Students studying in Europe with an Erasmus funded place

EU students studying abroad on an Erasmus placement are eligible for two additional forms of financial support provided by the European Commission in addition to any standard grants or loans they're eligible for from Student Finance England (SFE).

Erasmus grants

Students are normally eligible for a non-income assessed monthly grant to help them with the additional costs of studying abroad. The amount of money available varies each year and was 225 Euros per month in the 2010-2011 academic year. In the UK this money is paid through the UK university and is in addition to any other funding from SFE.

Erasmus tuition fees

If studying abroad - at least 24 weeks excluding weekends and the usual holidays - students won’t have to pay UK tuition fees for that year. A student who is studying abroad as part of the Erasmus programme and does not pay fees is not eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan. If the student is studying abroad for less than 24 weeks, they'll still have to pay tuition fees. However the fees charged in any year that a student goes on an Erasmus exchange are unlikely to be at the full rate. Students should check with their university.

To be eligible for an Erasmus grant you must:

-> Be registered at a UK university or collage which holds an Erasmus University Charter (EUC). -> Spend an approved study or work period of between 3 to 12 months at a university which holds an EUC in another EU, EEA or candidate country (for students on short term higher vocational education courses, the minimum period on a work placement is two months)

Additional Erasmus related funding

There's also an additional one off payment of 400 Euros available to UK students who chose to study in:

Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey.

Widening Participation Supplementary Funding

If you're eligible for a grant or bursary from your home university or SFE due to your personal financial situation or circumstances then you may also be able to receive a one off supplementary grant of 500 Euros. Your university will send a nomination for you to receive this funding from the European Commission.

How do I get this funding?

Erasmus grants in the UK are paid by your home university and are paid in addition to any standard grants or loans that you're eligible for from SFE. When your Erasmus place has been confirmed by your home university they'll contact you and tell you how to apply for funding. The Erasmus grant is usually paid three times per year, so you'll receive this payment from university at a similar time to any money you receive from SFE.

Where can I find out more information?

For more information about Erasmus visit www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus or contact the Erasmus co-ordinator at your university or college.