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 definition of a WP student Access to Internships (A2I) uses is below. If you are unsure you are eligible for WP funding please contact us so we can verify for you.

You Must:

1. Be a Home-fee paying, undergraduate student

2. PLUS at least one of the following applies to you:

• Bursary recipient*
• Estranged from family support and in receipt of a standalone pledge bursary
• Mature student (21 or over on point of entry to University)
• Disability
• Care leaver* or care experienced*
• Carer
• Refugee status
• Distance or part-time student
• First generation at university (neither parents have attended university)*
• Participated in an Exeter Scholars’ programme before coming to university e.g. Realising Opportunities, Pathways to Law or Exeter Scholars
• Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood'* (defined by home postcode before coming to University)
• White Male + Home in a 'Low Participation Neighbourhood'* (defined by home postcode before coming to University)
• State school/college in a ‘Low Participation Neighbourhood’* (your last school/college before coming to University)
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student + State school/college in a ‘Low Participation Neighbourhood’* (your last school/college before coming to University)
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student + ‘Access to Exeter’ bursary recipient
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student + Mature
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic student + Disabled

Further Definitions:

* Bursary: An ‘Access to Exeter’ bursary from the University of Exeter or a bursary from the Student Loans Company where your household income is under £42k.

*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.

*Disability: A disability is normally defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial impact on normal daily activity and has lasted or is likely to last for 12 months or more

*First Generation at University: Neither of your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) attended a Higher Education Institution i.e. University, Polytechnic or College, to undertake a full-time higher education qualification i.e. a degree, diploma or certificate of higher education.

*Low Participation Neighbourhood: A neighbourhood where a low percentage of students progress to higher education. You can check to see if your home and/or previous school’s postcode was in a ‘Low Participation Neighbourhood’ 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 either of the following then your postcode is eligible:

-          POLAR4 – Quintile 1 or 2

-          POLAR3 - Quintile 1 or 2

Employer Subsidies Available

*The amount 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 4 weeks (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 email your Career Zone to request an appointment.  You should mention that you are interested in A2i or WP funding:

• Exeter: careers@exeter.ac.uk
• Cornwall: cc-careers@exeter.ac.uk

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 e-Claims system e.g. internships at the University or with the 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 Student WP 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, regsitered 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 2024.
• 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 the bursary, you must have checked that the internship meets all of the above eligibility criteria, and you will then be able to complete an application form for funding (when applications are open). 

Please note, A2i funding has now been fully allocated for this academic year (23-24) and the scheme will open again from November 2024. If you have any queries, you can contact the team at a2i@exeter.ac.uk. 

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

Funding is transfered to your internship employer (refer to employer eligibility below) so they can pay you at least £12.00 per hour. Please see the full funding eligibility below.

The £1,808 (no VAT) 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 Student WP 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 £12.00 per hour
• The duration of your internship must be for 4 weeks full-time or 140 hours part-time.
• Your internship should begin before the date of your graduation, if you are graduating in 2024.
• You should complete your internship by Friday 13th September 2024, before the 24-25 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

A2i funding has now been fully allocated for this year and the scheme will open again from November 2024. If you have any queries, you can contact the team at a2i@exeter.ac.uk. 

If your application has already been approved, the A2i team will contact the employer via email, with the instructions they need to claim the funding. When the employer has completed all of the relevant paperwork (an A2i Internship Agreement and a ‘New Supplier External Form’), they will be provided with a Purchase Order (PO) reference number from A2i so they can invoice the University. For all 2023-2024 applications, all paperwork from your employer must be completed by Friday 28th June 2024 and invoices submitted by Friday 19th July 2024, at the latest. Funding will be paid 30 days after receipt of invoice.

Widening Particiaption (WP) funding can cover the costs of a 140 hour paid internship with a University of Exeter Academic or Professional Service. A2i will allocate £2,047 for the internship and provide your line manager with an account code which they will use to pay you £13.45 per hour (£12.00 basic + £1.45 holiday pay). You will be paid through the university’s e-Claims system one month in arrears, providing the monthly submission and approval deadlines are met. Please see the full funding eligibility below.

The £2,047 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 Student WP 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 £13.45 per hour (£12.00 basic + £1.45 holiday pay).
• The duration of your internship must be for at least 4 weeks full-time or 140 hours part-time
• Your internship should begin by Monday 3rd June 2024 at the latest (it can begin earlier than this) and be completed by Friday 28th June 2024. 
  
• 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 (e-Claims). 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 the subsidy, you must have checked that the internship meets all of the above eligibility criteria, and you will then be able to complete an application form for funding (when applications are open). 

Please note, A2i funding has now been fully allocated for this academic year (23-24) and the scheme will open again from November 2024. If you have any queries, you can contact the team at a2i@exeter.ac.uk

A2i funding has now been fully allocated for this year and the scheme will open again from November 2024. If you have any queries, you can contact the team at a2i@exeter.ac.uk. 

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 Review together.

If you need to drive to work, the University recommends using car share schemes. You can find further information on University of Exeter car sharing, Car Share Devon and Car Share Somerset. If you are working outside of the South West, you can contact your local council to check if similar schemes are available.

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.

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