Need a little extra support to take your next career step? Eligible BSU students can apply for a £250 grant to help.

In 2025/26, we’ve partnered with Santander to offer 60 awards of £250 to help our students take that next career step. The funding can support interview travel and clothing, placement or internship essentials and more. It’s here to help you say yes to opportunities that build your experience, confidence and future career.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for BSU’s Santander Career Support Award 2025-26 you must fulfil all of the following:

  • Be aged 18 years or older
  • Be a current, fully enrolled, Bath Spa University student on an undergraduate course or a postgraduate taught course (PGCE or Masters level), full time or part time
  • Be studying at either Newton Park, Sion Hill, Locksbrook, Corsham Court or BSU London (Hackney or Canary Wharf)
  • The activity must commence before 31st August 2026. Applications for activity that has already completed will not be eligible.

You must also:

  • Know your Bath Spa University student ID number – you’ll need to add it when you apply
  • Create an account on the Santander Scholarship Platform (if you’re not registered already).

Students should further note:

  • You don't need to be a Santander customer to apply
  • Students studying at our Educational Partner institutes or other providers and students on exchange programmes, distance learning or other modes of study are not eligible to apply.

Application deadline

Applications open on February 23 and close at 23:00 (GMT) on Thursday May 7 2026.

BSU cannot extend or change the application timescales as these are set by Santander. The application form will close promptly with no late submissions accepted. Santander reserves the right to close the award early in exceptional circumstances (acting at its discretion).  

How to apply

To apply, you will need to:

  1.  Register for free on Santander Open Academy (if you haven’t already)
  2.  Verify your email (check your inbox!)
  3. Log in, click ‘Get Started’ and complete the application form. 

Apply here by the deadline.

We strongly recommend you register with Santander Open Academy and visit the Award application area well in advance to check the requirements. This is where you will find Santander’s Terms and Conditions. 

How applications are judged

An application evaluation period will follow the deadline, with each university reviewing applications and identifying winning applicants. 

Successful applications will be selected by BSU based on the activity and the quality of the impact statement. Applicants who are participants of BSU’s Employability Fund or other BSU Careers and Employability projects or activities will be prioritised.  Decisions cannot be appealed. 

The successful applicants will receive a confirmation email (informing them that they have been awarded) via the Santander Open Academy platform on 21/05/2026. If you’re chosen as a winner, you must accept the grant on the platform within 7 days (by 28/05/2026). 

BSU will then follow up with the successful applicants to explain the next steps and advise about payment of the grant.

 

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.