Employability Bursary

The Employability Bursary provides financial support of up to £700 to help University of St Andrews students progress in their Career Journeys. The bursary assists students to complete work-related activity and can be used towards accommodation for internships, professional clothing, development courses, travel expenses, and volunteering.

Eligibility

To apply for the bursary, you must be a matriculated student at St Andrews, and preferably:

• be completing, or have completed, a supported pathway programme at St Andrews, or
• be care-experienced, meaning you have been in care at any stage of your life, or are currently in care or
• have attended one of the following widening access programmes:
  • Sutton Trust Summer School
  • LEAPS
  • Focus West
  • Lift Off
  • Aspire North
  • Reach
  • Fife First Chances Programme
  • Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP).

Preference will be given to the groups listed above. However, the Careers Centre will consider applications from all students, including undergraduates and postgraduates, who can clearly demonstrate how the bursary could support access to work-related activity which would otherwise be unattainable.

Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, projects with a sustainability or equality, diversity and inclusion theme are specifically welcome.

What does the Employability Bursary cover?

The bursary covers reasonable expenses you may incur while completing work-related activity, which cannot be claimed back from another funding source.

Examples include:

• reasonable expenses, such as travel and accommodation, involved in undertaking unpaid work experience and internships
• clothing required for a work interview
• the cost of a PVG or DBS check required for a role
• professional development courses
• funding postgraduates who are participating in unpaid internships within the charity sector
• childcare costs while undertaking work experience or an internship.

The Careers Centre will also consider other scenarios. Please email careers@st-andrews.ac.uk if you would like to discuss your situation further.

The bursary cannot cover:

• expenses incurred during work time
• expenses incurred as part of a credit-bearing module (such as a final year project, a year in industry, or a medical rotation placement).

Please note that the Careers Centre will award only one Employability Bursary per student in any academic year, other than in exceptional circumstances.

How to apply

To apply for the Employability Bursary, you should complete an online application form. You will also need to upload your CV.

To increase your chances of a successful application, you should provide as much detail as possible, explain where you are on your Career Journey, and how you expect the bursary will help you to progress. 

You don't need to submit receipts in your application, but you should be able to describe the impact the bursary will have on your employability. See a blog post from a recipient of the Employability Bursary for an example of how the bursary can be used, and what impact it can have. 

Please note that each application will be reviewed on a first come, first served basis until the fund has been exhausted. Once your application is received, you should receive a decision within ten working days. It can then take up to four weeks after the decision has been made for you to receive the payment.

If you have any questions about the Employability Bursary, please email careers@st-andrews.ac.uk.