Music and Dance Scheme: apply for funding
How parents and carers can apply to the Music and Dance Scheme for funding to support a child or young person with a place at a specialist school or centre for advanced training.
Applies to England
Before you start
Read through the application guidance for parents supplied to you by the school or centre for advanced training (CAT) your child:
- is applying to
- has a place at
The application guidance explains in detail the information you will need to supply for each question.
You must have registered with a provider or been allocated a place before you complete the form.
You will need to gather together information and supporting evidence for all questions before you start your application.
Completing the form
You will need to set aside 30 to 45 minutes to fill out this form.
There are up to 76 questions to complete. The exact number of questions and amount of time required will depend on the answers you need to provide.
You must complete this application in one go.
You will not be able to save your answers as you go and return later to complete the form.
Information you will need
You will need to have the following information to complete your application.
Personal details
Personal details for the child or young person you are applying for (the applicant) including:
- full name
- home address
- date of birth
- contact details
Residency information
Details of the date the applicant began living in the UK on a settled basis or their current immigration status. If the move was gradual, use the date the applicant first moved to live in the UK permanently.
Previous Music and Dance Scheme funding
The number of academic years the applicant has previously received financial support through the Music and Dance Scheme, if any.
Other scholarships or bursaries
Information on any other scholarships, bursaries or financial support the applicant is receiving or has applied for. This includes any financial help from the school, charity, trust or other organisation that contributes towards fees or related costs.
Income for both parents or guardians
You will need to supply details of income for both parents or guardians. This includes income from:
- employment or self‑employment
- property, savings or investments
- pensions, taxable benefits or other taxable income
- any redundancy payments or benefits in kind
If parents do not live at the same address or share information they will both need to complete this form separately.
Each parent will need to submit copies of the relevant documentation to the chosen provider for approval before any grants or funding is confirmed.
Next steps
Providing evidence of income
Once you have submitted your application, you must submit all relevant evidence to corroborate your answers to the provider at which you are applying for a Music and Dance Scheme aided place. This includes evidence of your:
- income
- benefits
- proof of address in the UK
You will not be awarded a Music and Dance Scheme grant if you do not submit acceptable evidence of income for all relevant parents
Documents issued from outside the UK must be provided in or translated into English.
For any documents, providers will accept a:
- physical copy
- scanned copy
- clear photograph
Acceptable evidence
Income from employment (salary, wages, fees, profit-related pay):
- P60 (or equivalent end‑of‑year certificate) issued by an employer and 3 payslips (normally covering at least 3 months, including March where possible)
- Where profit‑related pay, bonus schemes or salary sacrifice arrangements apply, an employer statement confirming gross income
- Where a P60 does not clearly show gross pay or pension contributions, the March payslip or equivalent
- For salaried directors of private limited companies, the relevant Self Assessment tax return and supporting HMRC documentation
Self-employed income:
- a completed Self Assessment tax return submitted to HMRC and an SA302 (or HMRC tax calculation) confirming HMRC’s agreement with the declared figures, or any amendments made
- If a current Self Assessment return is not yet available, schools/CATs may provisionally assess income using:
- audited business accounts for the most recent financial year
- a statement or certification from the parent’s accountant confirming profits
Where provisional figures are used, the assessment must be finalised once confirmed HMRC documentation becomes available.
Drawings from a company
For self‑employed individuals, drawings should not be treated as income, as they may relate to untaxed profits from previous years.
For company directors, drawings may be taxable or non‑taxable. In such cases, schools or CATs should request HMRC documentation or an accountant’s statement confirming the taxable amount.