More than 120 universities in the United Kingdom have replaced their participation in the European Union’s Erasmus+ by signing up for the Turing student mobility program, which would enable students to study abroad.
From September, 28,000 university students can study overseas using the awarded grants, according to the Department of Education. The Turing scheme, however, does not back students coming to the UK on exchanges, unlike Erasmus+.
Key Takeaways:
- More than 120 UK universities joined the Turing student mobility scheme.
- The Turing scheme made a 53 percent increase from the 2018-2019 Erasmus+ records.
- The Turing scheme lets students study in more than 150 countries, including Erasmus+ destinations and non-EU nations.
The Turing student mobility program marked a 53 percent increase in university students from the previous 18,300 under Erasmus+ from 2018 to 2019.
Under the new Turing scheme, students will be able to pursue their international education in more than 150 countries. These students, especially those from poorer backgrounds, will get funding to cover their travel expenses, living costs, and visas.
Including popular Erasmus+ destinations such as France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, international students can also head to study destinations in non-EU countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States.
From the three-month duration under Erasmus+, the Turing scheme has been reduced to four weeks to make travel overseas and university placement accessible for the student.
According to education secretary Gavin Williamson, the £110 million Turing scheme is anticipated to support the new generation of international students to attain opportunities beyond the borders of Europe.
However, the new scheme has drawn analysis from critics, citing the non-inclusion of an automatic tuition waiver. This means that educational institutions have to hit such agreements with international partner institutions, which could be financially tricky, especially if significant tuition discrepancies are present in different countries.
Williamson furthered that the chance to work and learn in international institutions continues to become a privilege—the primary reason they push to strengthen partnerships with institutions across the globe to deliver opportunities for students.
Vivienne Stern, director of Universities UK International, likewise wanted a more comprehensive range of student backgrounds to be considered in providing these study opportunities.
The government is anticipating that the Turing scheme will be supporting 40,000 students to study and work abroad in the future. However, shadow universities minister Matt Western claims this to be far from reality. Western adds that the new scheme provides no support to cover tuition, particularly for the disadvantaged students.
Read more:
- New App Taps Student Loneliness, COVID Drop-Outs
- The UK Shines as a Study Destination for International Students in Europe Despite Brexit, Canada as an Alternative
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