Grants are awarded only to students who are eligible to carry out a fully recognised part of their home country diploma/degree in a Member State of the European Community or in another country participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme. This recognition may be withheld only if a student fails to achieve the level of attainment required by the host institution or otherwise fails to satisfy the conditions required by the participating institutions for full recognition.

Measures have been introduced to encourage the use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) within institutions. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a student-centred system based on the student workload required to achieve the objectives of a programme, objectives preferably specified in terms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired. ECTS makes study programmes easy to read and compare for all students, local and foreign. It facilitates mobility and academic recognition and helps universities to organise and revise their study programmes. ECTS can be used across a variety of programmes and modes of delivery and makes European higher education more attractive for students from abroad.

The ECTS Label and Diploma Supplement (DS) are marks of distinction and can be applied for by institutions which have been awarded a Standard or an Extended Erasmus University Charter. They are awarded by the European Commission (EC) to institutions which can demonstrate that all departments use the ECTS mechanisms or that a DS is issued to all graduates in all first and second cycle degree programmes in accordance with the model developed by the EC, Council of Europe and UNESCO.

We are now inviting applications for the Diploma Supplement and European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System Labels. If you wish to apply, please submit your application by Thursday, 12 July 2012. This deadline has been extended from June 1, 2012.

Your application will be assessed by the UK team of Bologna Experts who will then provide you with detailed feedback on your application in order to ensure that it has the best possible chance of succeeding. If necessary, they will continue to support the preparation of your application up to the final submission deadline.

The deadline for submitting the final version of your application to the British Council is Thursday, 27 September 2012. Your application will then be forward to the European Commission for assessment. If you have any queries regarding the Diploma Supplement or European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, please contact us.

Please view or download the Diploma Supplement application form and the ECTS application form. We recommend that you read the guidelines carefully before applying. However, you should ignore the submission date of 1 June 2012 which appears on the guidelines. As confirmed above, the deadline for the submission of your application to the British Council is 12 July 2012.

Additionally, for reference please read the Diploma Supplement eligibility checklist and assessment sheet and the ECTS eligibility checklist and ECTS assessment sheet.  

Read more about the DS on our website here.

Please see our Bologna Process page for further information.