Current undergraduate BSU students can apply for funding to support unpaid or low-paid summer work experience.

The Santander Summer Internship Award has been created in partnership by Santander Universities, providing students with funding to support them in gaining valuable work experience to support their future goals.

In 2024/25, there are 10 lots of £1,000 to be awarded.

The award can be used for a variety of purposes including, but not exclusive to:

  • Accommodation and living expenses such as bills,
  • Travel (petrol, parking and public transport)
  • Workwear
  • Sustenance (we award £5 a day for lunch, and £10 for an evening meal if your placement requires you to stay overnight)

Eligibility 

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be a current, enrolled, Bath Spa University student studying at either Newton Park, Sion Hill, Locksbrook, Corsham Court or BSU London (Hoxton). Students studying at our Educational Partner institutes aren't eligible. 

  • Create an account on the Santander Scholarship Platform (if you’re not registered already).

You don't need to be a Santander customer to apply.

Criteria

  • You must be a home or international, current undergraduate student at Bath Spa University
  • Minimum placement length: 100-120 hours (approx. 3-4 weeks)
  • Your placement must start by 11 July 2025
  • If you have already started your placement at the time of application, you must have at least 80 hours remaining
  • Applications submitted after finishing a placement will not be accepted
  • Placement must be unpaid or paid below national minimum wage
  • Multiple applications will not be accepted
  • International students: funds are not to cover flight/travel costs back to home country.

Application deadline

The Santander Summer Internship Award is open for applications until the fund is exhausted.

However, subject to finds being exhausted, applications for 2024/25 close at 23:00 (GMT+01:00) on 11 July 2025.

BSU cannot extend or change the deadline, as this is set by Santander. The application form will close promptly with no late submissions accepted.     

How to apply

To apply, you will need to: 

  1. Register on the Santander Open Academy Platform – select ‘Access’ in the top right and follow the link to register.
  2. Verify your email – check your inbox (including spam/junk folders) for the verification link.
  3. Apply for the Brighter Futures Grants initiative when it opens.
  4. Complete the application form, choosing 'Bath Spa University' and entering your student ID number.

In your application, you will also need to provide the following:

  1. Placement details - such as where and employer details (email address/contact number)
  2. An overview of the role - what the placement entails, the start and end date, working pattern
  3. Describe how the experience will be a genuine learning opportunity and beneficial to you and your future career goals.
  4. Tell us what the money will be used for. Please include any relevant evidence.

How applications are judged

The Santander Summer Internships Award will be judged based on the previously outlined criteria by the Bath Spa University disbursement panel, which consists of representatives from the Careers and Employability team.

We aim to notify applicants of the outcome within four weeks of submitting their application.  

If the award is granted, funds will be transferred to the bank account that you have detailed within your university profile usually within two to three weeks of the award being confirmed.

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.