Turing Scheme applications open: What is the Erasmus+ replacement?

The government has begun inviting applications for the Turing Scheme after choosing not to continue to participate in the EU’s Erasmus+ programme after Brexit. 

So what exactly is Turing Scheme? 

Named after mathematician Alan Turing, under the new programme, students will be provided with funding towards the cost of study or work placements abroad. However it will not cover tuition fees. 

The funding is intended to go towards living costs with grants of up to £490 per month, depending on which country they will travel to. In addition students from disadvantaged backgrounds can claim travel costs.

How is it different from Erasmus+? 

The Turing scheme will provide placements across the world, unlike the Erasmus scheme which covered placements across 11 European countries initially and has expanded to 23 more, with some non-EU countries that pay to be part of the scheme. 

Both schemes are open not only to university students but also to those in vocational training, apprentices or those who are retraining through a college or school.

Erasmus+ offers placements for teaching and college staff and youth workers as well, but the Turing scheme will not.

Magda Dabrowski, who was looking to study abroad for a year said: “The government claims that the scheme will give opportunities to many more students but I feel like they have disadvantaged students from lower-income backgrounds with such scheme.”

What does the scheme mean to international students? 

One of the big changes with the Turing Scheme is that there won’t be any funding to pay for international students coming to do placements in the UK.  

A new international education strategy published by the Government says UK universities will “build reciprocal relationships on a truly global basis with incoming students’ costs covered by their own governments or institutions”.

Lujain Abdulaziz, a student from Saudi Arabia said: “I’m excited for the opportunity to study in the UK but I will have to rely on a loan from the Saudi Arabian government to cover the year abroad as it is really expensive. 

The Turing Scheme is now open for applications with deadline of April 9 for higher education student.