Student mobility after Brexit

The Turing scheme

Overview

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to study and work abroad. The scheme provides funding for international opportunities in education and training across the world. The Turing Scheme will contribute to the UK Government’s commitment to a Global Britain, by helping organisations enhance their existing international ties and forge new relationships around the world. 

The Turing Scheme will provide £110 million in funding for 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools to go on study and work placements abroad from September 2021 to August 2022. The British Council and Ecorys are delivery partners for the first year of the scheme. 

Further details on the Turing Scheme can be found on the Turing Scheme website.

Turing Scheme funded projects must focus on four main objectives:

• Global Britain – In line with the UK Government’s vision of a Global Britain, Turing Scheme projects support high-quality placements, enhance existing partnerships and encourage the forging of new relationships across the world. 
• Levelling up – Turing Scheme projects widen participation and support social mobility across the UK. They should help and promote equal access and opportunities to all students, learners and pupils regardless of background. 
• Developing key skills – These projects offer unique, career-building opportunities. They give participants the hard and soft skills sought by employers, and bridge the gap between education and work. 
• Value for UK taxpayers – These projects optimise social value in terms of potential costs, benefits and risks. 

Key details of the scheme for Higher Education Institutions

Destination

• Turing Scheme participants will be able to study or work across the globe.
• Destination countries have been grouped into three bands for funding purposes, related to cost of living: Group 1 (high cost of living), Group 2 (medium cost of living), Group 3 (lower cost of living). 

Length of mobility 

• The length of mobility eligible for funding for higher education is from four weeks to 12 months.

Student eligibility

• Student participants can be in any study cycle (ie BA, MA, PhD), or recent graduates.

Grants and funding

• Different grant rates are provided for short-term (four-eight weeks) and long-term (over eight weeks) placements. Long-term placements will have the grant for the first eight weeks calculated at the higher rate.
• Additional funding will be provided to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds: higher cost of living grants, a contribution towards the direct costs of travel and actual costs for additional expenses (e.g. costs of visas, passports & health insurance) as well as additional support for disabled students. This webpage provides more information.
• Institutions will receive organisational support. Under each project, £315 will be provided per participant for the first 100 participants. From the 101st participant onwards, £180 will be provided per participant.

Funding results

The application deadline for the first programme cycle of the Scheme was Wednesday 21 April 2021.  HEIs were informed of funding results at the end of July/early August 2021. More information about the funding results, successful applicant institutions and the destination countries chosen for funded activities can be found on the Turing Scheme web pages on the funding results page.

Information for international partners outside the UK

• What the Turing Scheme means for education providers outside the UK (directs to Turing Scheme webpage) 
• UUKi webinar recording for international organisations

Our role

UUKi supports student mobility practitioners, through our Outward Student Mobility network which has over 217 members from our member institutions. On behalf of our members, we lobby for improvements to the Turing Scheme and through our research into outward mobility, we look at key topics and developments in this area.  Please find below reports from our recent research and partnership project work:

Gone International: rising aspirations

Our partnership in the Social inclusion and engagement in mobility (SIEM) project

Impact of short-term mobility

Internationalisation at home

If you have questions for us about the Turing Scheme, please contact our team at: [email protected]