)/Student Aid Report (SAR)
- Master Promissory Note(s)
- Credit check (Direct PLUS loans only)
- Evidence of completed Entrance Counselling (new students only)
- Evidence of completed Financial Awareness Counselling (continuing students only)
- Completed Cost of Attendance spreadsheet
- Signed financial aid offer letter. Once your loan has been successfully processed, we will send you all the details, including the letter required for your Student Route Visa via email.
Please note we will not issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) required for the Student Route Visa application until we have sent the Loan Notification Letter or Visa Letter.
Cost of Attendance (CoA) is the total yearly cost of studying at LFS. It reflects a typical student budget and can only cover your own study-related expenses (unless you have dependents). You may borrow less than the CoA, but not more unless you have approved special circumstances. Financial aid is available only while studying at least half-time.
Loan period: Monday 15 September 2025 – Friday 24 July 2026. Students enrolling for only part of the academic year will have a reduced Cost of Attendance, calculated in proportion to the duration of enrolment. Please note that financial assistance is only available while you’re at least studying half-time, i.e. not during the summer holidays.
Course cost – Tuition fees: Tuition fees are set in line with the LFS Tuition Fees Policy and published on the LFS website. The cost of the course has been sent to you in your offer letter.
Important external links: FAFSA; Federal Student Aid
Changes to the loan
Decrease your loan: Email the US Loans team with the new total gross USD amount you want to borrow for the current academic year. Reductions apply to remaining disbursements only and cannot go below amounts already released.
Cancel your loan: Before each disbursement, we’ll email you the deadline to cancel or return funds. Notify us by that deadline. If payment has already been requested, you may be responsible for fees or bank charges.
Changes that may affect your loan: Contact us immediately if any of the following occur or may occur:
- New funding (scholarships/grants): your Cost of Attendance (COA) will be adjusted, which may reduce eligible borrowing.
- Course change: eligibility and COA will be reassessed.
- Mode of study change (full-time/part-time): eligibility and COA will be reassessed.
- Change in enrolment status: contact us before making changes so we can prevent unwanted disbursements. We may need to complete a Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation, which can require returning unearned funds.
- Returning from deferment: submit a new loan application for the year you resume studies.
Exit counselling: Mandatory when you graduate, leave the institution, or drop below half-time enrolment. It provides essential information for repaying federal student loans.
Consumer Information and Policies
The US government required us to disclose consumer advice and related policies.
US Federal Student Aid polices:
Additional LFS School policies are published here.
| Cost of Attendance | Amount (in GBP) |
|---|---|
|
Tuition and Fees |
Check your offer letter |
|
Room |
£ 371.00 per week |
|
Board |
£ 124.00 per week |
|
Books and Study Supplies |
£ 37.00 per week |
|
Transportation |
£ 48.00 per week |
|
Personal |
£ 124.00 per week |
|
2 Return Flights |
£ 1,977.00 (one-off, single cost) |
|
Visa Application and Associated Fees for MA Filmmaking only |
£ 2,076.00 (one-off, single cost; new students only) |
|
Visa Application and Associated Fees for MA Screenwriting, MA Film Marketing or MA Film Producing only |
£ 1,300.00 (one-off, single cost; new students only) |
|
Personal computer: this can only be included once for the entire course. |
Up to £800 |
|
Origination fees: you may be able to include the origination fees required to receive the loan |
N/A |
The school is able to process applications for US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding (also known as the GI Bill or Post 9/11 Bill) and can complete and submit certificates of enrolment to the VA. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Education Service provides benefits and resources to help US service members, Veterans and their eligible dependents pay for their education.
If you are eligible for VA educational assistance, you may be able to use your Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) or Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance (Chapter 35) benefits at the London Film School.
Our facility number: 34-0002-74.
As a foreign school, there are some important exceptions to the use of your benefits at the London Film School:
- The specific course that you’ll be studying will need to be approved by VA.
- VA education benefits cannot be used for distance or online learning courses.
- VA education benefits cannot be used for student exchange programmes.
- VA education benefits cannot be used for any course that includes study abroad.
- Courses which require completion of practical training are not approved for the use of VA education benefits, this includes work placement years.
- The London Film School cannot process the Yellow Ribbon Benefits Program.
How to contact us us-loans@lfs.org.uk
Who is eligible for VA education funding?
To find out your eligibility, visit the VA website directly as London Film School is unable to assess your eligibility for this funding.
It is important that you contact the London Film School as soon as your Certificate of Eligibility letter is sent out, as the VA will not inform London Film School. In addition, to receive VA funding for studying overseas, the course you are applying for needs to be approved by the VA.
Please check that the course is approved by the VA as new course approval applications currently taking around 6 months to approve.
Please note that if studying a degree that lasts multiple years, you’ll need to confirm prior to each year of study that you want to continue using your VA benefit entitlement.
Once you have received an offer to study from the London Film School, you should notify us of your intention to use your VA benefits at the London Film School, at the earliest opportunity.
How to use your VA benefits at the London Film School?
- Step 1: Check your own eligibility for VA funding.
- Step 2: Submit your application on the VA website. If your application is approved, the VA will send you a Certificate of Eligibility letter.
- Step 3: Submit to us your certificate and information relating to your VA benefits.
It is important that you contact us as soon as your Certificate of Eligibility letter is sent out, as the VA will not inform the London Film School that you have applied for your VA benefits.
Please note that if studying a degree that lasts multiple years, you’ll need to confirm prior to each year of study that you want to continue using your VA benefit entitlement.
How will funds be received?
The VA can only pay your personal maintenance benefits into a US bank account. It will be your responsibility to transfer them to a UK bank account so that you can access them while at the London Film School.
If you receive financial support for tuition, your tuition payments will be made directly to the London Film School by the VA. They will convert the GBP amount into USD using the Federal Reserve foreign exchange conversion rate effective on July 1 prior to the beginning of the enrolment period.
When will funds be received?
Once your attendance at the London Film School has been confirmed at the start of the academic year, we will submit an enrolment certificate to the VA.
The VA does not provide a timeframe of when students will receive their funding once the enrolment certificate has been submitted. Due to data protection laws, the VA will never share your funding details with the London Film School. As such, we will not be able to assist if you have specific queries about your funding.
If you do have any questions about the payment of your benefits, you will need to contact the VA directly.
As we cannot guarantee that your tuition fees will be covered in part or in whole by the VA, you must have sufficient funds to cover any shortfall between the funding you receive and the tuition fees you are expected to pay.
You will also need to have sufficient funds to cover the cost of your tuition fees and living expenses in the UK to apply for a student visa with UK Visas and Immigration. Your VA funding will not be accepted as proof that you can financially support yourself during your time in the UK.
How much funding could you receive?
The GI Bill Comparison Tool can help you estimate how much you could receive. To find out exactly what you are entitled to, please contact the VA directly.
Chapter 33 benefits may include financial support for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and housing.
Chapter 35 benefits are a monthly payment made direct to the dependent (spouse or child) of a US Veteran. They do not cover tuition fees.
Chevening Scholarships: UK government scholarships for postgraduate study. Applications open Aug–Oct; results by June. LFS can support a maximum of one Chevening Scholarship per academic year.
The Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The programme makes awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study postgraduate courses at universities in the UK.
Funding in Africa
Funding in the Americas
Funding in Asia
Said Scholarships Foundation Full scholarships (including living costs) for students from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, or Palestine. Applications open in September.
The Israel Leadership Foundation Provides individual scholarships of up to $10000 to the next generation of leaders.
SG Digital scholarships For postgraduate students only from Singapore.
Funding in Australia
Funding in Europe
Student Finance England Tuition support for eligible EU students and some EEA/Turkish worker dependants.
Denmark - SU Grants and Loans Support for Danish students’ living costs, including study abroad (up to 4 years).
Entente Cordiale Scholarships Up to £10,000 for French postgraduate students studying in the UK.
Lånekassen (Norway) Financial support and guarantees for Norwegian students studying abroad.
Swedish Student Aid Grants and loans to cover tuition, living and study costs for Swedish students studying in the UK.
Additional advice
Many countries offer their own scholarships for study abroad. Check with your home government, embassy, or the British Council for available programmes. Note that some scholarship deadlines may fall before LFS completes its selection process – ask whether you may apply in principle.
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