Turing Scheme: Further details of UK’s Erasmus+ replacement revealed
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Applications for the government’s new £110m Turing Scheme will open next month to universities, further education and vocational education providers and schools, it has been announced.
The scheme is designed to replace the Erasmus+ scheme following the UK’s departure from the EU.
Details surrounding funding opportunities, grants for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and eligibility criteria have been announced on the scheme’s new website.
Applications for funding will open in March for six weeks, it states, with funding decisions set to be announced in June.
“Funding is open to UK and British Overseas Territories organisations from across the education and training sector through higher education, further or vocational education and training, and schools projects,” the website states.
The first round of placements, which range from two or three days for primary school pupils to between four weeks and a year for university and further education students, are expected to begin in September.
However, the website states: “If Covid-19 persists into Autumn 2021 and beyond we will consider funding alternative contingency arrangements.”
Funding for the scheme will go towards delivering placements and exchanges, including grants to help cover travel expenses and costs of living and administrative funding for delivering the projects.
The rates provided will be “broadly in line” with what was on offer under Erasmus+, the Department for Education has said.
Under each project to cover administrative costs, £315 will be provided per participant for the first 100 participants with £180 per participant provided from the 101st participant.
Grants of between £20 and £1,360 will then be provided towards travel costs depending on the distance of each placement.
A three tier system has been introduced to cover living costs: Group 1 (high cost of living), Group 2 (medium cost of living), Group 3 (lower cost of living).
Further education and vocational learners will receive:
- To Group 1 destinations: £109 per day for the first 14 days, £76 per day after the 14th day
- To Group 2 destinations: £94 per day for the first 14 days, £66 per day after the 14th day
- To Group 3 destinations: £80 per day for the first 14 days, £56 per day after the 14th day
Further education students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including those in care and care leavers and those on universal credit or in receipt of free school meals, will receive “actual costs for additional travel expenses, including costs of visas, passports, and health insurance”.
Meanwhile, higher education students will receive:
For placements lasting between four and eight weeks:
- To Group 1 destinations: £136 per week
- To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £120 per week
For placements lasting over eight weeks:
- To Group 1 destinations: £380 per month
- To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £335 per month
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive a higher cost of living grant which amounts to:
- To Group 1 destinations: £490 per month
- To Group 2 and 3 destinations: £445 per month
Funding opportunities will also be made available to primary and secondary schools in the form of long-term and short-term placements lasting between three days to six months.
“Short-term placements are for pupils of any age enrolled in a participating school and are accompanied by school staff. These placements will offer international learning experiences to help pupils acquire social, civic and intercultural competences for their personal development. They can also help pupils to develop an understanding of cultures and languages.
“Long-term placements are open to pupils aged at least 14. The sending and hosting schools are expected to ensure high quality learning outcomes, to provide appropriate recognition for the involved pupils, and to constantly support them during their time abroad. This includes funding for accompanying staff to chaperone participants where necessary as part of safeguarding or duty of care,” the website states.
Travel costs of between £20 and £1,360 will be provided depending on the distance of the placement while living costs for all children and accompanying staff will amount to £53 per day for the first 14 days, £37 per day after the 14th day.
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive actual costs for additional travel expenses, including costs of visas, passports, and health insurance, the website adds.
For all placements students with SEND will be funded “up to 100 per cent of actual costs for support directly related to their additional needs”.