The Turing Scheme
The Turing Scheme supports students to fund opportunities abroad. Find out how it works, who's eligible and what financial support is available.
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CONTENTS
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What's the Turing Scheme?
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Who’s eligible?
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What countries are included in the Turing Scheme?
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What financial support do students get?
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How do you apply for the Turing Scheme?
- Alternative UK study abroad schemes
What's the Turing Scheme?
The Turing Scheme is a new UK Government programme to promote international opportunities for students. Announced after Brexit as a replacement for the EU’s Erasmus programme, it has funded placements for students from schools, further or higher education since September 2021.
In higher education, overseas opportunities funded by the scheme could include study or work placements lasting from four weeks to a year.
The scheme is named after Alan Turing, the computer pioneer best known for breaking the Enigma code in World War II, whose own international experience included study at Princetown University in the USA.
In 2023/24, 124 institutions successfully bid for funding from the Turing Scheme to support nearly 23,000 higher education students to travel abroad. A key aim of the government is to open up international experience to a wider range of participants, and around 54% of places are expected to go to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Who’s eligible?
In higher education, students at any level of study are eligible for support – whether you’re an undergraduate, postgraduate or a graduate who’s just finished uni. You could be studying full-time or part-time, or even taking a higher education course at a college rather than at university.
The scheme is also open to students of any nationality, so long as they study with a UK (or British Overseas Territory) higher education provider.
It all depends on whether your institution has been successful at bidding for a share of Turing Scheme funding for that academic year. So, as a student, you’ll only get to benefit from the Turing Scheme if your university or provider has successfully won a grant and then selects you.
Once the uni finds out how much money they’ve been awarded, they’ll recruit participants. Under the Turing Scheme guidance, unis must prioritise applications from disadvantaged students in particular, as well as under-represented students.
You are counted as a disadvantaged student if you:
- Have a low household income of £25,000 or less per year
- Receive Universal Credit or income-related benefits for yourself or because you support a child or partner who lives with you
- Are care-experienced, estranged from your parents, or are an unpaid carer
- Are a refugee or asylum seeker
Under-represented students include:
- Part-time or mature students (undergraduates over 21 years old, or postgraduates over 25)
- Disabled students
- Ethnic minority students
- The first generation in their family to go to uni (i.e. their parents didn’t go to uni)
The intention is to help disadvantaged or under-represented participants to gain international experience – along with allowing shorter placements of four weeks, which may be easier for some students to take.
What countries are included in the Turing Scheme?
The Turing Scheme enables you to go to countries throughout the world. This includes plenty of English-speaking locations, making the scheme more accessible for those who don’t have language skills or overseas experience.
Destinations could range from Albania to Zimbabwe – 162 nations in total, depending on the locations your uni has arrangements with. Most placements in 2023/24 will be in the USA (2,057), with France, Spain and Germany not far behind. Around 16% of Turing-funded students are due to go to countries where the main language spoken is English.
What financial support do students get?
All Turing Scheme recipients get a grant towards living costs such as accommodation. You might not get the cash though – it may depend on the arrangements your uni has made with the placement provider.
The amount of funding depends on how long you’re away for and where you are going. There are different rates of support, depending on whether the destination country is deemed to have:
- A high cost of living (Group 1, such as the USA or Japan)
- A medium cost of living (Group 2, which includes Finland, France and Brazil) or
- A low cost of living (Group 3, places like Chile, Bangladesh or China)
2023/24 Turing Scheme higher education grants
| Placement | 4–8 weeks | 9 weeks–12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 destinations | £136.25 per week / £545 per month | £380 per month |
| Group 2 and 3 destinations | £120 per week / £480 per month | £335 per month |
If you’re on a longer placement of nine weeks or more, you’ll get the rate for that category for the full duration (i.e. you don’t get more for the first eight weeks).
However the scheme doesn't provide support towards travel costs unless you’re a disadvantaged student, or your travel is ‘exceptionally expensive.’
Instead, undergraduates can apply for a travel grant through their student finance provider. You can read more about the travel grant in our page on undergraduate student finance and funding
Extra support for disadvantaged students
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds get money towards travel costs, and funds to cover expenses such as visas, passports, health insurance.
Plus, you’ll be eligible for a higher rate of grant for your living costs, as shown below.
2023/24 Turing Scheme additional support grants
| Placement | 4–8 weeks | 9 weeks–12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 destinations | £163.75 per week / £655 per month | £490 per month |
| Group 2 and 3 destinations | £147.50 per week / £590 per month | £445 per month |
How does it affect student finance for UK students?
If you get a maintenance loan in the UK, you’ll still be eligible for this while you’re abroad.
You’ll also get a tuition fee loan for your home university in line with current study abroad arrangements. If you’re going to an overseas university, the government expects that they should waive their tuition fees for Turing Scheme participants.
If you currently receive any grants because you have children or are disabled, you’ll continue to receive these.
How do you apply for the Turing Scheme?
You should ask your uni or higher education provider whether funding is available.
If funding is available, the amount you could get will depend on how long your placement is, which country you’re going to, and your personal circumstances.
- READ MORE
Alternative UK study abroad schemes
After the UK withdrew from Erasmus, the study abroad scheme that operates among EU members, the Welsh and Scottish governments both announced intentions to start their own international exchange schemes.
This is because the Turing Scheme only funds students going overseas, whereas Erasmus also brought EU students to the UK and funded staff training visits. Both are seen as bringing benefits to UK-based students through the exchange of international insight and experience.
Universities in the nations below can also apply to the Turing Scheme. Therefore it may be possible for a university to access both Turing and Taith funding, for example. However these would be for different projects – you won’t be able to get double the funding if you go on a placement abroad.
Wales
The Welsh Government’s international exchange scheme is called Taith. As well as being available to students at Welsh universities, it funds international exchanges for staff, researchers and research support staff. Universities can also fund inward exchange visits from individuals or groups in partner organisations overseas.
Students can get support for academic, volunteering or placement opportunities, lasting from two weeks to a year. Support includes:
- A grant towards living costs
- A travel grant
- Full costs to cover additional support for disabled students
- Full costs to cover visas, passport or travel insurance required for disadvantaged students
Disadvantaged students also get 50% more grant for living costs, and extra funding for travel if their placement is over 4,000km away. The criteria for disadvantaged students is the same as for the Turing Scheme.
As well as individual placements, there’s also funding for group visits (from two weeks to a month), opportunities during the summer months (summer schools, work placements or volunteering) and virtual or online exchanges (where a physical exchange or travel isn’t possible for the participant).
In the first year Taith ran, all eight universities in Wales successfully bid for higher education exchange funding, and six also received funding for research exchanges.
Scotland
At present, Scottish universities only have access to Turing Scheme funding for international experiences.
Despite early expressions of intent to launch an alternative to the Turing Scheme, progress towards an equivalent Scottish Education Exchange Programme has been slow. It is hoped that a pilot project may run in 2023–24.
Northern Ireland
If you are studying higher education in Northern Ireland, Erasmus exchanges may still be a possibility.
After the UK withdrew from Erasmus, the Irish Government said it would support Northern Ireland students to participate in the Erasmus scheme. This would be possible through temporary registration at a Republic of Ireland higher education institution. Details of this arrangement are yet to be published – although it is hoped support will be in place from August 2023.
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