Funding applications for the Turing scheme open today

Schools, colleges and universities can apply for funding, as of today 12 March, to send students and apprentices to study and work across the globe as part of the Turing Scheme.

The programme, backed by £110 million of funding, and named after the famous mathematician Alan Turing, is intended to create 35,000 placements in 2021/22 and is replacing the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme.

Unlike the Erasmus+ Scheme, which is EU-focused, the Turing Scheme is a global programme, and every country in the world is eligible to partner with UK universities, schools and colleges.

The scheme will offer benefits to students that they would not have under the previous Erasmus+ programme, with university students from disadvantaged backgrounds set to receive a maximum of £490 per month towards living costs (currently worth around 573 euros compared to 540 under Erasmus), alongside travel funding, and other forms of additional funding to offset the cost of passports, visas and insurance. 

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has urged colleges, schools and universities to put in applications with schools minister Nick Gibb and skills minister Gillian Keegan are planning to visit areas which have previously not benefited from Erasmus+.

The Turing scheme’s placements will last between two and 12 weeks and are due to start in September. Learners can also use the funding to partake of international skills competitions, which can last between one and ten days.

If a learner has special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), placements can start from five days, as long as that is justified in the provider’s application.

Providers that are successful in their applications will receive funding to administer the scheme while the students will receive grants to help cover living, tuition and travel costs.

FE and vocational education and training (VET) students will receive up to £1,360 for travel costs.

Living costs are being broken down into three groups: group one for a high cost of living, group two for a medium cost and group three for a lower cost.

So for living costs, FE and VET applicants will receive:

To group one destinations: £109 per day for the first 14 days, £76 per day after the 14th day

To group two destinations: £94 per day for the first 14 days, £66 per day after the 14th day

To group three destinations: £80 per day for the first 14 days, £56 per day after the 14th day

FE and VET participants from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive actual costs for additional travel expenses, including for visas, passports and health insurance. Learners with SEND will receive funding for up to 100 per cent of actual costs for support directly related to their additional needs.

Colleges looking for information or wishing to apply can visit www.turing-scheme.org.uk The Department for Education said bids will close on April 29 and it expects to issue funding decisions in July.