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UCL Study Abroad offers funding support for students undertaking short-term global opportunities
Study Abroad offers funding support for students undertaking short-term global opportunities. Two of our funding streams are now open, and details of the Global Experience Bursary and Santander Universities Mobility Bursary can be found below. Information regarding Three Cities will be updated in due course.
- Global Experience Bursary
- Santander Universities Mobility Bursary
- Three Cities Global Bursaries - (Bursary is currently closed).
Global Experience Bursary
The 2021/22 Study Abroad Global Experience Bursary scheme is in place to support undergraduate students who wish to undertake a short-term global opportunity. This includes those on UCL managed schemes such as the Tuition Fee Free scheme, but also those undertaking independent opportunities abroad. The majority of global opportunities fall over the summer period, but funding is also available for students undertaking opportunities over the other holiday periods across the academic year.
Types of opportunities that can be supported by the bursary:
- International summer schools - you can find some summer school ideas here
- International language programmes
- International research projects- in collaboration with an institution/organisation - you can find some research opportunities here
- International volunteering opportunities - you can find some volunteering ideas here
- Certain self-led fieldwork activities - subject to approval from home department
Please note that bursaries will not be awarded to students undertaking work-place internships. Students undertaking international internships may be interested in the Global Internships Programme offered by UCL Careers.
Important: Due to the ongoing global travel restrictions it is advisable that before you confirm your placement and apply for a visa (if applicable to you), we recommend that you check all the travel restrictions carefully before making financial commitments to undertake an in-person placement as UCL Study Abroad will not be able to reimburse applicants for any placement fees lost.
Due to the continuing global situation, we will also consider 2021/22 bursary applications from students wishing to undertake virtual mobility opportunities, i.e. those that are completed online. These might include virtual summer schools or online research projects offered by international institutions. They must also include live learning or interaction (i.e. with other students, colleagues, course leaders or lecturers). Full eligibility requirements for virtual opportunities are listed below.
Global Experience Bursary eligibility criteria:
- You must be a UCL undergraduate student, fully enrolled during the duration of the overseas programme. Final year undergraduates may also apply for funding, but must have completed the international opportunity by the 10th June 2022. Non finalist applicants must complete the opportunity by the first day of term of the 2022/23 academic year (i.e. Monday 26th September 2022).
- Be applying for an opportunity in a country/region that is deemed safe to travel and does not include a warning against ‘all but essential travel’ warning according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). If COVID-related travel restrictions are currently in place, your bursary offer will be conditional on the travel restrictions changing in advance of the start of your placement.
- Be planning on undertaking an international programme that fits into one of the categories above, with a minimum duration of five days.
- Understand that the support provided by the Global Experience Bursary is contingent on the global situation and there is a chance that in-person global opportunities may be cancelled by UCL or your host institution/organisation or as a result of any new travel restrictions.
- Understand that if UCL can no longer support in-person global opportunities, you will return the allocated bursary funding or work with the Study Abroad team to find an appropriate alternative virtual mobility opportunity. Please note that a change to virtual mobility may result in a change to the bursary award.
- Students who have been awarded Santander or Cities Partnerships Programme bursaries via UCL Study Abroad will not be eligible to apply.
- You must provide confirmation in writing from your host institution or organisation confirming your place on the programme, only then will the award be transferred. You will also be required to complete paperwork and tasks associated with the bursary as outlined in the Global Experience Bursary Information Sheet below.
Virtual Mobility Requirements:
If you wish to apply for funding for a virtual opportunity, the opportunity must also meet the following essential criteria:
- Be relevant to your UCL programme of study, future studies or career.
- Include live learning or interaction with students, colleagues, course leaders or lecturers around the world.
- Allow you to develop an understanding of different approaches and attitudes from around the world.
- Allow you to develop employability skills, particularly those of an international nature such as intercultural communication.
- Have a fee attached - Study Abroad will not provide funding for virtual programmes that are free to join.
Students are encouraged to source virtual opportunities that also meet the following desirable criteria:
- Delivered by an International organisation or in the UK.
- An opportunity to work on a shared project or towards a shared goal in a virtual team, using technology to facilitate joint studying or working.
Application:
To apply for the Global Experience Bursary, you must complete the online Global Experience Bursary Application Form.
As part of the application, you will be asked to provide information on some of the predicted costs you will incur, i.e. programme cost, travel, accommodation, living costs etc.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The call for applications will close at 4pm on 20th July 2022 or at a time when the bursary funding has been exhausted. With that in mind, students are encouraged to apply early as possible.
We aim to get back to you with the outcome of your application within three weeks of your application.
Please also ensure that you have read the Global Experience Bursary Information Sheet before completing the online application.
If you have any questions or encounter difficulties with the application, please contact the Study Abroad team via askUCL.
Santander Universities Mobility Bursary
The Santander Universities Mobility Bursary supports UK (home fee status), non-finalist undergraduate students from under-represented groups who wish to undertake a short-term global opportunity over the 2021/22 academic year.
Students must meet one or more of the following criteria to apply:
- Household income of £42,000 or less
- Receiving income-related benefits
- Care-experienced (have been in the care of, or have been given accommodation by, their local authority for a period of at least 13 weeks before the age of 16, and having not reconciled with their parent(s) between leaving care and starting their course.)
- Caring responsibilities (students who care unpaid for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem, or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.)
- Estranged students (neither of the students’ parents can be found or it is not reasonably practicable to get in touch with either of them)
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Received an Access UCL offer
- Black African, Black Caribbean or mixed Black African/White or Black Caribbean/White
- Mature (21 years or older on the day you started your first and current undergraduate degree)
- Studying Part-time
- Students with disabilities
Bursary recipients can receive up to £1,250 towards the cost of a global opportunity.
Types of opportunities that can be supported by the bursary:
- International summer schools - you can find some summer school ideas here
- International language programmes
- International research projects- in collaboration with an institution/organisation - you can find some research opportunities here
- International volunteering opportunities - you can find some volunteering ideas here
- Certain self-led fieldwork activities - subject to approval from home department
- Summer School programmes organised by UK organisations/hosts.
Please note that bursaries will not be awarded to students undertaking work-place internships in the UK. Students undertaking international internships may be interested in the Global Internships Programme offered by UCL Careers.
Important: Due to the ongoing global travel restrictions it is advisable that before you confirm your placement and apply for a visa (if applicable to you), we recommend that you check all the travel restrictions carefully before making financial commitments to undertake an in-person placement as UCL Study Abroad will not be able to reimburse applicants for any placement fees lost.
Due to the continuing global situation, we will also consider 2021/22 bursary applications from students wishing to undertake virtual mobility opportunities, i.e. those that are completed online. These might include virtual summer schools or online research projects offered by international institutions. They must also include live learning or interaction (i.e. with other students, colleagues, course leaders or lecturers). Full eligibility requirements for virtual opportunities are listed below.
Santander Mobility Bursary eligibility criteria:
In addition to identifying as from one or more of the underrespresented groups above, you must also meet the following eligibility creiteria to apply:
- You must be a UK national, UCL non-finalist undergraduate student, fully enrolled during the duration of the overseas/virtual programme.
- You must complete the opportunity by the first day of term of the 2022/23 academic year (i.e. Monday 26th September 2022).
- Be applying for an opportunity in a country/region that is deemed safe to travel and does not include a warning against ‘all but essential travel’ according to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). If COVID-related travel restrictions are currently in place, your bursary offer will be conditional on the travel restrictions changing in advance of the start of your placement.
- Be planning on undertaking an international programme that fits into one of the categories above, with a programme duration of four to six weeks.
- Understand that the support provided by the Santander Mobility Bursary is contingent on the global situation and there is a chance that in-person global opportunities may be cancelled by UCL or your host institution/organisation or as a result of any new travel restrictions.
- Understand that if UCL can longer support in-person global opportunities, you will return the allocated bursary funding or work with the Study Abroad team to find an appropriate alternative virtual mobility opportunity. Please note that a change to virtual mobility may result in a change to the bursary award.
- Students who have been awarded Global Experience or Cities Partnerships Programme bursaries via UCL Study Abroad will not be eligible to apply.
- You must provide confirmation in writing from your host institution or organisation confirming your place on the programme, only then will the award be transferred. You will also be required to complete paperwork and tasks associated with the bursary as outlined in the Santander Mobility Bursary Information Sheet below.
Bursaries will only be distributed once details of the international opportunity have been confirmed by the host institution or organisation in writing. Study abroad will also seek Departmental approval in advance of the bursary award.
Virtual Mobility Requirements:
If you wish to apply for funding for a virtual opportunity, the opportunity must also meet the following essential criteria:
- Be relevant to your UCL programme of study, future studies or career.
- Include live learning or interaction with students, colleagues, course leaders or lecturers around the world.
- Allow you to develop an understanding of different approaches and attitudes from around the world.
- Allow you to develop employability skills, particularly those of an international nature such as intercultural communication.
- Have a fee attached - Study Abroad will not provide funding for virtual programmes that are free to join.
Students are encouraged to source virtual opportunities that also meet the following desirable criteria:
- Delivered by an International organisation or within the UK.
- An opportunity to work on a shared project or towards a shared goal in a virtual team, using technology to facilitate joint studying or working.
Application:
Applications are completed via the Santander Becas application online portal.
As part of the application, you will be asked to provide information on some of the predicted costs you will incur, i.e. programme cost, travel, accommodation, living costs etc.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and may close temporarily during the funding call. The call for applications will close at 4pm on 30th May 2022 or at a time when the bursary funding has been exhausted.
Please also ensure that you have read the Santander Universities Mobility Bursary Information Sheet before completing the online application.
If you have any questions, please contact the Study Abroad team via askUCL.
About Santander Universities
In 1996 Emilio Botín, Chairman of Santander, decided that the bank should be useful to the communities in which it operates. With the conviction that the University is a vital cornerstone of any community and a mechanism that helps people and businesses prosper, Santander Universities began its activity in Spain.
As the division began to grow so did its global outreach; eventually expanding into more than 20 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Portugal and the UK. So far, Santander Universities has donated over €1.5 billion in the shape of scholarships, mobility grants, support for entrepreneurship, special projects and non-academic awards.
In 2015 Santander topped the 'Global Fortune 500' list as the company that invests the most in Corporate Social Responsibility in connection with education (according to the first global study published by the Varkey Foundation). In 2016, the bank invested over 150 million euros in higher education.
For more information about Santander Universities, please see the Santander Universities UK website.
Three Cities Global Bursaries - Currently Closed
Information for 2021/22 is not yet available, but will be added below in due course. The 2020/21 details are included below to give an outline of the previous offering.
Supported by the Cities Partnership Programme, the 2021 Three Cities Global Bursary scheme provides up to £2,500 in funding for undergraduate students who wish to undertake a global opportunity in Summer 2021. This includes students undertaking independent, self-sourced opportunities abroad within the three city-regions of Paris, Rome and Stockholm.
Types of opportunities that can be supported by the bursary:
International Summer Schools- students may like to browse the summer schools listed at this link: summer-schools/europe
International summer schools
- International language programmes
- International research projects- in collaboration with an institution/organisation
- International volunteering opportunities
- Certain self-led fieldwork activities - subject to approval from home department
The maximum award that a recipient can receive is up to the value of £2,500 per student, towards the cost of an in-person or virtual Three Cities global opportunity.
Please note that bursaries will not be awarded to students who are not undertaking opportunities within the Three Cities of Paris, Rome, or Stockholm.
Important: Due to the ongoing global travel restrictions it is advisable that before you confirm your placement and apply for a visa (if applicable to you), we recommend that you check all the travel restrictions carefully before making finanical committments to undertake an in-person placement as the Study Abroad will not be able to reimburse applicants for any placement fees lost.
Due to the continuing global situation, we will also consider 2021 bursary applications from students wishing to undertake virtual mobility opportunities, i.e. those that are completed online. These might include virtual summer schools or online research projects offered by institutions or organisations in Paris, Rome or Stockholm. They must also include live learning or interaction (i.e. with other students, colleagues, course leaders or lecturers). Full eligibility requirements for virtual opportunities are listed below.
Eligibility criteria:
- You must be a current UCL undergraduate student, non-finalist student fully enrolled throughout the duration of the overseas or virtual programme.
- Applicants must complete the opportunity by the first day of term of the 21/22 academic year (i.e. Monday 27th September 2021).
- The opportunity must be a self-sourced opportunity that is either virtual or in-person in the following regions of Paris, Rome or Stockholm.
- You must provide confirmation in writing from your host institution or organisation confirming your place on the programme, only then will the award be transferred.
- Sign and return the Three Cities Global Bursaries Agreement Form.
- Be planning on undertaking a programme with a minimum duration of 5 days.
- Understand that the support provided by the Three Cities Global Bursaries to Paris, Rome and Stockholm is contingent on the global situation and there is a chance that in-person global opportunities may be cancelled by UCL or your host institution/organisation or because of any new travel restrictions.
- Understand that if UCL can longer support in-person global opportunities, you will return the allocated bursary funding or work with the Study Abroad team to find an appropriate alternative virtual mobility opportunity. Please note that a change to virtual mobility may result in a change to the bursary award.
- Students who have been awarded a Global Experience Bursary, or other funding via UCL Study Abroad will not be eligible to apply.
Virtual Mobility Requirements:
If you wish to apply for funding for a virtual opportunity, the opportunity must also meet the following essential criteria:
- Be relevant to your UCL programme of study, future studies, or career.
- Include live learning or interaction with students, colleagues, course leaders or lecturers around the world.
- Allow you to develop an understanding of different approaches and attitudes from around the world.
- Allow you to develop employability skills, particularly those of an international nature such as intercultural communication.
- Have a fee attached - Study Abroad will not provide funding for virtual programmes that are free to join.
Students are encouraged to source virtual opportunities that also meet the following desirable criteria:
- Delivered by an organisation from outside of the UK.
- An opportunity to work on a shared project or towards a shared goal in a virtual team, using technology to facilitate joint studying or working.
Deadline:
Bursary is closed, applications are no longger being accepted.
Application:
Bursary is closed, applications are no longer being accepted. Three Cities Bursaries online application form
If you encounter any questions or difficulties with the application, please contact the Study Abroad team via askUCL.
We aim to get back to you with the outcome of your application within two weeks of your application date. The first bursary payments will be issued in mid-June.
Please also ensure you have read the Three Cities Global Bursaries information sheet before applying:
If you have any further questions, please contact the Study Abroad team via askUCL.