The Global Experience Bursary is in place to support undergraduate and postgraduate students in undertaking short-term study, research, work or volunteering opportunities abroad over the summer. It is open to all students currently enrolled at the University of Westminster, including Foundation and Apprenticeship students, to apply.
The Bursary process has been designed with the development of students’ employability skills at its core. Students can complete skills reflection tasks to help them articulate the skills developed during their Global Experience.
Please note that we assess applications on an individual basis. Not all students who apply will be successful in their applications.
The funding is available to cover a range of activities, including the following:
- International summer schools – you might find a summer school you are interested on Blackboard
- International language programmes
- International research projects
- International work placements (including those undertaken as part of work based and placement learning requirements)
- International volunteering opportunities – you might find a volunteering opportunity you are in interested on Blackboard
- Certain self-led fieldwork activities
Eligibility
- You must be planning on undertaking a global opportunity that fits into one of the categories listed in the introduction. The global opportunity must also:
- be hosted by an organisation
- include a structured programme of activity
- support your professional development either academically or in relation to your employability
- The host must have processes in place to manage health and safety.
- Minimum duration: five days. Please note that the experience must be a minimum of five days, excluding any travel days. For example, if you are attending a summer school, the summer school itself must be a minimum of five days in duration.
- Maximum duration: we can only offer funding for up to a maximum of 8 weeks (56 days).
- Location: 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 funding offer will be conditional on the travel restrictions changing in advance of the start of your placement.
- You must be applying for an opportunity in advance of its start date. Retrospective funding is not permittable.
- You can only receive the Global Experience Bursary once per academic year.
- Priority will be given to students who haven’t received the bursary in previous academic years.
- Funding can only be offered up until 31 August. Your trip must finish before this date to be considered for funding.
- It is advisable that before you confirm your global experience and apply for a visa (if applicable to you), that you check all the travel restrictions carefully before making financial commitments to undertake an in-person global experience as the University of Westminster will not be able to reimburse applicants for any programme fees lost.
- Please note that you cannot apply for the Global Experience Bursary to help fund the following opportunities:
- Westminster Working Culture trips
- semester or year-long exchanges/work placements
- academic led field trips which are funding by the university
- other opportunities which are already funded through the Global Opportunities Team
How to apply
The application window for the Global Experience Bursary 2026 is 9am February 23 2026 – midnight March 15 2026. We will aim to notify all students of the outcome of their application on or around April 3.
Please check back here for the link to the application form during the application period.