Placement Opportunity Fund

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

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

Please note: Exceptional funding to cover additional expenses of placement due to the Coronavirus pandemic has been introduced for 2021/22.

Placement Opportunity Fund 2021-22

Standard eligibility

The money available is specifically for UK Home students enrolled on a full time, BU undergraduate course and who 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
- Students from low participation neighbourhoods
- Black Asian or Minority Ethnic
- First generation to attend University (i.e. your parent(s)/guardian(s) did not go to University)
- Female students taking STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)

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

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.

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

How to apply

Awards from the fund will be made on a first-come, first-served basis to those meeting the eligibility criteria. Visit MyCareerHub to find out more about who can apply for this support and to complete the online form.

When to apply

You must apply for this fund prior to your placement commencing (e.g. if support is needed for interview) or during the placement itself. You cannot apply after your placement has finished.

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

What will be covered?

The Placement Opportunity 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.

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 25p per mile to calculate the travel expenses for the shortest route between the candidate’s home and the place of interview

£1,000 maximum

Evidence required:

Invitation to interview(s)
Travel receipt(s)

Clothing for interview

£100 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of purchase
Invitation to interview(s)

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

£1,500 maximum

Evidence required:

Travel receipt(s)

Commuting costs

£300 maximum

Evidence required:

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

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

£300 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of requirement
Proof of purchase

Visas and inoculations

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of purchase

Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

Government fee only payable (£26-£44 at time of publication of this form)

£100 maximum for international DBS checks

We will not pay for external agency checking of DBS application forms.

Evidence required:

Confirmation from employer that DBS check is required and employer does not cover this cost
Proof of purchase

Fee required by third party agency/company for placement

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

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

Covid-19 Impact - Additional placement costs due to the pandemic

Restricted to additional costs only
Excludes loss of earnings from employer
Loss of earnings due to shortened placement is also NOT covered by this fund

£500 maximum

Evidence required:

Proof of additional costs related to the pandemic

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

group of people working at table on laptops

Placement Opportunity Fund

Placement Opportunity Fund 2021-22

Standard eligibility

How to apply

What will be covered?

Placement year funding

On your placement

BU Financial Support Fund

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