Widening access
Students from less advantaged backgrounds are less likely to spend a period of their degree overseas than students from more advantaged backgrounds, a feature of the landscape while the UK was taking part in Erasmus+. When looking solely at graduates of non-language subjects, 7.6% of students from more advantaged backgrounds were mobile, compared to 4.6% of students from less advantaged backgrounds.
The Turing Scheme recognises widening access opportunities as a key priority, so in order to increase the participation of disadvantaged groups we plan the following:
- When bidding, providers will need to demonstrate how their project will support widening access. The assessment criteria will be heavily weighted towards this criterion
- Maintaining parity with Erasmus+ grant rates and existing student finance support as well as providing additional financial support for those from disadvantaged backgrounds by reimbursing travel-related costs
- We will actively target and promote the scheme in those geographical areas of disadvantage, thereby helping to level up the country
- We will reduce the minimum duration of a HE placement to four weeks to make going abroad more accessible to a wider group of students, particularly those with other commitments
- The global nature of the Turing Scheme will remove the language barrier for students who are not studying languages by vastly increasing the opportunities in English speaking countries
Definitions
We will use a broad basket of measures to define what we mean by disadvantaged groups.
We recognise that institutions may identify participants who do not strictly meet our definition of disadvantage but have a very strong case for the extra support that disadvantaged participants will receive. We urge you to make this case clear in your institution’s bid as we will allow some discretion where appropriate.
In addition to those groups that are included within the definition of financial disadvantage, there are a number of groups that are underrepresented in international placements. These include ethnic minority, part-time, disabled and mature students, and students who are first in their family to attend university. These groups will not benefit from additional grant funding unless they are also represented in a group identified below, but we would welcome bids that featured these groups as they are under-represented in outward mobilities.
The definitions of disadvantage we intend to use include:
Higher Education
- Participants with an annual household income of £25,000 or less
- Participants receiving Universal Credit or income- related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner
- care leavers and Participants who are care experienced. This refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked after or those who access the Care Experienced Bursary in Scotland
- Participants who have caring responsibilities
- A carer is anyone who has a commitment to providing unpaid care to a family member or friend who could not cope without their support
- estranged Participants. A Participant is estranged if the Participant has had no contact with their biological/adoptive parents) for 12 months or more, or their relationship with their parents has broken down within the last 12 months and they do not expect this to change in the near future
- Refugees and asylum seekers
Further education and vocational education and training
- Participant with an annual household income of £25,000 or less
- Participant receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner
- Participants in care or who are care experienced. This refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage of their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked after
- Participants who have caring responsibilities. Caring responsibilities refers to a child or young person up to the age of 25 who provides (unpaid) care or intends to provide care for another person in, or outside of, the family home for someone who is physically or mentally ill, disabled or misusing drugs or alcohol
- Participants entitled to free meals
- refugees and asylum seekers.
Schools
- Participants with an annual household income of £25,000 or less
- Participants who are/were entitled to free school meals at any point in the past six years as a result of being in a low-income household. There are differences in how this term is applied across the UK so please review the appropriate measure in the relevant administration
- receiving free school lunches in reception class, year 1 and year 2 (England) or primary 1-5 (Scotland) does not automatically meet the criteria for Turing Scheme disadvantaged funding
- Participant who are care-experienced, in care and those who have left care through adoption or other formal routes
- refugees and asylum seekers
- Participants / households receiving income related benefits.
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