The University of Exeter believes in the principle that everyone with the potential to benefit from higher education should have equal opportunity to do so. We are committed to widen participation in higher education; raise pupil attainment; and put students on a level playing field to ensure they enjoy the best possible outcomes at university and as graduates. The A2i team uses the criteria below to confirm your eligibility for funding (updated 4/10/2024):

You Must:

1. Be a Home-fee paying, undergraduate student
2. Plus, at least one of the following applies to you:

• Access to Exeter Bursary recipient*
• Mature student (21 or over on point of entry to University)
• Disabled student
• Care Leaver or care experienced*
• Carer
• Participated in a Fair Access programme before coming to university e.g. Exeter Scholars, Realising Opportunities, Pathways to Law
• Estranged student*
• Refugee or asylum seeker
• Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood’ (POLAR Q1&2) and from a State School*
• Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood’ (TUNDRA MSOA Q1&2) and from a State School*
• Home in an area of deprivation (IMD Q1&2) and from a State School*
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student and Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood’ (POLAR Q1&2) and from a 
  State School*
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student and Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood’ (TUNDRA MSOA Q1&2)
  and from a State School*
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student and ‘Access to Exeter’ bursary recipient*
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student and Mature
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student and Disabled

Further Definitions:

*Bursary: An ‘Access to Exeter’ bursary from the University of Exeter where your household income is under £30k.

*Care Leaver: Young people (up to the age of 25) who have been looked after by the local authority for more than 13 weeks since they were 14, including some time at age 16 or 17.

*Care Experienced: Anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short. This care may have been provided in one of many different settings, such as in residential care, foster care, kinship care or looked after at home with a supervision requirement.

*Estranged student: in receipt of the Estranged Student Bursary.

*Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood', or area of deprivation, (defined by home postcode before coming to university): You can check to see if your home was in a neighbourhood where a low percentage of young people progress to higher education, or in an area of deprivation, by entering the postcode on the Office for Students webpage. To do this scroll down to the ‘Area-based measures postcode look-up’ box, enter the postcode and press ‘view detailed results’. If your postcode results show any of the following, then your postcode is eligible:

• POLAR Quintile 1 or 2
• TUNDRA MSOA Quintile 1 or 2
• IMD Quintile 1 or 2

Download the Widening Participation Criteria.

If you are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact: a2i@exeter.ac.uk 

Employer Subsidies Available 2024-25

New to the 24-25 academic year, we are now able to offer students the option to apply for either 80 or 140 hours worth of funding. You can only apply for one employer subsidy per academic year. 

The funding provided to your employer is intended to fully cover your internship wages plus National Insurance (NI) contributions or Apprenticeship Levy costs that your employer may have to pay to employ you for either 80 or 140 hours. Any additional costs incurred by the employer cannot be covered by WP funding.  This includes, pension contributions if the organisation enrols all employees on a pension scheme. You, as an employee, may be required to pay NI or Income Tax from your salary if you exceed the threshold.  This will automatically be deducted from your wages. Further information about NI and tax contributions can be found on the government and Acas websites.

Additional Support Available

A bursary can be paid directly to you from the university to help with the costs you may incur undertaking your internship.  This can include travel costs, workwear and accommodation. You can apply for the bursary at the same time as the WP funding using the same application. Students undertaking an internship at the University or with the RAMM (when using the University's payroll) are not eligible for the bursary.

To arrange you own internship you will need to undertake the following 4 steps:

1. Identify the sector you want to work in and the type of role that interests you.
2. Identify potential internship employers and key contacts to approach - the A2i team can provide a list of employers who are open to being approached by you, if needed.
3. Approach the employer to ask if they can offer you an internship, and mention that you have funding attached to you to cover your pay. (You can use the templates in the guide below to help you)
4. When you have received a positive response from the employer, you can complete the A2i WP Funding Application form.

For further guidance, you can refer to our 'How to arrange a paid internship' guide. 

Further Help

If you need help or advice with your CV, cover letters, or your LinkedIn profile, the Help with CVs, Cover Letters, and Applications page outlines the various ways the Career Zone can help, including appointments, events and resources.

If you have any queries about the funding, including internship or employer eligibility, you can contact the team at A2i@exeter.ac.uk

You also have access to the university's dedicated Careers Consultants who can provide one-to-one careers advice and guidance. You can book an appointment by speaking to an Information Assistant via the live chat feature on this webpage, or you can email the Career Zone team at careers@exeter.ac.uk. You should mention that you are interested in A2i or WP funding. 

To get started with arranging your own paid internship, why not take a look at our 'How to arrange a paid internship' guide. 

If you have any questions at all, please do email the A2i team at: a2i@exeter.ac.uk. 

Below are template emails that you can use for reaching out to organisations about the Access to Internships scheme. Please note, when reaching out to employers we would recommend that you insert your speculative letter into the body of your email and attach your CV to the email:

• Academics or Professional Services teams: UOE Internships - Template Email 80 or 140 hours
• SME, Charities, or Statutory Organisations:External Employers - Template Email 80 or 140 hours

If you would like to feedback on your speculative application, or advice about approaching employers, you are welcome to book an appointment with the Career Zone: Appointments | Career Zone | University of Exeter

A2i can provide you with a £250 bursary to help you with the costs you may incur when undertaking an internship. This can include help with travel costs, work wear and accommodation. If your application for the bursary is successful, you will be paid directly from the university's scholarships team. You can apply for this funding if you have secured an eligible UK internship as per the criteria below.

Please note, students undertaking a remote internship or an internship that uses the university’s Paid Time system e.g. internships at the University or with the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM), are not eligible to receive a bursary.

You must...

• Have the right to work in the UK and have, or be applying for a National Insurance Number*
• Be a current University of Exeter undergraduate student who meets the Widening Participation Criteria.

*A National Insurance (NI) number is a number unique to you to help your employer pay your National Insurance contributions.  You can begin your internship without one but you may need to tell your employer that you do not have one so they can arrange for your NI contributions (if you exceed the NI threshold) to a temporary number. For further information, you can refer to the A2I FAQ on NI numbers.

Employer Eligibility

• Your employer must be registered in the UK.
• Your employer should be an SME, registered charity, or a statutory organisation (council, school, college or university).

Internship Eligibility

To qualify for the bursary, your internship should meet the criteria below...

• Your rate of pay must meet the National Minimum Wage requirements - unless you are undertaking a credit bearing placement as part of your degree.
• The minimum duration of the internship must be 1 week full-time or 35 hours part-time.
• The internship must begin before the date of your graduation, if you are graduating in 2025.
• You should not work more than 15 hours per week during term-time.  You can undertake a full-time internship during the holidays.
• Your internship role should include tasks and responsibilities normally associated with an undergraduate level position to aid your career development.
• Your internship must not be completed before you apply for funding.

Applying for the Bursary

To apply for funding, you must have checked that your internship meets all of the above eligibility criteria. When the criteria has been met, you can complete the following A2i WP Internship Bursary Application. All funding is issued on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Please note, funding is likely to run out before March 2025. You can apply for funding now even if your internship is due to start at a later date. It must paid to you before mid-July 2025.

Widening Participation (WP) funding can fully cover the costs of either a 80 or 140 hour paid internship in the UK. 

Funding is transferred to your internship employer (refer to employer eligibility below) so they can pay you at least £12.60 per hour. Please see the full funding eligibility below.

The employer subsidy will cover the costs of your wages plus the National Insurance (NI) contribution your employer may have to pay for employing you, and does not reflect the actual amount you will receive. As an employee, you may also be required to pay National Insurance and Income Tax from your salary and this will automatically be deducted from your wages, if applicable. Further details about NI and tax contributions can be found on the government or Acas websites.

Student Eligibility

Students must...

• Have the right to work in the UK and have, or be applying for a National Insurance Number*
• Be a current University of Exeter undergraduate student who meets the Widening Participation Criteria.‌

*A National Insurance (NI) number is a number unique to you to help your employer pay your National Insurance contributions. You can begin your internship without one but you may need to tell your employer so they can arrange for your NI contributions (if you exceed the NI threshold) to a temporary number. For further information, you can refer to the A2I FAQ on NI numbers.

Employer Eligibility

The employer must...

• Be registered in the UK.
• A Small or Medium sized Enterprise (SME) - an organisation with less than 250 employees and a turnover of less than £46 Million per year), a UK registered Charity or a Statutory Organisation.
• Pay you through their own payroll system. If an employer is not able to add you to their payroll, the university will not be unable to provide funding.
• Have suitable liability insurance.
• Provide a contract of employment. You must be employed during your internship, you cannot be self-employed. For more information you can refer to the HMRC website.

Internship Eligibility

• Your rate of pay must be at least £12.60 per hour
• The duration of your internship must be for 80 or 140 hours overall (depending on the funding package that you applied for). 
• Your internship should begin before the date of your graduation, if you are graduating in 2025.
• You should complete your internship by Friday 19th September 2025, before the 25-26 academic year begins.
• You should be paid at regular intervals i.e. monthly or weekly once you have started work.
• Your working hours should not exceed more than 15 hours per week during term-time.  Full-time internships can commence during the holidays.
• Your internship role should include tasks and responsibilities normally associated with an undergraduate level position to aid your career development.
• Your internship should not have started before you apply for funding. You cannot apply for funding if you have already finished the internship.

Applying for Funding

To apply for funding, you must have checked that your internship meets all of the above eligibility criteria. When the criteria has been met, you can complete the following A2i WP Funding Application for External Employers.  All funding is issued on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Please note, funding is likely to run out before March 2025. You can apply for funding now even if your internship is due to start at a later date in this academic year. It must however be paid to your employer before mid-July 2025.

Widening Participation (WP) funding can cover the costs of either a 80 or 140 hour paid internship with a University of Exeter Academic or Professional Service (you will need indicate on your funding application form which funding package you would like to apply for).

You will be paid through the university’s Paid Time system one month in arrears, providing the monthly submission and approval deadlines are met. The current hourly rate is £14.12 per hour (£12.60 basic + £1.52 holiday pay). 

The employer subsidy will cover the costs of your pay plus any on-costs that the University may have to pay for employing you and does not reflect what you will actually receive. As an employee, you may also be required to pay National Insurance and Income Tax from your salary and this will automatically deducted from your wages, if applicable. Further details about NI and tax contributions can be found on the government or Acas websites.

Student Eligibility

Students must...

• Have the right to work in the UK and have, or be applying for a National Insurance Number*
• Be a current University of Exeter undergraduate student who meets the Widening Participation Criteria.‌

*A National Insurance (NI) number is a number unique to you to help your employer pay your National Insurance contributions. You can begin your internship without one but you may need to tell your employer so they can arrange for your NI contributions (if you exceed the NI threshold) to a temporary number. For further information, you can refer to the A2I FAQ on NI numbers.

Internship Eligibility

• You must be paid at least £14.12 per hour (£12.60 basic + £1.52 holiday pay). 
• The duration of your internship must be for at least 80 or 140 hours overall (depending on the funding package that you applied for). 
• Your internship should begin by Monday 9th June 2025 at the latest (it can begin earlier than this) and be completed by Friday 4th July 2025. 
  
• Your internship role should include tasks and responsibilities normally associated with an undergraduate level position to aid your career development.
• Your working hours should not exceed 15 hours per week during term-time.  Full time internships can commence during the holidays.
• Your internship should not have started before you apply for funding as we cannot backdate any hours that you have previously completed.

Important

You are not permitted to start work until you have supplied evidence of your right to work in the UK to the Temporary Resourcing Team. This applies to all interns regardless of nationality or duration of work. We will send you details about how you can do this once you have applied and have been successful in securing A2i funding.

Applying for Funding

To apply for funding, you must have checked that your internship meets all of the above eligibility criteria. When the criteria has been met, you can complete the following A2I WP Funding Application University of Exeter Internship.  All funding is issued on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Please note, funding is likely to run out before March 2025. You can apply for funding now even if your internship is due to start at a later date in this academic year.

Before you apply for funding, make sure all the funding eligibility criteria has been met, as outlined above. You can then complete the appropriate application form for funding:

• A2i WP Funding Application for Internships with External Employers
• A2i WP Funding Application for Internships at the University of Exeter (Exeter and Cornwall Campuses)
• A2i WP Internship Bursary Application

The A2i team will confirm your WP status using the University’s Student Record System to ensure that you are eligible for the funding.

Please read the Making the Most of your Internship to help you prepare and make the most of your time.

You may also find the Supporting Equality and Diversity webpages useful, especially if you are considering whether to share certain characteristics with a potential employer such as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We understand that you may have concerns or queries around these areas when career planning and job seeking.  The Career Zone can provide information and advice on common equality and diversity issues you may face, sources of support and positive employers and programs they offer.

We ask that your internship employer provides you with an induction when you start working. If your employer does not have an induction process, you can work through the Internship Induction Checklist. If you are undertaking your internship remotely, you may also find the Virtual Internships: 10 Top Tips for Remote Working useful.

Your employer should set you clear aims and objectives during your internship. Your line manager should review and evaluate your performance throughout your internship, providing feedback where necessary. Employers are welcome to use their own performance evaluators, or you can work through the University's Internship Performance Development Reviewtogether.

If you need accommodation during your internship, you can find reasonably priced rooms and flats on Zoopla  Spare Rooms Rightmove and Gumtree. If you are working in Exeter, the University can also offer en-suite accommodation over the summer.  For more information, visit the University’s Accommodation website.

You can learn about the experience of previous students who have undertaken an A2i-funded internship including the different job roles and types of employers.  Take a look at our bank of case studies.

If you have a query, you can check the FAQ page.

If you have any queries, you can contact the team via email or phone...

Email a2i@exeter.ac.uk

Call 01392 722617

Phonelines are monitored Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.  If the team are not able to take your call, you can leave a message.

• The intern must allow us to share their details, details of the company and the internship with the funders, the University's Widening Participation Team.
• All parties must agree to the A2I Terms and Conditions as outlined in the A2i Internship Agreement. 
• Students can apply for a maximum of one employer subsidy and one WP Internships Bursary (if eligible) per year. However, if the student has secured an advertised internship as part of the SBP scheme and the internships team has offered the employer funding to help recruit an Exeter student, then this will not count towards the student’s allocation of A2I funding.
• Students and employers cannot apply for further funding to either extend an intern or employ the same student or graduate.
• Employers cannot combine or apply for more than one A2I subsidy; Widening Participation or Southwest funded Internships for the same internship.
• Employer subsidies will be paid upon the successful placement of an Exeter intern into the approved internship and once an A2I Internship Agreement has been signed and returned.

Any data provided to the University by any party will be processed in accordance with Student Employability and Academic Success (SEAS) Privacy Policy.