Apply for the Sport Excellence Programme

Are you a student-athlete currently competing, or demonstrating potential to compete, at:

• junior or senior national/international championships,
• within a National Governing Body or professional sports pathway, or
• a level that would provide a significant contribution to Solent’s sporting success.

If so, you can apply for a place on Southampton Solent University's Sport Excellence Programme.

Eligibility criteria

To apply you must have either:

• Accepted an offer for a full- or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate course at Southampton Solent University
• Be currently enrolled on a full- or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate course at Southampton Solent University

Athlete support package

A bespoke support package is designed and delivered by a dedicated team who are fully committed to our student-athletes' development and sporting success. This includes:

• Strength and conditioning.
• Dual career and lifestyle services.
• Sport therapy support.
• Access to sports science laboratory testing support.
• Sports psychology support.
• Sports nutrition support.
• Athlete workshops, such as UKAD, financial advice, and athlete transitions.
• Mental health and wellbeing support.
• Possibility of tiered financial bursary, awarded based on level of play at the discretion of selection panel
  - Gold tier (up to £5,000)
  - Silver tier (up to £3,000)
  - Bronze tier (up to £1,000)

How to apply and the selection process

Applications are considered on an annual basis. If you're an applicant for September 2025 entry, please  register your interest by email to sport.excellence@solent.ac.uk.

When registering your interest, please include your name, sport and course applied for or that you are currently studying.

Deadline for registering your interest is 2pm, Friday 19 September 2025.

Once we can confirm that you have either:

• accepted an offer for a full- or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate course at Southampton Solent University, or
• are currently enrolled on a full- or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate course at Southampton Solent University

we will send you an application form. Please complete the form as best you can, giving the selection panel as much detail and supporting evidence as possible.

Application deadline

Deadline for applications is:

Sunday, 21 September 2025 at 9pm for undergraduate applications.

Wednesday 24 September 2025 at 2pm for postgraduate applications.

Once applications have closed, the selection panel will review all submissions. The review will assess each applicant’s suitability for the programme, in relation to the selection criteria. The panel will endeavour to inform applicants of the success of their application no later than Friday 26 September.

If successful, you will be invited to an interview during the week commencing 29 September. The interview will last no more than 20 minutes and will be a chance for us to learn more about you and your sporting ambitions. Interviews consist of a 10-minute presentation and a 5-10 minute interview, to further understand your suitability for the programme, future aspirations and demonstration of Solent Values.

Successful applicants will then be invited to a welcome event and service delivery will begin the week commencing 6 October.

For any support or questions about completing an application or the review process, please get in touch by email to sport.excellence@solent.ac.uk.