To support students Global Opportunities there is a range of support in terms of Fees, Finance and Funding:
Fees: tuition fee reductions are in place for Placement Year and Study Abroad students.
Finance: Students can still apply for Student Finance and receive their Durham Grant.
Funding: Many Global Opportunities are self-funded, however, there are number of additional funding sources that can support students. Additional support may also be available for students that may have entry barriers, such as caring responsibilities, medical support costs or who are from disadvantaged groups.
Tuition fee reductions are in place for Placement Year and Study Abroad students.
If you are away from the University for the full academic year on either a work Placement Year or Study Abroad year, you are still required to pay tuition fees to Durham University. These fees are, however, discounted. For Study Abroad, exchange agreements between Durham University and its partner universities mean that students are not required to pay tuition fees to the host university for the duration of the exchange period (unless otherwise stated). The fees payable are:
If you plan to be from Durham for the full year but circumstances dictate that your stay is curtailed and you remain for less than the full academic year, fees payable may be different. Please contact the Finance Department to confirm fees due. If you receive assistance with paying your tuition fees this support should remain the same (this should be confirmed with the Finance department or Student Finance England (and equivalents)).
Summer schools, volunteering and many short-term (summer) internships take place outside of the academic year and, therefore, fall outside of Durham's tuition fee requirements (e.g. you will still have to fund the preceding academic year). Some of these placements (such as summer schools) may have small fees charged by partners (as they are extra-tuition). Any fees will be listed on any advertising materials. Widening Access students undertaking short placements may be able apply for funding (such as scholarships and bursaries from Durham to support these costs (see 'Funding' below).
Students can still apply for Student Finance and receive their Durham Grant.
Students can still apply for the full Maintenance Loan and/or Grant from Student Finance England (and equivalents in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland), via the usual application process. The Student Financial Support Office liaise with UK funding bodies; they have produced the below slides that detail the process and most recent funding amounts: Student Finance Information 2024-25
Any queries regarding the payment of your maintenance loan/ grant please should be directed to the Student Financial Support Office by email at: [email protected]. All of the above information is correct at the time of publication. Please note that terms and conditions are subject to change, please contact the Exchange & Study Abroad Team to confirm current arrangements.
At the time of writing, students in receipt of a Durham Grant will still be eligible for payments while on full-year Study Abroad or Placement Year. Please visit the Durham Grant Scheme SharePoint page to check the most up to date information.
Many Global Opportunities are self-funded, however, there are number of additional funding sources that can support students. Please click on the heading below to find out more about Turing funding.
There is a range of support available from a variety of funding sources, depending on length of opportunity and your personal circumstances. We have divided these under the headings Short Placements, Long Placements and Access Funding.
Volunteering: The University has a limited number of bursaries available to assist students who are looking to undertake an international volunteering opportunity. These bursaries are available for students taking up opportunities with one of our Trusted Partners. Please visit the International Travel Support Bursary page for further details.
Internships: The University has a limited number of bursaries available to assist home undergraduate students who are looking to undertake a self-found global internship. Bursaries are available to support things like international air travel, accommodation, subsistence, fees and charges for visas, travel vaccinations etc. Please visit the Global Internship Bursaries page for further details.
Summer Schools: There is currently no specific funding for Summer Schools, however, some of our formal university partners offer discounted fees or waivers. These will be listed on the Summer Schools page (internal link).
Turing Scheme: Through the Turing Scheme Durham will seek to make funding available for short-term opportunities that have a positive impact in terms of educational attainment, social mobility or employability. This may include: summer schools, volunteering or internships (non-exhaustive list). These will be advertised on the GO webpages.
Turing Scheme: Currently Durham participates in the Turing Scheme. Durham will seek future funding to support full-year study and work placements worldwide from the government's Turing Scheme - the global replacement for Erasmus+ funding.
In 2024/25: Durham University has received Turing funding and will:
For 2025/26 onwards. UK universities only receive funding one year at a time. The University will bid for funding when permitted, however, we are unlikely to know results until mid-2025. We cannot guarantee full funding from Turing and in the likely event that funding is not available for all international activities undertaken by Durham students, within the Turing [funding] Scheme, priority is given to Widening Participation students. Having a year abroad as part of a degree at Durham does not guarantee Turing funding. The University will contact students once more information is received from the Turing Scheme. Applications received before this, will be rejected.
Students from disadvantaged student groups or with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) needs may be eligible to receive additional funding to support a Global Opportunity
Student Employability Fund: This fund assists disadvantaged student groups with costs related to work or internship placements. This can include travel costs, equipment costs incl. laptops or potentially clothing costs to dress appropriately for their environment. In order to be eligible to be considered for this support, students will come from families who have a household income, as assessed by Student Finance England (or equivalent) of below £42,875 per annum. Please visit: The Student Employability Fund for more details.
International Travel Support Bursary (Volunteering): A limited number of bursaries are available to assist students who are looking to undertake an international volunteering opportunity with one of our Trusted Partners. Household income restrictions apply. Please visit the International Travel Support Bursary page for further details.
Global Internship Bursaries: These support students undertaking a self-found global internship. Household income restrictions apply. In addition, students must meet one of the following criteria: have participated in the Supported Progression Scheme or Sutton Trust Summer School at Durham University; be from a minority ethnic group; have a home address is in an area of low progression to higher education (i.e. your postcode is listed as a ‘1’ or ‘2’ in the POLAR4 column on the POLAR checking tool); you are a care-leaver (at any time) or an estranged student. Please visit the Global Internship Bursaries page for further details.
General Bursaries and Scholarships: The University also offers a wide range of additional scholarships and bursaries with specific eligibility requirements such as: department (e.g. Music), activity (e.g. sport) or background (e.g. from North East England). The Undergraduate Scholarships and Bursaries page contains a full list.
Some external organisations provide funding to support students wishing to take a full Masters or doctoral degree abroad.
Fulbright Postgraduate Awards provide funding and support for postgraduate study or research in the United States. Their mission is to advance knowledge, promote civic engagement and develop compassionate leaders through education exchange between the peoples of the US and the UK. Find out more here: Fulbright PG Awards
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