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UCL Study Abroad offers funding support for students undertaking a global short-term mobility.
Global Experience Bursary 2024/25
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.
Applications open 25 October 2024 and are accepted on a rolling basis until 23:59 on 1 April 2025 or until funding is completely spent - whichever occurs sooner. Students can expect to receive the outcome of their application within 2-3 weeks of submission. Examples of short-term mobilities are on Study Abroad's introduction to short-term mobility webpage.
The minimum bursary is £80 and maximum bursary is £600, however students may be eligible for a higher award if they are a Widening Participation (WP) student, up to £1,200. Full WP 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 more than 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.
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 its associated funding offered by UCL Careers instead).
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.
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).
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.
- Widening Participation 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:
- Household income of £42,000 or less (or £25,000 or less in another currency)
- Receiving income-related benefits
- Care-experienced student
- Student with caring responsibilities
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Received an Access UCL offer
- For UK-domiciled students, Black African, Black Caribbean or mixed Black, African/White or Black Caribbean/White
- Mature (aged 21 or older at the beginning of your current, undergraduate, degree)
- Estranged students
- Part-time students
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 Chadwick Trust Travelling Fellowships and Scholarships
- IEFA Scholarships Finder (search engine)
- IIE Funding for U.S.A Study (search engine)
- Jack's Flight Club Travel Scholarships
- John Speak Language Trust Bursary
- Psychology International Internship Scholarship (for Psychology internships with Volunteer HQ)
- The Rotary Foundation
- The Sarah Douglas Hardship Fund
- Volunteer Abroad Scholarships (for travel, volunteer and study abroad grants, mainly U.S.A based)