Hallam Award

Hallam Award

Gaining the Hallam Award will help you to improve your CV and expand your talents.

It gives you recognition for the extra things you do outside of your course including part-time or campus jobs, volunteering, student societies, student/course rep, sports, caring responsibilities, and any other interests you may have; all the things that help you make the most of your time here at Hallam. Through these activities, you will develop new skills (we call them Graduate Attributes), build your experience, and feel connected to a wider community. Reflect on these activities and be ready to sell yourself to employers. You will improve your LinkedIn or Handshake profile to support your job applications.

 

How does it work?

There are three levels to the Hallam Award, and it is entirely up to you how much you do! The Award is for all students, no matter what year you are in. You gain a certificate for every level you achieve – bronze, silver and gold. Though it’s not the certificate that’s important - it’s your ability to gain experiences and talk about them in a way that will make you stand out to employers in the future.

At each level, you choose two new Hallam graduate attributes to develop through various suggested activities. You can reflect on any extracurricular activity you have undertaken whilst studying at Hallam.

Why do the Hallam Award?

  • Gain recognition for your extra-curricular activities, work experience, volunteering, and skills development
  • Identify strengths and weaknesses, set goals for the future, and make informed decisions about your career path
  • Get valuable support and guidance, including one-to-one coaching and feedback from our Advisers

The Santander Fund

The Hallam Award has been granted a £10,000 bursary from the Santander Fund. We will be funding 10 students £1000 each to support those who have carried out work experience and developed their skillset as part of gaining the Bronze, Silver and Gold Hallam Award.

For the Santander Fund application, students must evidence how they would spend the money to build on progress demonstrated from their Bronze, Silver and Gold Hallam Award application. Students must also evidence how this will lead to personal/professional growth and development.

The Santander Fund applications are currently open. The Hallam Award team will be hosting workshops throughout Semester 2 to support students understand the application process and answer any questions. Applications for the Santander Fund will close on the 25 April 2025. 

Click here to log in to the Santander Open Academy and access the application. You must log in with your Hallam Gmail account: STUDENT NUMBER@my.shu.ac.uk and your usual Hallam password. Watch the video below for more instructions on how to access the Santander Fund application form.

The Santander Fund FAQs

Do I need to have all three Hallam Award levels to apply for the Santander funding?

Yes. You need to have been awarded the Bronze, Silver and Gold Hallam Award.

Can I use the money to reimburse myself for activities/costs carried out at any level of the award, not just Gold?

Yes, if you have incurred any costs such as travel to volunteering or an internship, training course costs, professional body memberships etc, no matter what level of the Hallam Award you did these at, these are eligible to evidence in your application. Please note you can only reimburse yourself up to £500 from previously completed activities, and should evidence how you would spend the other £500 on future activities.

Can I reimburse myself for unpaid volunteering/internships either already carried out, or due to be carried out?

Yes, you can. You will be reimbursed for a maximum of 40 hours at a rate of £12.21 per hour.  

Can I spend it on future activities, even if not carried out before end of the application deadline?

Yes. If you do not wish to reimburse yourself for previous activities undertaken for the Hallam Award then you must evidence how you would spend the £1000 on future activities. If you wish to reimburse yourself, you can do so up to a maximum of £500 and then you must evidence how you would spend the other £500 on future activities. 

What if my expected costs for my application are less than £1000?

We advise you quantify all of the £1000 award, and spend up to the limit, considering future activities like additional courses, conferences, joining a professional body etc.

Do I have to provide invoices or receipts for any costs incurred from previous experience carried out for the Hallam Award. What if I don’t have them or cannot find them?

Yes, you need to provide evidence of spend in the form of receipts upon request. If you cannot find any receipts, you will not be able to claim for this spend, this includes travel. You will need to have these receipts to hand and be able to provide them if you are selected for the funding. If you cannot find them and provide them by the date we request, then we will not be able to provide you with the funding.

How many words should I write for the evidence in each section?

This is down to each individual, but we suggest a short paragraph, around ¼ of a page long, perhaps around 300 words – there is no word limit though, so whatever you feel you need to evidence the question being asked.

What is the deadline to apply?

The application deadline is 25th April 2025.

When will I hear whether I am successful or not?

We will shortlist applicants and aim to let successful students know during the week commencing 12th May 2025.

How will I be paid, and when?

Santander will arrange a bank transfer for the money, if you have been successfully selected as one of the 10 to receive the award funding.

Will I receive feedback if my application was unsuccessful?

No. Unfortunately we will not be able to give feedback to any individual on their application.

On the application form, it asks for my grade, but the grades are not the same as UK degree grades. What should I put?

As Santander is a Spanish bank it utilises a Spanish grading system. The UK grade comparisons are provided below. Please provide your predicted grade/average based on these figures. Your grades are not used to shortlist applicants.

+70% = 9-10

60-69% = 7-8.9

50-59%  = 6-6.9

40-49%) = -5.9

Below 40%  = lower than 5 (fail)