Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund

Complete the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund

If you're worried about the cost of going on a placement or a professional opportunity, you should check whether you are eligible for some additional financial support. BU offers funding to eligible students through the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund.

The fund can help with expenses such as travel and clothing for interviews, travel to start placement, essential uniform and tools, as well as Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, visas and inoculations costs.

The fund can also support you with expenses related to your employability. For example, you can apply for funding for short courses, conferences, professional membership or self-employment costs such as business registration. You will just have to tell us how these activities will support your career aspirations.

Important

Make sure you meet the criteria listed below BEFORE applying for the fund
Ensure you have ALL required evidence ready to be uploaded to the form
If you have already made an application to the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund in this current academic year and you require further support or have additional evidence, please do not complete a further application, but email the Student Money Advice Team at [email protected] with your name and ‘Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund’ in the subject field.

Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund 2024-25

Standard eligibility

Applicants must be UK Home students enrolled on a full-time undergraduate BU course and meet the following criteria:

Household income of £25,000 or below (as calculated by Student Finance England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland)

Household income over £25,000 (as calculated by Student Finance England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland) and one or more of the following:
- Mature students - HESA benchmark 21 or over at start of course
- Additional learning needs/disability
- Care leaver
- You live in an area of disadvantage - you can check to see if you live in an area of disadvantage by searching for your postcode on this government website. Enter your postcode (i.e. where you applied to university from, not your term-time address), click 'get deprivation data', and download the spreadsheet shown. Check column F (Index of Multiple Deprivation Data). A postcode in IMD deciles 1,2,3, or 4 will mean you're eligible for this funding.
- Black Asian or Minority Ethnic
- Female students taking STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators where indicated in the 'What will be covered' section.
Students on the following courses are not eligible to apply for this fund for UK based placements:
- BSc Nursing (all branches)
- BSc Midwifery
- BSc Occupational Therapy
- BSc Physiotherapy
- BSc Operating Department Practice
- BSc Paramedic Science
- BA Social Work
- Students on apprenticeship courses are not eligible to apply for this fund.

However, students on the above courses who undertake an official placement abroad (up to 4 weeks) may apply for support from this fund for costs relating to their placement abroad, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.

IMPORTANT - Students on the above courses who require help with vaccinations, visas and/or insurance costs for their placement abroad should claim this through the NHS in the first instance: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf/travel-and-dual-accommodation-expenses

Channel Islands/EU/International students are not eligible to apply for this fund
Postgraduate students are not eligible to apply for this fund.

Placements abroad

Prior to applying to the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund, students going on an official placement abroad should check whether they are eligible for funding through the Turing Scheme, as placements abroad funding should be accessed from the Turing Scheme in the first instance.

Any funding that cannot be covered through the Turing Scheme can then be considered through the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund for students meeting the standard eligibility criteria listed above

Students cannot be funded through the Turing Scheme and the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund for the same specific costs.

How to apply

Awards from the fund will be made on a first-come, first-served basis to those meeting the standard eligibility criteria listed above. Visit MyCareerHub to complete the online form.

If you have already made an application to the Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund in this current academic year and you require further support or have additional evidence, please do not complete a further application, but email the Student Money Advice Team at [email protected] with your name and ‘Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund’ in the subject field.

When to apply?

You can apply for placement related costs before the start of your placement (e.g., if support is needed for interviews) or during your placement. You cannot apply after your placement has finished.

We would recommend that, where possible, students pay for costs upfront and submit full evidence for these costs to be reimbursed, in line with the published criteria. This allows BU to provide a more accurate award based on the expenses the student has incurred into.

Please note: It can take up to 20 working days to process your application.

What will be covered?

The Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund will assist students meeting the eligibility criteria with the following costs up to a maximum award available to any individual student of £3,000.

All evidence must clearly show your name (where possible), items purchased, payment date and amount.

Item

Maximum amount to be awarded

Interview(s) expenses (travel and accommodation if required) - UK or overseas

You must apply within 6 months from the date of the interview
It is expected for students to use public transport where possible
For students using their own transport (in absence of public transport) we will use the BU mileage rate of 45p per mile to calculate the travel expenses for the shortest route between the candidate’s home and the place of interview
The interview costs, must be related to an interview for a placement opportunity only, aligned with your course

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

Invitation to interview(s)
Travel receipt(s)

Clothing for interview

The clothing for interview costs, must be related to an interview for a placement opportunity only, aligned with your course

£100 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of purchase (clearly listing the items bought)
Invitation to interview(s)

Travel to commence placement and return at the end of placement - UK or overseas (excludes general commuting costs)

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£1,500 maximum

Evidence required:

Travel receipt(s)

Commuting costs

It is expected for students to use public transport where possible
For students using their own transport (in absence of public transport) we will use the BU mileage rate of 45p per mile to calculate the travel expenses for the shortest route between the student’s home and the place of work

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of travel costs or expected travel costs: train/bus tickets, fuel purchase (receipts or bank statements)

Essential clothing/uniform/tools/equipment or other related essential costs

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£300 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of requirement by the employer
Proof of purchase (clearly listing the items bought)

Visas and inoculations

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of purchase

Travel insurance

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£100 Maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of purchase

Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

Up to £55

£100 maximum for international DBS checks

(External agency checking of DBS application forms are NOT covered by the fund).

Evidence required:

Confirmation from the employer that DBS check is required but not covered by the employer
Proof of purchase

Fee required by third-party agency/company for placement

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

Confirmation from employer or third-party agency/company that the fee is required

Attendance at conferences/events/exhibitions or similar, aligned with a student's placement and/or career aspirations

This may be to help out with travel, accommodation or attendance fee for example

£100 Maximum

Evidence required:

Proof/information of attendance or booking for event, including any related costs

Professional memberships, subscriptions or registrations aligned with a student's placement and/or career aspirations

£100 Maximum

Evidence required:

Proof/information of membership, subscription or registration and costs required

Short courses or training aligned with a student's placement and/or career aspirations

This could be LinkedIn Learning where LinkedIn Premium is required for example

£100 Maximum

Evidence required:

Proof/information of short course/training and costs required

Costs related to self-employment and entrepreneurship (may include self-directed placements)

This may include business registration, insurance or marketing costs for example

£100 Maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of costs required

Living cost support for students on unpaid long placements (as part of sandwich degree) only. This could contribute towards costs such as food and housing.

For students to qualify for this support, they must make an application to the BU Financial Support Fund and demonstrate they have a shortfall of funds. Information on how to apply for the BU Financial Support Fund

Placements must be recorded in MyHub and approved by Faculty Placement Coordinators

£300

Evidence required:

As per BU Financial Support Fund criteria

*The minimum payment amount will be £10 for those students meeting the eligibility criteria.

Placement year funding

The funding available for a placement year is significantly different to a normal study year - read our guidance for more information.

BU Financial Support Fund

Non-repayable support that can help if you're having financial difficulties during your studies - contact us to apply.

Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund

Important

Placement and Professional Opportunities Fund 2024-25

Standard eligibility

Placements abroad

How to apply

When to apply?

What will be covered?

Placement year funding

BU Financial Support Fund

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