Receive £500-£1,500 to support you during your Professional Placement Year.

If you are undertaking a a Professional Placement Year (PPY) between your second and third years of academic study, you can benefit from the The Professional Placement Year Bursary.

Its aim is to make work experience more accessible, providing students with money which can be used towards placement costs such as travel, food, workwear or accommodation.

The Professional Placement Year Bursary is a new award, introduced in 2024. It will be available for the 2024/25 academic year.


How it works

The bursary is paid in two instalments, and the total amount you receive will depend on which eligibility criteria you meet. These criteria are split into three tiers, and each one is outlined below.

The first half of the bursary will be paid once your placement has been approved by the University, and you will receive the second half in January.

There is no application process for this bursary.

Once your placement details have been submitted, the University will determine which tier you fall into, and you will be notified by the outcome via email. The money will then be paid to you automatically.

Students studying at our Educational Partner institutes are not eligible for this scheme.

Tier one: £1,500

You will fall into tier one if you:

  • Come from a home postcode area with low participation in higher education, and have been assessed by Student Finance as being from a household with an annual income of less than £25,000
  • Are classed as a mature student (aged 21 or above at time of enrolment)
  • Have disclosed a disability to Bath Spa University
  • Are a care leaver
  • Are a young adult carer
  • Are of a black or ethnic minority
  • Have been categorised by the Student Loan Company as being estranged from their parents
  • Are identified as a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller.

Tier two: £1,000

If you do not meet any criteria listed within tier one, you will be eligible for tier two if you:

  • Come from a home postcode area with low participation in higher education, and have been assessed by Student Finance as being from a household with an annual income of between £25,000-£42,875
  • Have parents who did not attend university
  • Joined Bath Spa University via a non A-level route
  • Are from the Armed Forces Community.

Tier three: £500

Anyone who doesn't fall into tier one or tier two is eligible to receive £500.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about this award, please login to MyCareer and submit a question. Please select the 'scholarships and bursaries' option from the question type list.