Due to the reduction of government funding across the sector, Royal Holloway are now required to only provide Turing funding in the 2026-27 session to:

-          undergraduates (not including students in their foundation year),

that can supply evidence that they meet either or both of the following:

-          the Department of Education’s Widening Participation criteria

-          have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) 

 (all outlined in our eligibility FAQ below)

The Global Experiences team have secured Turing Funding for students who meet criteria to support them with the cost of going on a life changing experience.

The amazing experiences that can be considered for this funding are:

Challenges Abroad

• Peru
• South Korea
• Thailand

 Think Pacific

• Bali
• Fiji

Travelteer

• Morocco
• Sri Lanka
• Vietnam

Operation Wallacea

• Croatia 

 Language Schools - if you are interested in completing a placement at a language school, contact the Turing team at turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk. 

• France 
• Spain 

 

If you're interested in receiving Turing Funding to support your Volunteering Abroad experience in 2027, here's what you need to know:

Step 1: Submit Your Application

• Complete the Application Form Applications close on Sunday 20 May 2027. 

⏳ Step 2: Complete Your Sign-Up Within 2 Weeks

Once your application is acknowledged by the Turing Team:

• You’ll have 2 weeks to:

  • Submit your WP and/or SEND evidence to turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk

  • Complete the sign-up process with the Volunteering Abroad Partner, including paying your deposit.

• Detailed instructions will be sent to you by email after your application is received.

Step 3: What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

• If you don’t complete the sign-up process within the 2-week window, you’ll be moved to the waiting list.

• You’ll be notified if a space becomes available later.

Step 4: Late Applications

• If your application arrives after all places are filled, you’ll be placed on the waiting list.

• The Turing Team will contact you if a spot opens up.

To be eligible forTuring funding you must fulfil the criera for either option 1 or option 2 (you may be both and that is fine too!)

 

Option 1)

Widening Participation (WP) Students are those who meet one or more widening participation categories as defined by the Department for Education: 

• Annual household income under £25,000 

• Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting: 

- themselves  

- themselves and someone who is dependent on them such as a child or partner 

• Experience of being in care or who is a care leaver – including anyone who is or has been in care, or from a looked after background, at any stage of their life 

• A carer, meaning anyone who both: Looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness frailty, disability, mental health problem or an addiction, and cannot cope without their support and is not paid for this care 

• Estranged students – including anyone who has had no contact with their biological or adoptive parents for 12 months or more, or the relationship with their parents has broken down within the last 12 months.  

• Refugees or Asylum seekers

• Someone who received Free School Meals 

• Someone whose home address is within Quintile 1 or 2 of POLAR4 data. You can check your postcode here.

These students will receive their Cost-of-Living grant, as well as a Travel Grant to support with the cost of one return journey and 'Readiness to Travel Funding' to cover certain costs for: 

• New passport 

• Visa application fees 

• Vaccinations and medical certifications
  
  
• Travel Insurance. 

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 Option 2)

Criteria for Qualifying for SEND funding

Additional support for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is available. SEND participants can claim extra funding for costs directly related to their additional needs that are not funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA). 

To request such funding, students must complete the application by the deadline for any global opportunity taking place in 2026-27. Students are required to provide a full breakdown of costs in the application. It is not possible to request this funding retrospectively. 

The grant will be reimbursement against actual costs; therefore, all receipts need to be kept and sent into turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk. Students will be compensated up to a maximum, once receipts have been reviewed and approved. 

This is in addition to the daily cost of living allowance paid out to support with the costs of the placement.

 

Yes, the Global Experiences team can give you a funding estimate based on the information you give them which must include your chosen destination, the duration of the opportunity, your eligibility criteria.

You can book an appointment to meet with a member of the Global Experiences team on campus in the Careers Hub or online via Teams.

Please book here just select the Turing/OPY Placement appointment type when booking.

If you cannot find an appropriate time slot, please do email turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk and we will organise a time to meet with you online.

Turing Scheme Funding for 2026-27

The Turing Scheme provides financial support to help students undertake international placements. The level of funding available depends on your circumstances and the length and location of your placement.

Widening Participation (Disadvantaged) Students

Cost of Living Funding

Students who meet the Widening Participation criteria may be eligible for the following living cost support:

• Placements lasting 14-56 days: £21-£23 per day (depending on destination)
• Placements lasting 57-365 days: £16-£18 per day (depending on destination)

Travel Funding

The Department for Education (DfE) will contribute towards the cost of one return journey to and from your placement destination, including any necessary transfers.

Funding is capped at a maximum amount based on your destination. Full details of destination rates can be found here.

Please note:

• Travel funding is reimbursed based on actual costs incurred.
• You must provide receipts and supporting evidence to the Turing Team before any payment can be made.

Readiness to Travel Funding

Additional funding is available to help disadvantaged students prepare for their international placement.

This funding can be used towards:

• Passports
• Visa applications and associated costs (such as document translations, travel to appointments, and police certificates)
• Vaccinations
• Travel insurance
• Medical certificates

Please note:

• Funding is reimbursed based on actual costs incurred.
• Receipts must be submitted to the Turing Team before payment can be made.

 

Widening Participation (Disadvantaged) Students with SEND

Students who are eligible for both Widening Participation funding and SEND funding can receive:

• Cost of living funding
• Travel funding
• Readiness to Travel funding

In addition, students may apply for extra financial support to cover costs directly related to their disability, health condition, or additional educational needs whilst undertaking an international placement.

Additional SEND funding can only be used for costs that:

• Arise because of a student's disability or additional need
• Are necessary for the student to participate in the placement

Additional SEND funding cannot be used to purchase personal items or assets such as:

• Clothing
• Luggage
• Other non-essential personal purchases

Students should contact the Turing Team to discuss their requirements before making any arrangements. Funding can only be approved once the Turing Team has confirmed that the requested costs are eligible under the Turing Scheme rules.

Students receiving Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) must not claim for costs that are already covered through their DSA support.

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SEND Students (Not Eligible for Widening Participation Funding)

Students who are eligible for SEND funding but do not meet the Widening Participation criteria may receive the following support:

Cost of Living Funding

• Placements lasting 14-56 days: £17-£19 per day (depending on destination)
• Placements lasting 57-365 days: £12-£14 per day (depending on destination)

Additional SEND Support

Students may also apply for extra funding to cover costs directly related to their disability, health condition, or additional educational needs whilst on placement.

Eligible costs must:

• Relate directly to the student's disability or additional need
• Be necessary to enable participation in the placement

Additional SEND funding cannot be used to purchase items such as clothing, luggage, or other personal assets.

Students must contact the Turing Team to discuss any additional support needs and wait for confirmation that the costs are eligible before committing to any expenditure.

Students receiving Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) should not apply for costs that are already funded through their DSA support.

Important

Students who are eligible for SEND funding only are not eligible for:

• Travel funding
• Readiness to Travel funding

They may only receive the basic rate of Cost of Living funding and any approved additional SEND support.

Please Note

Final funding allocations and eligibility will be confirmed by the Turing Team once applications have been assessed.

 

If you meet the Department for Education's widening participation criteria (highlighted in the 'How much funding can I expect to receive?' section) you will need to supply us with some evidence as outlined below:

Evidence Requirements for Turing Applications:  

Income below £25k 

• Document from Student Finance England proving highest level of maintenance loan being received 

Receiving a RHUL Bursary

• An email from the Busary Team confirming that you receive a bursary

Someone who received Universal Credit or income related benefits because they are financially supporting: 

1. Themselves 

2. Themselves and someone who is dependent on them, such as a child or a partner 

• A copy of your Universal Credit award notice  

• A proof of benefit letter from the Department for Work and Pensions 

Someone with experience of being in care or who is a care leaver – including anyone who is or has been in care, or from a looked after background, at any stage of their life. 

• A copy of your care records from the local authority or voluntary organisation that cared for you. 

• Evidence provided by the Duty Social Worker from the local authority where you were in care 

A carer, meaning anyone who both 

1. Looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, and cannot cope without their support 

2. Is not paid for this care 

• You can register as a career with your GP and provide the Turing Scheme with this evidence. 

• You can contact the social services department of the council covering the area where the person you care for lives. Once registered you can provide the Turing Scheme with this evidence.  

Someone who is estranged, including anyone who has had no contact with their biological or adoptive parents for 12 months or more, or the relationship with their parents has broken down within the last 12 months 

• A copy of a Confirmation of Estrangement Form signed by a suitable independent person 

 A refugee or asylum seeker 

• A copy of an Application Registration Card that certifies you are an asylum claimant  

• A copy of a biometric residence permit (BRP) proving your refugee status 

Someone who received Free School Meals

• Any evidence that a student received Free School Meals. If this is not available, the Turing Team may be able to check this information with data management.

Someone whose home address is within Quintile 1 or 2 of POLAR4 data

• You can check your postcode here and send a screenshot to the Turing Team along with evidence that it is your home address.

SEND Students

• Evidence of your registration with the Royal Holloway Disability and Neurodiversity Service 

• A copy of a Statement of Special Educations Needs 

• A letter from a medical professional or Social Services to evidence special educational needs and/or a disability 

• Any proof of benefits you receive as a result of being SEND 

• A copy of a blue badge or disabled bus pass 

• Evidence as registered as deaf, or blind or partially sighted 

• Copy of a disability proof card 

Yes! So long as you are a current Royal Holloway student and will be at the time you participate in the scheme, and you met the eligibility criteria you can receive funding.

No – and here’s why:
It’s really important to apply for your funding as early as possible so you know how much support you’re eligible for before committing to an opportunity or paying any deposits.

All students are eligible for basic funding to help with daily living and travel costs. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may be entitled to additional support.

Please note that programme fees (such as those for volunteering placements) aren’t covered in full. However, many of our partner organisations offer fundraising support, and some even provide extra incentives or financial assistance—so it’s definitely worth checking with them directly.

 

Do check if your chosen partner offers any incentives or discounts - please contact them directly to see if any apply to you.

 

Additional financial support from Royal Holloway:

1. Short Term Loan

Royal Holloway can provide loans of up to £500 if you end up in short-term financial difficulty and to assist in cash flow problems. 

It is an interest-free loan, which is repaid by an agreed date.

(Please note, loans usually take a minimum of three working days to be credited to your bank account.)

If you would like further information please contact the Financial Wellbeing Team

2. Study Support Grant (previously Hardship Fund)

The Study Support Grant is available to all students with an additional financial need.

If you have already received your maximum entitlement of student loan, parental support, home government loan etc, you may be eligible for help.

Please note, the Study Support Grant is cash limited and demand is high. 

Applications will be considered throughout the academic year while funds are still available. Priority is given to mature students, those with childcare costs, disabled students and those from a low income background.

If you would like further information please contact the Financial Wellbeing Team

External Funding Support 

If your Turing funding does not cover all of the cost for your trip there are various funding bursaries and grants for which you can apply, click on the links below to view what is available:

1. The Lord Mayor's 800th Anniversary Awards Trust
2. Jack Petchey Foundation
3. Studying abroad: travel grants for students (England)
4.  BUTEX  offers scholarships of £500 for students studying abroad. Applications for 2025/26 will open in the spring and students apply retrospectively. 

5. Successful applicants will be paid once they have arrived and registered at their host university. The scholarship is open to all undergraduate students and includes students who are also applying for a Turing award. 

   Further information about the scholarships and application process can be found on the BUTEX website. 

   There are also eight scholarships available for undergraduate students currently registered at a UK University through BUTEX (British Transnational Exchange Association). To be eligible to apply you must have been offered a 

   1. place as a Study Abroad or exchange student in a USA or Canadian university. Full details can be found on the BUTEX website. Any eligible student applying for a BUTEX scholarship is requested to inform the Study Abroad team in advance of any application.  

      6. John Speak Language Scholarship  

      The John Speak Languages Scholarship offers funding to support travel overseas to British Citizens aged 18+ who will study a language. Further information can be found from the John Speak Language Trust website. 

      7. Ann Dodgson Foundation 

      Specifically aimed at advancing the education of young people in the subject of France – its people, its language, its history and its culture. Further information can be found at the Ann Dodgson Foundation website. 

       

   You can also try crowdfunding or fundraising which can be an enjoyable experiece and lets you share your plans with others, such as bake sales or sponsored events.

   Our volunteering team and charity partners can support you with this - please do get in touch with the volunteering team to discuss this further. 

 Postgraduate students can only apply for volunteering abroad opportunities with partners.

Foundation year students will have the opportunity to get involved with Royal Holloway Global experiences when they progress on to their degree programme. 

This is possible however,  

1. You must book your flight in and out of the same country
2. Your return date must be before 31 August
3. You must fully participate in the programme meaning that you must complete all dates set out in your agreement

Please do email the Turing Team turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk to get further clarification if you are unsure.

Yes, you can do your own thing after the programme you are on with the Partner is complete, but you will only receive Turing funding for the dates of your programme with the Partner and no funding will be provided to cover your own travel plans.

Please do email the Turing Team turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk to get further clarification if you are unsure.

For more information or to ask any questions around funding, please contact turing-scheme@rhul.ac.uk, or in-person or online appointments are bookable here on the Careers Portal just select the Turing/OPY Placement appointment type when booking.

For any questions around specific opportunities including destinations,what to expect when abroad, pre or post departure information and durations please speak to the relevant volunteering or study abroad teams.