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UCL Study Abroad offers funding support for students undertaking a global short-term mobility.
Global Experience Bursary 2025/26
The Global Experience Bursary supports undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate-taught (PGT) students on a short-term mobility. It is financial support that is a contribution to students' travel and living costs abroad, but should not be relied upon as a principal funding source. Examples of short-term mobilities are on Study Abroad's introduction to short-term mobility webpage.
Applications are open from 24 October 2025 and are accepted on a rolling basis until 23:59 on 1 April 2026 or until funding is completely spent - whichever occurs sooner. Year 6 Medical Elective Students have a separate deadline of 23:59 on 1 February 2026 or until their funding is completely spent - whichever occurs sooner. If there are remaining funds after 1 April, Study Abroad will consider re-opening applications for a limited period in May/June.
Students can expect to receive the outcome of their application within 2-3 weeks of submission. Students should only apply when they know they can show evidence of proof of acceptance from their host organisation within at least 2 weeks of submitting their application.
The minimum bursary is £80 and maximum bursary is £600, however students may be eligible for a higher award of up to £1,200 if they come from an underrepresented group within global mobility. Full criteria is under the drop-down heading below. Bursary amounts are based on the strength of the application, location, duration and tuition/programme fees of the opportunity.
A £50 sustainability ‘top up’ will be awarded to students that show evidence of travelling to their destination in a more sustainable way than flying and/or if they are doing a placement with a focus on mitigating the effects of climate change, specifically in relation to rewilding, conservation and green skills.
Students cannot receive both a Turing Grant and a Global Experience Bursary for the same short-term mobility. Students can only apply for and receive one Global Experience Bursary in an academic year. Students that have been granted a place on the Widening Participation Summer Programme cannot apply for an additional Global Experience Bursary.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. For questions about any of the bursaries, please contact the Study Abroad team via askUCL.
- Eligibility Criteria
This bursary is open to students that are:
- Current UG and PGT students, fully enrolled at UCL throughout the duration of the placement (end date of placement must be before the first day of the next academic year).
- NOT undertaking paid work-place internships (refer to the Global Internships Programme and support for this programme offered by UCL Careers).
All eligible short term mobilities must be:
- In-person or virtual.
- Relevant to students' UCL programme of study, future studies and/or career.
- At least five (5) days long. Travel days are not included, so the placement itself must be at least five days e.g. a 3-day conference with a day of travel either side does not count as meeting the five day minimum.
- Compliant with Foreign Commonwealth Development Office Guidance. If travel guidance changes to include a warning against ‘all but essential travel’ between now and the start of the proposed period of mobility, the funding offer will be withdrawn.
Virtual short term mobilities must also be:
- Live learning and/or involve interaction with colleagues, students, course leaders or lecturers around the world e.g. group project work
- In an environment that enables an understanding of different approaches and attitudes from around the world, fostering employability skills like intercultural communication
- A fee-paying placement (free virtual programmes are NOT eligible).
All awarded mobilities must be completed satisfactorily. Students will be asked to provide evidence of this in the form of a signed Confirmation of Departure form or equivalent paperwork e.g. certificate of completion, confirmation from a referee, supervisor's letter etc. Failure to do so will result in a return of funds back to UCL.
A £50 sustainability ‘top up’ is awarded to students that show evidence of:
- Travelling to their destination in a more sustainable way other than just flying and/or
- Taking a placement with a focus on mitigating the effects of climate change, specifically in relation to rewilding, conservation and green skills.
- Underrepresented Student Criteria
A student may be eligible for a higher bursary if they are undertaking a mobility that meets the above criteria and if they meet any of identifiers below, providing suitable evidence in their application. It does not matter which or how many of the below identifiers students meet, the categories are for data collection purposes only.
- Household income of £42,875 or less
- Receiving income-related benefits
- Care-experienced
- Having caring responsibilities
- Estranged
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- For UK-domiciled students, being Black African, Black Caribbean or mixed Black, African/White or Black Caribbean/White
- For UK-domiciled students, received an Access UCL offer
- Mature-aged (21 or older at the beginning of current UG degree)
- Part-time students
- Students with disabilities – including students with a SoRA
Other Funding Opportunities
Students are encouraged to look for funding opportunities beyond what UCL offers. Below is a sample of different grants and scholarships that have been/are offered by a variety of organisations and can be used as a springboard for research into even more potential funding pots.
Students should reach out to their department, relevant charities, embassies, cultural organisations etc. for other sources of financial support.
- Funding Organisations
- BUNAC Scholarships
- BUTEX Scholarships
- The Financial Assistance Fund (managed by UCL)
- The Chadwick Trust Travelling Fellowships and Scholarships (managed by UCL)
- IEFA Scholarships Finder (search engine)
- IIE Funding for U.S.A Study (search engine)John Speak Language Trust Bursary
- Psychology International Internship Scholarship (for Psychology internships with Volunteer HQ)
- The Jack Petchey Foundation
- The Lord Mayor's Fund
- The Rotary Foundation
- The Sarah Douglas Hardship Fund (managed by UCL SU for all students)
- Volunteer Abroad Scholarships (for travel, volunteer and study abroad grants, mainly U.S.A based)