Widening Participation Internship Bursary Scheme Guidance

Summary

1. Following a recommendation from the Fair Access and Participation Strategy Group, Northeastern University London (the University) has made funding available to help students take unpaid internships. Unpaid internships include expense only internships.

Purpose of the Bursaries

2. The purpose of this bursary is to enable students who are financially disadvantaged to gain meaningful work experience.
3. Many sectors do not regularly offer paid internships. The creative industries are particularly regressive on this point as are many third sector organisations, where a percentage of the University’s students may seek employment. However, the University does not stipulate that the employing organisation must be from these sectors.
4. The University has a regulatory requirement to spend a proportion of fees on improving access for Widening Participation (WP) students.
5. The University believes that four weeks of full-time work (35 hours per week) is the minimum period an intern should undertake to generate valuable work experience that may feature on their CV. However, internships of three weeks will also be considered in this scheme. Payments will be calculated based on the London Living Wage.
6. The internships are to take place over the summer.

Eligibility Requirements

7. To qualify for the Widening Participation Internship Bursary, the following conditions must be met:
   1. Students must have matriculated and be currently registered at the University (and not on a break in studies).
   2. Students must be in the first or second year of undergraduate academic study at the University.
   3. Students must qualify for a University bursary according to the financial criteria as set out in the Bursary Policy.
   4. Internships must be full-time (35 hours per week) for a minimum of three weeks over the summer. (For internships that begin before the end of the Summer Semester, a special case must be made in the application to demonstrate that provisions have been made for University commitments.)

Procedure

Application

8. An announcement will be made to all students via University newsletter(s), internal email communications and University posters.
9. The completed Internship Bursary Scheme Application Form, Widening Participation: Internship Bursary Scheme Application for Stage One Payment Form and a signed letter from the prospective employer should be submitted to the Widening Participation Internship Bursary Scheme Committee.
10. The employer’s letter should satisfy the following requirements:
    1. Be printed on the employer’s letterhead;
    2. Confirm that the student has been offered an internship and has accepted it;
    3. Confirm the name of the employer;
    4. Confirm the role that the student will undertake;
    5. Confirm the start- and end-dates and duration of the internship; and
    6. Confirm that the employer is not paying the intern a wage.

Widening Participation Internship Bursary Committee

11. The Widening Participation Internship Bursary Committee (the Committee) comprises the:
    1. Financial Student Aid Manager (Chair)
    2. Careers and Placements Lead
    3. Student Support Coordinator
12. Upon receipt of all application materials, the Committee determines the eligibility of both the student’s financial position and the internship, as specified in the Eligibility section above.
13. Subject to the eligibility requirements being satisfied, completed applications are approved and internship bursary awards are granted on a first come, first served basis.
14. Appeals against the decision of the Committee may be addressed to the Director of Career Design, Employer and Alumni Engagement, specifically citing this scheme and the grounds for appeal.

Payments and Ongoing Conditions

15. The first 50% of the bursary will be paid the week prior to the internship start date.
16. Following completion of the internship, the student will ask their employer to write a second letter to the Committee to confirm this.
17. Providing the internship has been completed, the Finance Team will then issue the second and final payment.
18. Once the internship is completed, the student will be required to write a review of it either for internal or external publication.
19. Students who fail to complete the initial part of the internship will be required to repay the 50% advance (or part thereof).

Timing

20. Applications will close on the first Monday of July each year.

Version History