The Turing Scheme and Erasmus+ funding

The Turing Scheme is operated by the UK government. It provides funding for students in higher education. It allows them to pursue international opportunities in education, work or training.

You could be eligible for a cost-of-living grant. You must be studying, working or training abroad for a period of at least four weeks but no more than a year.

This is available if you began working or studying abroad from September 2021. The government can pay it to you retrospectively.

The Turing Scheme is in addition to any funding you receive from Student Finance England. This might include as:

• maintenance loans
• tuition loans
• Disability Support Allowance (DSA).

The Turing Scheme provides an amount of funding towards your cost of living. This varies depending on sector and your destination country or territory.

The scheme divides destination countries or territories into three groups.

• Group 1 — high cost of living
• Group 2 — medium cost of living
• Group 3 — low cost of living.

Students on a higher education placement will receive:

1. For placements lasting between four and eight weeks:

• To Group 1 destinations: £136 per week
• To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £120 per week

2. For placements lasting over eight weeks:

• To Group 1 destinations: £380 per month
• To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £335 per month

Find out which countries or territories are in each group.

You can receive a higher cost-of-living grant if you are:

• from a disadvantaged background, and
• are on a higher education placement.

The amount of funding you'll receive depends on:

• your destination, and
• the length of your placement.

For placements lasting between four and eight weeks:

• To Group 1 destinations: £163.50 per week.
• To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £147.50 per week.

For placements lasting over eight weeks:

• To Group 1 destinations: £490 per month.
• To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £445 per month.

If you're from a disadvantaged background, there's also funding toward direct travel costs. This will support the expense of the round trip. How much you get depends on:

• the distance between the home and destination organisations.

All the amounts available are:

• 10 to 99km: £20
• 100 to 499km: £165
• 500 to 1,999km: £250
• 2,000 to 2,999km: £325
• 3,000 to 3,999km: £480
• 4,000 to 7,999km: £745
• 8,000 to 12,000km: £905
• 12,000km+: £1,360

The scheme will provide financial help towards expensive travel by exception. If the original amount provided does not cover at least 70% of the actual costs, the scheme will cover up to 80% of them instead.

You might also be eligible to receive actual costs for extra travel expenses. These could include the costs of things like:

• visas
• passports
• travel insurance.

Find out more about how the Turing Scheme defines a 'disadvantaged background'.

If you're a student with SEND, the scheme will fund up to 100% of actual costs for support directly related to your additional needs. This is in line with what the 2014 to 2020 Erasmus+ programme provided.

Unlike Erasmus+, Turing Scheme funding also covers preparatory visits by the sending organisation. This allows it to carry out risk assessments. These help ensure you can equally access and take part in all elements of a placement. Pre-visits can be for a maximum duration of three days. The funding can be used for both learners and accompanying staff. Pre-visits are not available for any other purpose.

The term SEND refers to learners with special educational needs (SEN). This includes those:

• who are in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance, or
• whose SEN arise because they have a long-term disability.

This disability must have a substantial and long-term effect on the ability to do normal everyday tasks. This includes learners who identify as having a disability, special needs or a medical condition as categorised below:

• social or communication impairment such as Asperger's syndrome or other autistic spectrum disorder
• blindness, or a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
• deafness or serious hearing impairment
• a long-standing illness or health condition such as:
  • cancer
  • HIV
  • diabetes
  • chronic heart disease
  • epilepsy
• a mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
• a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
• physical impairments or mobility issues, such as:
  • difficulty using limbs
  • using a wheelchair or crutches
• a disability, impairment or medical condition that is not listed above.

You may not meet the criteria for extra support as detailed above. If so, you may still get a grant to cover some of your travel expenses. To find out more, visit:

• gov.uk, if you live in England
• SAAS, if you live in Scotland
• Student Finance Wales, if you live in Wales
• nidirect and Student Finance NI, if you live in Northern Ireland.

Grants are subject to availability. They're based on the duration and destination of time abroad.

All participating students must submit learning and grant agreements. Unless they have approval to do so retrospectively, they must do this:

• before departure, and
• by the deadline.

The student must:

• complete the learning and grant agreements in full
• sign them
• email them to NTU Global along with all the risk assessment forms NTU requires
• submit all these documents to NTU Global before the commencement of travel.

Some students may undertake two separate periods of study and / or work abroad. If so, they must complete two separate grant application forms. For example:

• language students spending two semesters in two different countries
• students doing a study exchange followed by a traineeship or vice versa.

• For Semester One and full-year opportunities, the deadline is 31 August
• For Semester Two, the deadline to apply is 30 November.

You'll get the Turing forms via Mobility Online once you've applied to study abroad.

When I get my grant

Turing funding comes in two instalments:

• 80% before you travel, upon completion of the required paperwork.
• 20% when you return to the UK and you have submitted the required end of placement paperwork and survey.

Repayment of grant

You may have to repay part of the grant if:

• you've received Turing Scheme funding, and
• you return from your placement early.

Bear this in mind if you make any changes to the dates you're studying or working abroad. Get in touch with NTU Global to find out how these changes might affect your funding.

You must complete the risk assessment forms required by the University. If you don't:

• we won't allow you to travel
• you won't receive a grant.

We'll send you the forms after you apply for a period of study or work abroad. Other conditions may also apply.

The Erasmus+ programme promotes student mobility to Europe for study and work. The programme includes over 250 partner institutions in 26 European countries. View the Erasmus charter.

In 2020, the government confirmed the UK will not be part of the next Erasmus+ programme. However, we do have surplus Erasmus+ funding. We can use this until May 2023 or until it runs out, whichever comes first. This funding will be subject to availability as well as the usual requirements and criteria.

Erasmus+ mobility grants help students with the cost of travelling and living abroad. We've left the details on Erasmus+ mobility grants for 2021/22 on this page for your information.

Studying abroad

• Up to €370 a month for countries with a lower cost of living.
• Up to €420 a month for countries with a higher cost of living.
• €120 per month for disadvantaged students.

Apply for funding

You'll get the Erasmus+ forms via Mobility Online after you've applied to study abroad.

Working abroad

• Up to €470 per month for countries with a lower cost of living.
• Up to €520 per month for countries with a higher cost of living.
• €20 per month for disadvantaged students.

Applying for a work placement grant

Going on a work placement? You'll need to complete a Learning Agreement and Grant Agreement. Please contact Email NTU Global to request the forms.

Additional needs support grant

An extra grant is available if you have specific access needs. This is alongside the study or traineeship grants.

Special access needs include such things as:

• adapted accommodation
• travel assistance
• medical assistance
• supportive equipment
• adaption of learning material
• an accompanying person.

To apply for this specific needs grant, email us stating your needs and foreseen extra costs.

You must apply before the commencement of the mobility period. Email NTU Global for more information.

Application information

Grants are subject to availability. They're based on the duration and destination of your time abroad.

There is a minimum duration of 90 days for study exchanges and 60 days for work placements.

You must submit a grant agreement before departure. You must do this unless you have permission to do so retrospectively.

You must:

• complete the grant agreement in full
• sign it
• email it to NTU Global along with all the risk assessment forms NTU requires
• submit all these documents to NTU Global before the commencement of travel.

If you don't complete the grant agreement and the required risk assessment forms:

• we won't allow you to travel
• you won't receive a grant.

Students undertaking two separate Erasmus periods will need two separate grant contracts. Examples include:

• language students spending two semesters in two different countries
• students doing both an Erasmus exchange and an Erasmus traineeship.

When I should apply

Submit your Erasmus grant application:

• before the start of the placement, or
• by the deadline below.

Whichever comes first.

The deadline depends on when you're travelling.

• For Semester One and full-year opportunities, the deadline to apply is 31 August.
• For Semester Two, the deadline to apply is 30 November.

When my grant is paid

Erasmus+ pay grants in two instalments:

• 70% before you travel, upon completion of the required paperwork and survey.
• 30% when you return to the UK and you have submitted the required end of mobility paperwork and survey.

Repayment of grant

You may have to repay some or all your Erasmus funding if you return from your placement early. It will depend on how much of the placement period you completed.

Bear this in mind if you make any changes to the dates of your Erasmus activity. Get in touch with NTU Global to find out how these changes might affect your funding.

You must complete the risk assessment forms required by the University. If you don't:

• we won't allow you to travel
• you won't receive a grant.

We'll send you the forms after you apply for a period of study or work abroad. Other conditions may also apply.