Funding

Paris scene

Tuition fees

Students do not pay additional tuition fees to the host institution when studying abroad at an exchange partner institution.

Term / Semester Abroad Fees

If you Study Abroad for part of the year (autumn term, or spring & summer term) the full tuition fee is payable to the University of Reading, as normal.

Year Abroad Fees

For 2022/23 and 2023/24

If you study and/or work abroad for a full year (optional or compulsory), a discounted fee of 15% of the normal tuition fee (either at Home/EU or at International level) is payable to the University of Reading for the year abroad. No tuition fee is paid to the host University abroad. This applies only to situations where the full year is spent abroad.

Grants and Bursaries

A range of grants and bursaries are potentially available, depending on where you are studying, and whether you meet eligibility criteria. Funding might be competitive:

Erasmus+ funding (Europe) – 2022/23 only

The UK Government has decided to not participate in the new Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027), which started June 2021. This means that there will be no new Erasmus+ funds available to UK universities to support future student mobilities.

Academic Year 2022/3: Due to the fact that there are no new Erasmus+ funds available for UK universities to apply for, any Erasmus funding potentially available to support students in 2022/3 will be whatever Erasmus+ funds are available after mobilities in 2021/2 have taken place. No student is guaranteed Erasmus+ funding (either full or partial) in 2022/3, even if able to go abroad on exchange through the Erasmus programme. Students should plan accordingly, and ensure that they are aware of other funding opportunities or financial support e.g., University of Reading Placement Bursary, Student Finance etc (see information below)

Academic Year 2023/4: There will be no Erasmus +funding available to support outgoing mobilities.

Eligibility 

Erasmus+ funding is not guaranteed. To be considered for Erasmus+ funding (where available) participants must:

  • be a fully registered student at the University of Reading
  • complete all of the necessary paperwork at the times requested
  • either be:
    • Studying abroad for between 3-12 months at a partner institution in a programme country who will agree to accept students as part of the current Erasmus+ programme,* or
    • 2-12 months work / training at a European host Organisation.
  • Apply via the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office (details to be supplied after allocation to partner institutions)

Students who are registered for part-time degree programmes are eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ programme providing their study or work placement abroad is full-time.

* The Erasmus & Study Abroad Office is working with our Erasmus partners to confirm whether existing opportunities can continue during 2022/23 within the current Erasmus+ programme, or whether they will migrate to agreements outside of the Erasmus framework. The University of Reading is in the same position as other UK HE institutions with regards to the current and new Erasmus+ programmes.

Funding amounts

An Erasmus+ grant is a contribution towards the costs incurred when on an Erasmus+ placement. Erasmus+ funding is provided with the support of the European Commission.

The 2022/3 Erasmus+ grant levels are determined by the UK Erasmus+ National Agency:

Country Study Training (work)
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Sweden, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway (including UNIS) €420 €520
Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Netherlands, Malta, Portugal €370 €470
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey €370 €470

Additional funds

Additional funds might be available for:

  • students with household incomes of under £25k per annum (an additional €120 per month for study placements and an additional €20 per month for training placements)
  • students with disabilities – funding is allocated on a case-by-case basis via application to the Erasmus+ National Agency. ESAO can assist with this.

Further details are available from the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office.

Turing Scheme (2022/23)

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to support study and work abroad.

It supports international mobilities across the world taking place between 01 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, lasting from 28 days up to 12 months, providing that 28 days of activity are completed before 31 August 2023.

Turing funds are limited, so please note:

  • Turing Scheme funding is not guaranteed.
  • Funding is competitive – the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office will be in contact with eligible students regarding application details and any further requirements.
  • The levels of funding and activities which can be funded will be determined by the Turing Scheme Delivery Partner, not the University of Reading.
  • Students from households with annual income of under £25k could receive a higher grant rate and contribution to costs of flights / travel.
  • Students will need to apply for funding to the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office, not the Turing Scheme. Details will be supplied on request, or direct to students known to be eligible and applying for mobility activities through the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office.

However, standard funding details are:

  • 2-8 weeks: Between £120 and £136 per week, depending on country;
  • Over 8 weeks: Between £335 and £380 per month, depending on country;

The Enhanced funding details for students from household incomes under £25k are:

  • 2-8 weeks: Between £147.50 and £163.60 per week, depending on country;
  • Over 8 weeks: Between £445 and £490 per month, depending on country;
  • Travel support: From £165 to £1,360, depending on country.

Please contact the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office via studyabroad@reading.ac.uk for more information about the Turing Scheme at the University of Reading.

Turing Scheme 2023/24 onwards

The UK Government has confirmed that the Turing Scheme will be in place for academic years 2023/4 and 2024/5.

The University of Reading has applied for funds to support activities taking place in 2023/4. The results of our application will be known in July / August 2023. There is no guarantee of Turing funds, even if your international mobility is compulsory.

Students will need to apply for funding to the Erasmus & Study Abroad Office, not the Turing Scheme. Application details will be provided to students known to be participating on study abroad mobilities (semester or year abroad) or international work placement – it is anticipate this will be in June 2023. For all other activities, details will be supplied on request .

University of Reading Placement Bursary (anywhere)

The Placement Bursary intends to support eligible students with additional costs associated with undertaking a placement or Study Abroad/ Erasmus programme.

For information about the bursary, please refer to the Placement Bursary Page.

Please note that you cannot be in receipt of both a Placement Bursary and Turing funds (as this is considered double funding by Turing / Department for Education ).

Student Finance Funding and Travel Grant (anywhere)

During the period that you are abroad you can continue to receive funding which you might normally receive whilst you are at Reading, including via Student Finance. For further information please read

Student Finance have a video which explains a little more about what is available and what to do.

Additional Travel grants are also available to eligible full-time students who are studying abroad as part of their degree. All queries regarding eligibility should be directed to Student Finance; all reimbursements are at the discretion of the relevant Student Finance company.

NB: the responsibility for completing any relevant forms and for notifying the relevant Student Finance authority (e.g. England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) remains with the participant and not the University of Reading. The University of Reading cannot confirm if the relevant Student Finance company will accept any particular expense claims or not; as such students are advised to check any arrangements with their Student Finance company directly if they are unsure.

Omio scholarships (Europe: external application)

Find out about the Omio scholarships here.

Other funding sources for non-EU outward mobility

BUTEX Scholarships

There are also eight scholarships available for undergraduate students currently registered at a UK University through BUTEX (British Transatlantic Exchange Association). To be eligible to apply you must have been offered a place as a Study Abroad or exchange student in a USA or Canadian university. Full details can be found on the BUTEX website. Any eligible student applying for a BUTEX scholarship is requested to inform the Erasmus & Study Abroad team.

BUNAC

Students who will be studying in the USA are also encouraged to apply for BEST Travel Award. The Travel Award will consist of an award of $1,000 to be used towards the cost of travel to the USA and is provided by BUNAC (British Universities North America Club). Further information can be found on the BUNAC website.

Insurance

Students who Study Abroad as part of their degree programme can be covered by the University of Reading’s Insurance policy for the duration of their study period. This coverage is for legitimate academic activity only; for non-academic activity you will need to get extra additional insurance.

See the University Insurance guide (under ‘Business travel’ section) for more information. Reading will provide students with comprehensive details of the Insurance coverage prior to departure.

Many universities insist that students purchase their mandatory insurance coverage in order to join their Study Abroad Programme – particularly outside of Europe. This is certainly applicable for most partnerships in Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and the USA. Please make sure you are fully aware of any possible insurance related charges when considering possible destinations.

Further information about the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) can be found on the GOV.UK website .

Additional Costs

This depends on country and institution however you should expect to pay for

  • services which you would normally expect to pay for at Reading e.g. housing, food, travel, social activities etc.
  • entry / study visa to host country
  • insurance – most non-European universities insist that exchange students take out their mandatory insurance coverage in order to join their Study Abroad Programme . Please make sure you are fully aware of any possible charges when considering possible destinations. Eligible students might be able to retrospectively recoup some / all of the costs incurred for the Mandatory Medical Insurance claim from Student Finance (via the Student Finance Travel Grant).
  • a small application charge – details will be noted on the partner’s website (although this is very rare).
  • additional small charges not covered by the tuition fee waiver – e.g. Art consumables etc.  This should be comparable to what you would expect to pay if studying at the University of Reading.

Your host institution will advise you of any additional small charges which are to be levied at the time of application.

COVID-19:

There could be increased and additional costs related to travel, entry to and living in a particular country which participants will be responsible for (including, but not limited to testing, quarantine etc).

Please check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website for the most up-to-date and relevant country information.

Additional Funding for Disabled Students

Funding is not guaranteed.