Before accepting a placement, it is important for you work out a realistic budget and to plan your finances for your placement year to make sure you can cover your costs.

Funding to assist with living costs can vary depending on the type and duration of placement you are undertaking as well as your overall eligibility.

If you are unsure as to what type of placement you are undertaking, please contact your Placement Officer for advice

Paid and unpaid work placements

Non-Turing work placements are:

• work placements based in the UK
  
• work placements based abroad, but you are not in receipt of Turing Scheme funding

Maintenance loan entitlement

Home UK students undertaking a paid or unpaid Non-Turing work placement abroad or in the UK, can apply for a reduced rate maintenance loan to help you with your living costs via your student funding provider. This type of loan is not means-tested and the amount you receive depends on where you are living during the placement.

Reduced rate maintenance loan figures for 2025/26

Exceptions

• If you are undertaking a Type B unpaid placement, then you may be entitled to the full rate of maintenance loan
• If you are undertaking a work placement abroad and are in receipt of Turing Scheme funding, you should be entitled to the abroad rate of maintenance loan of up to £12,076 or if you are in receipt of benefits up to £13,442 subject to a means-test of your household income.

Type B unpaid placements

Home UK students undertaking some types of unpaid work placements known as Type B unpaid placements are entitled to the full rate of maintenance loan subject to means-testing based on your household income.

Type B unpaid work placements can be:

• unpaid service in a hospital, public health service laboratory or an integrated care board in the UK
• unpaid service in a Special Health Authority, NHS England, National Institute for Health & Care Excellence, Local Health Board, Health Board or a Special Health Board or a Health and Social Services Board
• unpaid service in a Local Authority carrying out its duties relating to health, welfare or caring for children and young people, a voluntary organisation providing facilities or carrying out similar activities
• unpaid service in the prison or probation sector or after-care services
• unpaid research in a UK or overseas institution
• unpaid research in the Houses of Parliament

Type B placements from the list above must take place in the UK the only exception is an unpaid research placement at an overseas institutions.

Full rate Maintenance Loan figures for 2025/26:

If you are unsure if your placement is classed as a Type B unpaid work placement, please contact your Placement Officer for verification.

Study abroad placements

Home UK students spending a year at a university studying abroad, should be entitled to the overseas rate of Maintenance Loan subject to means-testing of your household income.

Full rate Maintenance Loan figures for 2025/26:

Most destinations require a visa, so you may need to budget for:

• cost of the visa
• application costs
• travel to the embassy
• translation or legalisation of official documents
• criminal record certificate
• medical certificate
• health insurance and health care costs
• additional insurance cover

Please visit the University’s Insurance Services webpage. Insurance premiums may vary by region, so speak with your insurance provider.

UK citizens, can refer to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO) for more information.

Some countries require proof you can cover your living costs during your placement. Evidence of income may include your maintenance loan, personal savings and/or financial support from your parents or guardians.

Other tips for placements abroad

• Create a clear budget to ensure you can afford to undertake your placement. Convert your budget into the local currency
• Shop around for cheap flights
  
• Ensure you have an up-to-date passport, or find out how to get a new passport or replace an out-of-date one
• Let your UK bank know that you will be going abroad so overseas transactions are not viewed as suspicious. Some banks will charge a handling fee or withdrawal fee for cash withdrawals abroad, so please check this with your bank. In the event of card fraud or theft, contact your bank immediately
• Please check with your mobile phone provider for information about rates for calls and texts from abroad. Also consider getting a sim card abroad or shopping around to help reduce costs
• In case of emergencies, your parents/sponsors/UK contact can sent it via a Money Transfer Service through organisations such as the Post Office or Western Union.

If you have children

Students attending an overseas institution as part of their course will not generally be eligible for a Childcare Grant to cover childcare costs abroad, unless the overseas childcare providers are one of those approved under the Ministry of Defence accreditation scheme. Contact Student Finance England or other awarding agency for details.

Turing Scheme study and work placements

The Turing Scheme is the Government’s programme supporting international study and work placements offering opportunities to experience other cultures, build skills and boost employability. The funding helps to cover living, study and travel costs whilst abroad.

If you have questions about the Turing Scheme, please contact the International Mobility Office.

Mobility Funding Sources provides information on accessing funding for a Turing placement. For any questions, please contact the International Mobility Office.

To be considered a Turing placement you must be in receipt of Turing Scheme funding. The Student Loans Company advises selecting NO to the Turing question on your funding application until your Turing funding is confirmed. You can then update your application.

Maintenance Loan entitlement

Home UK students in receipt of Turing funding should receive the overseas rate of maintenance loan subject to means-testing of your household income:

• up to £12,076
• up to £13,442 if you receive benefits

For work abroad placements, you must be in receipt of Turing funding to receive the overseas rate of maintenance loan, otherwise you will receive the reduced rate of maintenance loan.

Please refer to the other tips for placements abroad section for more information on other costs and areas to consider while abroad.

Thin sandwich placements

Students on thin sandwich placements can be undertaking a combination of work placement and their usual study, or a combination of both work and study-related placements.

The amount of Maintenance Loan for Home UK students on thin sandwich placements depends on the type of work and/or study placement they are undertaking as well as the duration of their placement. Typically, a thin sandwich placement lasts 6 months and therefore your Maintenance Loan entitlement may be pro-rated according to the duration of your placement.

Thin sandwich work placements

If as part of your work placement you spend less than 10 weeks of the year at university, then you will receive the reduced rate of Maintenance Loan. This will be pro-rata according to how long your work placement is.

Reduced rate Maintenance Loan figures for 2025/26

If you are undertaking a work placement abroad for more than 10 weeks of the year and are in receipt of Turing Scheme funding you should qualify for the abroad rate of Maintenance Loan of up to £12,076 subject to a means-test of your household income.

If you are undertaking a Type B unpaid placement for more than 10 weeks of the year you should qualify for the full rate of Maintenance Loan of up to £10,544 subject to a means-test of your household income.

Thin sandwich study placements

If as part of your study placement you spend more than 10 weeks a year as well as more than 50% of the term at a UK university, then generally speaking you will qualify for the full rate of Maintenance Loan of up to £10,544 subject to a means-test of your household income. This will be pro-rated according to how long your study placement is.

If as part of your placement you spend more than 50% of a term at university abroad then you should qualify for the abroad rate of Maintenance Loan of up to £12,076 subject to a means-test of your household income. This will be pro-rated according to how long your study placement is.

Maintenance Loan payments

If you are undertaking a UK work placement, a study or work placement abroad you can receive the first Maintenance Loan instalment up to 25 working days before the start of the first term.

If your study abroad or work abroad placement starts more than 25 days before the start of the first term you can ask for your first instalment to be paid earlier. For this to happen, the Placements Information Management System (PIMS) needs to be updated by the end of May. For any questions please speak with your Placement Officer.

If you are studying in a country outside of the EU (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) you can request to have your Maintenance Loan paid in 2 instalments.

If you are studying for a full year in a country where you are required to show you can support yourself before you enter the country, such as: China, Russia and Japan, then your Maintenance Loan can be paid in one instalment.

If you are studying in the EU your Maintenance Loan will be paid in 3 instalments and you cannot request 2 or 1 instalment, but can request early payment of first instalment.

Additional funding during placement

Travel grant

A means-tested travel grant is available to students on a study abroad placement or Turing Scheme work abroad placement to assist with the costs of travel over £303 and other expenses such as mandatory medical insurance, visas and medical expenses. The SFE Travel Grant factsheet has more information about this.

Please note, if your Turing Scheme award covers your travel costs, you cannot reclaim the same costs via the Travel Grant, only additional costs over and above those already claimed will be considered.

Stipends

Please note that Student Finance may count stipends as income and therefore categorise your placement as being paid. This can affect your funding entitlement and result in you receiving a reduced rate of Maintenance Loan rather than the full rate. If your stipend is paid for a specific purpose, such as rent, travel etc. you may need to evidence this to Student Finance.

Please contact your Placement Officer if you are unsure whether you are in receipt of a stipend.

Paid placements and welfare benefits

If you are living at home and your family are in receipt of welfare benefits, then the income you receive may impact your family’s benefit entitlement. Please speak to the Benefit Agency for further advice on this.

University funding

Additional University funding may be available for study abroad placements.

For unexpected financial crisis, contact Student Money Advice at studentmoneyadvice@bath.ac.uk or call +44 1225 383838. Students are also eligible to apply for assistance from the Short-Term Loan scheme and/or the Financial Support Fund.

Tuition fee loan during placement

Home UK students can generally apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover the full cost of their tuition fees.

Please visit the University Tuition Fee webpage for more information on placement Tuition Fee rates.

For any queries about your Tuition Fees please contact the Student Finance Office.

Other useful information

London placement

The London rate is payable only if your placement workplace is located within the London Metropolitan area, regardless of where you may be living.

Please note that if you are living at your family home in London you will receive the family home rate of Maintenance Loan not the London rate.

Placement within EU

For UK students undertaking a part of their course in the EU, guidance from the UK government is available on their website.