Erasmus funding

The EU’s Erasmus programme helps students to study or work in Europe for up to 12 months. There are a variety of Erasmus grants to help students with living and travel costs as well as things like language classes if needed.

If you’re a higher education student you can apply for an Erasmus grant. First-year students can apply for work placement funding; study periods can be undertaken in your second, third or final year. The minimum duration is usually three months, although for students doing short vocational courses the minimum work placement period is two months.

How much is the funding?

The amount of your Erasmus grant will vary depending on the length of study or work placement, and your destination country. The grant is a one-off non-repayable sum. Different countries are grouped into ‘bands’ which determine how much you will receive. In 2013/2014 these are the rates for Erasmus grants:

Band One (€275 per month) Bulgaria, Romania 

Band Two (€315 per month) Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey 

Band Three (€375 per month) Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland 

There’s also a short-term work placement funding scheme, which includes a one-off payment of €250 plus up to €300 for travel costs. You may be eligible for additional country-specific supplementary grants - find out more on the Erasmus funding page.

And there are other financial benefits of Erasmus - including tuition fee contributions if you go for an academic year. If you receive a student loan in the UK then you should also qualify to receive that while you are studying or working abroad.

 

There are lots of other study and work opportunities abroad.