Widening Participation Funding

Introduction

De Montfort University (DMU) has a long record in supporting the widening participation agenda and has significant experience in meeting the needs of underrepresented groups both pre-application and post entry. We believe that every student should also have the chance to take part in international opportunities and we would like to support students from underrepresented groups to make the best of their time at DMU.

This funding is made possible due to the Ben Lazarus Fund, which was set up in memory of former DMU student Ben Lazarus. The aim of the Fund is to support students from widening participation backgrounds to maximise the investment they make into their own futures and thereafter the ‘knowledge economy’ by enabling them to take part in overseas opportunities. Previous recipients of the Fund have travelled to destinations including the United States, France, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates.

Widening Participation Funding

£200

In order to make DMU Global opportunities more accessible we have set up a special fund to help high-achieving students from widening participation groups that need additional financial support. The funding is paid as a supplement to the DMU Global bursary and offers a further £200 for all opportunities.

Eligibility criteria

All students offered a place on an DMU Global trip that fall into one or more of the categories below can can apply for Widening Participation Funding:

Students from low-income backgrounds
Students who have a disability or medical condition
Students from a background in care
Mature students
Students from low-participation neighbourhoods (where very few people go on to higher education)
Students whose parents did not go to university
Students from an ethnic minority

Priority will be given to students applying for academic-led trips, but consideration will be given to applications for additional funding for extra-curricular opportunities.

Application deadlines

In the 2022-2023 academic year, DMU Global overseas trips will take place between September 2022 and August 2023.

There will be 3 rounds of trip applications, and we will be publishing details of the trips on offer for round 1 starting on Monday 9 May 2022. For the second round of trips, this will be Monday 3 October 2022, and for the final round of trips, we will publish details on Monday 16 January 2023. Students will have 3 weeks to apply for these opportunities.

Students that are accepted to participate on DMU Global trips can apply for the Widening Participation Funding according to the schedule below:

Application round	Trip dates	Funding application dates
1	1 September – 31 December 2022	6 June – 26 June 2022
2	1 January – 30 April 2023	7 November – 28 November 2022
3	1 May – 31 August 2023	20 February – 13 March 2023

Apply now

Application process

Before applying for Widening Participation Funding, you must have been offered and formally accepted your place for a DMU Global trip.

1. Complete application form

In your application you will be required to:

Provide accurate information about your financial situation
Clearly explain your motivations, why you are in need of support and how you will benefit from taking part in this academic-led trip. Each answer should be approximately 200 words.
Confirm that you are committed to participating in mandatory DMU Global ambassadorial duties which includes providing a case study to DMU Global after returning from your trip.

2. Application review

Once you have applied, a panel will review and make a decision on your application. Our aim is to review all funding applications in a fair, equal and transparent manner using the criteria below:

Meeting the general eligibility criteria of being accepted for a DMU Global trip
Consideration of your previous academic record at DMU
Demonstration of your financial need and how you will benefit from the extra financial support
Meeting the widening participation eligibility criteria (see above)
The quality and content of your supporting statements

3. Application outcome

You will be notified of the outcome of your application within 7 days of the application deadline closing. All decisions taken by the panel are final. Successful applicants may be asked to update their bank details via the My Bank Account tile on MyDMU to allow us to transfer the £200 bursary to you.

Please contact us if you have any queries regarding the application process.

Student stories

“I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Tokyo where we got to experience amazing contemporary music and art. I feel grateful for the opportunity and the additional funding provided by the university, as it enabled me to draw inspiration for upcoming coursework.”

Hermione Alston-Edwards

Academic-led trip to Tokyo, Japan

“The funding has enhanced my studies and gave me the chance to use Berlin as my final architecture studio project. Over the course of the trip, I learnt how an architect may tackle a site analysis abroad, through critical thinking and cultural understanding.”

Rahul Doll

Academic-led trip to Berlin, Germany