New Turing Scheme to Support British Students Abroad

A new £100 million scheme for British students to study and work abroad will replace the UK’s participation in Erasmus+.

Thousands of students will be able to study and do work placements across the world through a brand new scheme that replaces the UK’s participation in Erasmus+. The Turing scheme will be backed by over £100 million, providing funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas, starting in September 2021.

The new scheme will also target students from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas which did not previously have many students benefiting from Erasmus+, making life-changing opportunities accessible to everyone across the country. The programme will provide similar opportunities for students to study and work abroad as the Erasmus+ programme but it will include countries across the world and aims to deliver greater value for money to taxpayers.

With the help of the new scheme, the UK will reap the rewards from the investment by boosting students’ skills and prospects, benefiting UK employers and supporting Global Britain’s ties with international partners.

UK organisations will be invited to bid into the scheme in early 2021. Successful applications will receive funding for administering the scheme and students taking part will receive grants to help them with the costs of their international experience.

To meet delivery timescales, universities, colleges and schools are encouraged to begin preparation with international partners as soon as possible. The benefits of the exchanges to schools and colleges will be assessed, with funding decisions for subsequent years being subject to future spending reviews.

“Evidence shows that students who have international experience tend to do better academically and in employment, and the benefits are greatest for those who are least advantaged,” Universities UK International Director, Vivienne Stern, said. “The new Turing scheme is a fantastic development and will provide global opportunities for up to 35,000 UK students to study and work abroad.”