Students find Erasmus replacement scheme inadequate, analysis finds

Students taking part in the government’s post-Brexit replacement for the EU’s Erasmus+ student exchange scheme were forced to drop out because places were confirmed too late, while others failed to receive funding until after their return, according to analysis.

The first official analysis of the Turing scheme, which launched in 2021 after being announced by the then prime minister Boris Johnson, found that four out of five universities (79%) had difficulties with the application process which was overly complex, repetitive and “tedious”.

They also complained that the window for applications was too short and even after efforts were made to streamline the process, few thought there was any real improvement.

The number of participants in the first year of the scheme fell short of the government target – just over 20,000 compared with the original aim of 35,000, partly because of the impact of Covid at the time.

The analysis by IFF Research, which focused on the first year of the programme, also found that inadequate funding and problems with delivery had a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged students with fewer resources to fall back on, potentially creating barriers to participation.

One of the government’s key claims for the Turing scheme was that it would enable more students from lower income backgrounds – in schools, vocational training (VT), further education (FE) and university – to take up international study placements, compared with the Erasmus intake. It is also global, rather than being confined to Europe.

Schools, FE and VT settings were more positive about the scheme: nine out of 10 (89%) agreed the Turing scheme was “satisfactory” in providing placement opportunities. Fewer than half (45%) of higher education (HE) providers said it was satisfactory, and nearly a third (31%) said it was unsatisfactory.

Providers and participants said Turing scheme funding “went some way” to cover costs, but additional funds were needed. Less than half (45%) of university students felt the funding covered at least half of their costs on placement, compared with 86% of FE-VT participants.

According to the government, more than 40,000 students will benefit from the Turing scheme in the 2023-24 academic year, 60% of whom are expected to come from disadvantaged backgrounds or underrepresented groups.

Robert Halfon, the minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education, said: “The Turing scheme is a real gamechanger for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, empowering them with transformative opportunities abroad, a chance to experience other cultures and learn vital skills for life and work.”

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the benefits of studying abroad were not in doubt. “What is in question is whether the Turing scheme is offering better opportunities than the one it replaced – Erasmus+.”