This funding opportunity, jointly launched with the Widening Participation Department in 2015/16, is aimed at increasing the number of widening participation students who can and do access the mobility opportunities available to them at King's. 

Since its introduction, the Broadening Horizons Award has supported hundreds of students to complete term-time study and work placements, summer exchange and elective experiences all over the world. The award has three rounds which are open throughout the year depending on when you will complete your activity. Applicants must be home-fee-paying undergraduate students who meet at least one of the eligibility criteria and who are completing an eligible activity. You can find eligibility criteria below.

We are not able to guarantee funding to all applicants. This means that even if you meet one or more of the criteria to apply for the award, you are not guaranteed to receive funding. Students usually receive awards in the region of £250 to £900. Award amounts are subject to change year on year and will depend on which and how many primary and secondary criteria you meet, level of financial need, destination, length of stay, and the overall number of applications received by the Global Mobility Office in each round. In some cases, we will take into account the quality of students’ qualitative responses.

We will also consider other mobility funding (such as Turing, Erasmus+ and other King’s mobility funding) that you receive, as well as any other departmental or external scholarships (such as Edith Baer’s for Modern Language students) that you will receive towards your activity. Students who are completing a paid work placement, for a semester, year, or a shorter period may also receive a lower award.

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from home-fee-paying undergraduate students completing an eligible activity who:

• Are in receipt of the King's Living Bursary in the year the activity takes place
• Are in receipt of a means-tested NHS bursary (students whose parental/spouse/student contribution is higher that £2,226 are ineligible to apply)
• Have taken part in K+
• Have taken part in a Realising Opportunities or a Sutton Trust Summer School (these criteria apply for students starting their degree up to including 2025/26 entry)
• Are mature learners completing their first degrees (this means you were 21 or older upon starting your first degree)
• Are care experienced, young carers, or estranged students
• Are holders of the Sanctuary Scholarship (Sanctuary Scholars do not need to be home-fee-paying)
• Are Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller students
• Have a Disability requiring additional financial support to study abroad (we will ask for further information on the costs you will incur)
• Are completing the Extended Medical Degree Programme or the Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme

What is an ‘eligible’ activity?

Students completing any of the following types of activities can apply for a Broadening Horizons Award, providing they also meet the eligibility criteria above to apply:

• Term-time study abroad (including a Semester or Full Year abroad)
• Term-time work placement abroad* (such as International Management or Modern Languages internships abroad)
• Global Summer Exchange**
• Other short-term activity abroad such as an elective, field trip, or internship

The activity does not have to form part of your King’s degree (such as a term-time activity). Students applying for a BHA for extracurricular and/or external activities (such as an elective or internship) must provide confirmation of acceptance on their programme.

*Students who apply for a BHA for paid work placements can still apply, but may be less likely to receive an award, or may receive a lower award.

**Students who apply for a BHA for a Global Summer Exchange, who have also applied for a Global Summer Award, may receive a lower award. Students will likely need to accept their Summer Exchange offer prior to receiving the outcome of their BHA application.

If you are unsure if your activity is eligible, please contact studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk.

Can I apply retrospectively?

Yes, we do accept retrospective applications. However, students will need to apply for the BHA as soon as possible after their activity. For example, if you are studying abroad in Semester 1 but didn’t apply in Round 1, you would need to apply in Round 2, applications received for Semester 1 activities in Round 3 will not be accepted.

Please note that (with the exception of students applying for a BHA award to support a Global Summer Exchange), students should have a confirmed place on their chosen Study Abroad programme before applying to the Broadening Horizons Award. You may be required to show confirmation of your programme in order to receive any award.

If you do not participate in your activity for any reason, you will be required to return any funding you have received.

The 2025/2026 Broadening Horizons Award is for international activities taking place between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026. As in previous years, there will be three application rounds that will open and close throughout the year. When you apply depends on when your activity will take place:

Upcoming Rounds:

Round 1 – Now open
· Completing a study or work placement for Semester 1 or the full academic year or;
· Completing another activity, such as an elective, between 01/09/2026 and 12/01/2027
· DEADLINE: 11:59pm (UK time) on Sunday 16 August 2026

Round 2 - Now closed
· Completing a study or work placement for Semester 2 or;
· Completing another activity, such as an elective, between 13/01/2027 and 27/04/2027
· DEADLINE: 11:59pm (UK time) on Sunday 6 December 2026

Round 3 - Now closed
· Completing a Global Summer Exchange or;
· Completing another summer activity, such as an elective, between 28/04/2027 and 31/08/2027
· DEADLINE: 11:59pm (UK time) on Sunday 25 April 2027

A note on the application rounds:
Students should apply in the round that best fits their study abroad placement details. If you are studying abroad in over the summer, please wait until the appropriate round (Round 3) to apply. Any applications received in Round 3 for activities that are not for Round 3, or are not retrospective applications for Semester 2 will not be considered.

Students completing a Global Summer Exchange in Summer 2026 may apply retrospectively for funding in Round 1 only.

If you are not sure when you should apply, please email studyabroad@kcl.ac.uk

When will I receive an answer?

Applications are reviewed after each deadline and students can expect to hear back regarding the outcome of their application within six to eight weeks of the respective deadline. Following receiving an outcome, students may be required to provide additional documentation and evidence in order to confirm their award. We will then request the payment of the award to Student Funding. This should be done within one month but in busy periods may be longer.

Students should be aware that they are not guaranteed, and in fact are unlikely, to receive the funding prior to the start of their activity.