goodbye erasmus, YOU'LL be missed. Hello turing scheme...

So one thing that 2021 has brought with it is the UKs actual, no gracing period, exit from the European Union. Regardless of how you feel about the situation, it's happened and now we have to get used to all of the changes that has come along with that.

One of those changes is that the UK will no longer be able to take part in the Erasmus+ scheme. Something that allowed students to go study abroad in Europe with no tuition fees and also receive a grant for their living costs. 

The Turing scheme is to begin in September 2021. It will be backed by over £100 million pounds, which will provide funding for around 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on placements and exchanges overseas. One of the way this differs from the Erasmus scheme that it is replacing is that it is said to have a more global focus in comparison to Erasmus’ more European focus. It is also said to be better value for money and to also target disadvantaged students that Erasmus was said to have missed.

There are a couple of negative differences though. The £100 million funding is £30 million less than what Erasmus offered so competition for places could be more competitive. The scheme also currently doesn’t state how it will handle tuition fees abroad, which can vary considerably, something that the Erasmus scheme didn’t require to be paid. The Turing scheme also states that individual organisations are required to bid for funding to carry out the scheme so it may mean that there are less organisations offering the scheme than were offering Erasmus due to the additional admin work. So if you’re wanting to use the scheme, you better look if its something that the uni/college you’re applying to are able to offer.

As is the case with new schemes, this is in its infancy and will improve over time. Its just about doing your research on where you are applying to and ensuring they have the provisions in place in order for you to take part in the scheme.

So what are the benefits of a scheme such as this?

It is said that students that take part in a study abroad scheme develop a more open and rounded outlook and get an increased sense of independence.  It also makes you more culturally aware of the ways that people from different countries live and allows you to integrate into their own way of living. Doing some time studying abroad also means you are more likely to travel and live overseas in later life, setting yourself up for an international career.

Overseas study also gives you greater job prospects, an increased salary and a lower chance of being unemployed. A study showed that students who took part in the Erasmus scheme went on to earn on average a 7-9% higher salary than those who did not.

So studying abroad can broaden your horizons, make you have more chance of getting a job and can help you get paid more. All sounds good if you’re willing to take the risk! As we always say at Push, there’s no rewards without risk.

As the Erasmus scheme was criticised for mostly benefitting more privileged students, if the Turing scheme can genuinely target more disadvantaged students and help to broaden their horizons, it could be a great replacement in a couple of years time. If one of the main pulls for you is the opportunity to study overseas do look if the university you’re applying for is looking to take part in the scheme. It might mean a little more research before applying but looking at the benefits that overseas study can offer you, it will be more than worth it.

Author

ARON TENNANT is the Talks and Editorial manager and designated GDPR Data Controller for Push. He is originally from South Yorkshire and has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Sheffield. He also has a MA degree in Creative Play and Screenwriting from City, University of London and came runner up in Nickelodeon's international screenwriting competition in 2018 and his short film ''Donkey Tooth'  was screened at the London Raindance Film Festival in 2018. He is IMDB credited and alongside Push he does screenplay work for independent production companies and is working on his own independent film and theatre projects and writes articles for JumpcutOnline.com.