Overseas Placements – Can University Students Still Go Global?

Since the 1980s students have been able to take part in the Erasmus Scheme, an exchange programme that allows students to study at universities in other European member states with an international placement year. Brexit, however, made it necessary to make changes to the system that was in place for UK and overseas students and from September 2021 a new scheme - the Turing Scheme - was put in place.

Does the name sound familiar? The scheme is named after Alan Turing, the British mathematician and cryptologist. It is hoped that the new scheme will provide sufficient funding for 35,000 students to take up work and study placements all over the world, including an international placement year as part of a degree for UK and overseas students.

Why Study Abroad?

With so many fantastic universities here in the UK you may be wondering why people consider studying abroad or taking an international placement year. Studying abroad is about more than just the academic side of things, although of course this is incredibly important. It allows you to broaden your horizons, gain experience and valuable skills that can look very good when it comes to writing a CV. It also gives you a greater opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture in a way that simply cannot be done during a two-week holiday.

How Does The Turing Scheme Work?

If that all sounds fantastic then you may be wondering how you can actually get a place on the scheme and perhaps more importantly whether an international placement year is something that you could afford. In March 2021, the government opened up the scheme so that universities and colleges across the UK would be able to apply for funding. Those establishments that were successful were then able to offer funding to students looking to study or complete a work placement abroad.

The amount of funding that is made available to individual students depends on the length of study and also the destination. The funds available for an international placement year do not cover everything (they didn’t under the Erasmus scheme either) but will go a long way towards helping with the cost. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may be offered other funding including help towards travel expenses. There is also funding available for students who have special education needs and disabilities. In fact, when it comes to financial support, there are even grants available that can help to pay some travel costs.

Students looking to complete this type of study can still apply for student finance and there shouldn’t be any additional tuition fees as under the scheme it is expected that universities will waive any tuition fees relating to placements.

Further Information

Students who are looking to take part in the scheme can take a look at the Turing Scheme website (https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk) where they will find plenty of information. A good starting point is to speak to your university and see what details they can provide you with as well.

Overseas Placements and Overseas Students – Making the Most of your Time at University

At the University of Bolton, we want to ensure that the experience of every university student is #UniAsItShouldBe.

We understand that for some degree subjects, a period of overseas study can enhance the learning experience and bring more value to your course. As a university, we encourage those students who might benefit from this type of placement to see exactly what is available to them as much as we encourage overseas students to study with us.

We are proud to have been placed in the Top 50 universities* in the UK for the second year running and the Top 15 in the UK* for 'satisfied with teaching' for the second year running as well. Our diverse and welcoming community gives students the ability to learn from other cultures, making them perfectly placed to pursue further study in other countries, whether as part of their degree or post-degree.

If you would like to learn more about life at the University of Bolton or any of our degree courses, we would be delighted to talk to you. Our team of friendly advisors can be contacted on +44 (0)1204 900 600 or message the team at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk with your query.

*Guardian University Guide – 2022, 2021