Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support students to study in the EU.

The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme to provide grants for students to study and work anywhere in the world, including in the EU. Students can develop new skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. For the 2024/25 academic year, education providers and other eligible organisations from across the UK have been allocated over £105 million to send more than 43,000 students on study and work placements across the globe.

Countries in the EU are popular destinations for UK students supported by the Turing Scheme, with EU countries making up five out of the top ten most popular destinations across both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years.

The Turing Scheme breaks down barriers to opportunity by prioritising the most disadvantaged students, requiring education providers to demonstrate how their project will support them and provide additional grant funding for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to travel and living costs, this funding covers items that students may need to be able to travel, including vaccinations, visa applications, passports and insurance costs.