We're awarding grants worth up to £1,000 (pro rata for shorter placements). These can be used for living costs or activities that will enhance your learning during your professional placement. Funding is limited and not guaranteed for all students.
Eligibility criteria
You must:
- be a UK student registered on a full-time, campus-based Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences undergraduate course that includes a professional placement
- not be in receipt of a commercial scholarship
- be expecting to start your placement in the 2026/27 academic year
- only submit your application once you have secured your placement, as we’re unable to consider prospective applications (excluding BSc (Hons) Social Work and Applied Social Studies)
- confirm that your placement is unpaid or low-paid (for example, expenses-only or stipend-only placements)
- understand that the grant is intended to support essential, placement-related day-to-day costs (such as travel) and that you may be asked to provide evidence of how the funding is used
We encourage you to speak to our Student Money Advice service to help you plan your finances for undertaking an unpaid or low-paid placement.
As part of our decision process, we will also take into account:
- your Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility
- your home meets the criteria for Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)
- if you are a care leaver
- if you are a refugee
- if you are a young carer
- if you are irreconcilably estranged from your family
- if you have a disability which may incur additional costs whilst on placement (please specify in the ‘Additional Information’ option on the application form)
- if you are a Bath Bursary recipient
- if you are a Gold Scholarship recipient
- if you are an Alumni Fund recipient
You do not need to provide evidence of this as the panel will have access to this information.
Additional terms and conditions
If you withdraw or suspend from your placement before completing (other than in exceptional circumstances, such as illness), you will need to repay the award.
Further information is available in the terms and conditions.
Please note: there is one joint application form for both the Alumni Fund Placement Fund and the undergraduate Humanities & Social Sciences Placement Bursary. The joint application form has been created to avoid students duplicating efforts by completing a very similar application form twice. If you apply to the Alumni Fund and are a Humanities & Social Sciences student, you will automatically be considered for the HSS Placement Bursary. If you are not eligible to apply for the Alumni Fund, please use the application form to solely apply for the HSS Placement Bursary.
Hear from previous bursary recipients
'I cannot stress the positive impact receiving the HSS Placement Bursary had on my placement experience as this helped to reduce my constant worry. Without the HSS Unpaid Placement Bursary I would not have been able to afford the transport I needed for my placement. This bursary helped to continue through my placement and ultimately graduate from my degree. I want to say thank you to the HSS Placement Bursary Panel for the support they have provided me. I want to reiterate how impactful this funding can be. Thank you.' Placement Student 2024.
'The bursary helped me afford fuel - travel costs have been expensive this year and driving to and from the placement for shifts could be up to 50/60 miles a day. Overall, my placement experience has been better than I could have imagined and I am thankful for the bursary that has helped me this year.' Placement Student 2024.
Apply
The deadline to apply is 5 June 2026.
This form allows you to apply for an Alumni Fund Placement Grant and the Humanities & Social Sciences Placement Fund.