If you are looking to undertake a career development opportunity, but finding it financially difficult to do so, then you may be eligible to benefit from the Career Development Fund.
If your career development opportunity is in an unpaid or low-paid role, or has additional costs associated which would make it difficult for you to take up the opportunity without financial assistance, we have two bursaries available to help.
The Career Development Fund 2025/26 will run until funds are exhausted. Early applications are advised as funds are limited. For qualifying criteria, and full details of what the bursaries can be used for, please see the Career Development Fund Terms and Conditions.
The bursaries available are:
- Work Experience Travel Bursary: for assistance with travel costs (individual applications only)
- Career Start Bursary: for all other costs associated with the work experience. Examples of possible uses for the Career Start Bursary include costs for buying suitable workwear, ad hoc childcare, specialist software and money to attend a conference (individual and group applications welcome).
Please see below for the application process.
* Please note, applications forms for the Work Experience Travel Bursary and the Career Start Bursary will become available at the end of July.
Learn to Drive Funds
If you’re a final year student, then you may be eligible to apply for one of the Learn to Drive Funds.
- The Learn to Drive Fund: this is a part funded initiative to help students obtain their driving licence to allow them to access placements or graduate employment that would otherwise not be available. Applications for this fund have now closed.
- The Enterprise Driving Fund: this is a fully funded initiative to support students in obtaining their driving licence, an essential requirement for graduate roles at Enterprise Mobility. The scheme aims to remove financial barriers that may prevent talented students from accessing opportunities within the company. By covering the cost of driving lessons, the fund enables students to meet key employability criteria to enter a role at Enterprise upon graduating. This fund is only open to final year domestic students. The application closing date is 25 July 2025. The Enterprise Driving Fund operates on a first-come, first-served basis and reserves the right to close early once the allocation of available places has been filled.
Please ensure that you have downloaded, read, and understood the Terms and Conditions for the Learn to Drive Fund or the Enterprise Driving Fund before applying. These documents outline the criteria for applicants and your responsibilities, should you be awarded the funds. You should also read the Learn to Drive Funds Frequently Asked Questions for other topics not covered in the Terms and Conditions.
It is recommended that you email Learn2Drive@canterbury.ac.uk to discuss which bursary application you should apply for, and everything else you need to know before applying.
How to apply
1. Please ensure that you have downloaded, read, and understood the Career Development Fund Terms and Conditions. This document outlines what the criteria is for applicants, career development opportunity, and your responsibilities, should you be awarded the funds. You should also read the Frequently Asked Questions for other topics not covered in the Career Development Fund Terms and Conditions.
2. It is recommended that you have an appointment with the CDF administrator to discuss your idea, which bursary application you should apply for, and everything else you need to know before applying. You can book a virtual appointment or in-person appointment here:
Book time with Meg Devine: CDF Application Meeting- Online
Book time with Meg Devine: CDF Application Meeting- In-Person
3. Please choose which Career Development Bursary to apply for based off your need for funding. Apply for the Work Experience Travel Bursary if you need help with transport costs. Apply for the Career Start Bursary for help with all other costs associates with the work experience. Please note that each applicant must have evidence of the opportunity and for the Career Start Bursary a referee or sponsor as part of your application, so we recommend you think about who this could be (an employer/lecturer/etc) before you apply. You can upload your referee or sponsor's email to the application. Should you have questions or need further information, please email cdf@canterbury.ac.uk.
Travel Bursary: Applications for this bursary run from August 2025 till the end of July 2026. We will acknowledge receipt of your application form within three working days and aim to get back to you with a decision within seven working days. If you have any questions, please direct them to cdf@canterbury.ac.uk.
The Career Start Bursary: This will be awarded following regular panel meetings. The dates for these meetings for 2025/26 will be:
Student deadline |
Panel date |
| Thursday 14 August | Tuesday 19 August |
| Thursday 11 September | Monday 16 September |
| Thursday 16 October | Monday 20 October |
| Thursday 13 November | Monday 17 November |
| Thursday 11 December | Monday 15 December |
| Thursday 15 January | Monday 19 January |
| Thursday 12 February | Monday 16 February |
| Thursday 12 March | Monday 16 March |
| Thursday 16 April | Monday 20 April |
| Thursday 14 May | Monday 18 May |
| Thursday 11 June | Monday 15 June |
| Thursday 16 July | Monday 20 July |
The Career Development Fund 2025/26 will run until funds are exhausted. Early applications are advised as funds are limited.
Make sure you look at the Frequently Asked Questions for further information. If you require any help with your bursary application, you can email cdf@canterbury.ac.uk.
Feedback
If you have already made use of the Career Development Fund and found it helpful, please get in touch and tell us more. We'd also love to hear about your career development opportunity and how it helped in preparing you for your career after university. To get in touch, please contact cdf@canterbury.ac.uk.
In this section
Career Development Fund
Learn to Drive Fund
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