Turing Scheme UK: What it is and How You Can Apply

You can get up to £380 per month towards your living costs if your UK-based PhD has a study or traineeship element abroad. There is also an extra £110 per month available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Funding from the Turing Scheme can be used for placements of up to 12 months and can be applied for directly through your university.

Yes, Brexit meant no more Erasmus funding for UK students. But what if I told you there is an alternative and you don’t have to restrict yourself just to the EU!

I’m talking about the Turing Scheme — introduced in 2021 to facilitate students at UK universities to take part in study and/or work placements abroad.

I’m taking you on a deep dive into the Turing Scheme, why it’s different from Erasmus, the funding you can receive and how you can apply. Follow me!

What is the Turing Scheme?

Named after the mathematician Alan Turing, this new scheme picks up where the Erasmus programme left off. It was created to provide funding to UK universities so their students would have opportunities to study and work abroad.

However, unlike most kinds of funding, students do not apply directly to the Turing Scheme. Instead, universities put forth certain projects that then get funded under the scheme. Any student accepted onto an eligible project will receive funding from the Turing Scheme.

Postgraduate students at participating universities can be funded to either study at an international university or gain work experience through a traineeship anywhere in the world via the Turing Scheme. Universities are free to structure their projects as they like as long as they follow the Turing Scheme’s objectives.

The Turing Scheme vs. The Erasmus programme

The Erasmus programme went away with Brexit, which is why the Turing Scheme was developed. They serve a similar purpose, but how are they different? Let’s look at some key differences between the Turing Scheme and the Erasmus programme:

The Turing Scheme is a global scheme, encouraging students to take their studies anywhere in the world, whereas the Erasmus programme was EU focused.
With the Erasmus programme, students from more privileged backgrounds were 1.7 times more likely to benefit from studying abroad — the Turing Scheme aims to rectify this. The Turing Scheme will benefit more students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Turing Scheme provides more financial aid with things such as visas, passports and travel insurance — making studying abroad far more accessible than with the Erasmus programme.
The Erasmus programme only provided travel support to participants going to partner countries (approximately 3% of UK participants). The Turing Scheme, meanwhile, provides travel support for students no matter which country they're studying in.
The Erasmus programme offered placements for teaching and college staff, youth workers, and students — the Turing Scheme does not.

Eligibility criteria

All students at registered UK and British Overseas Territory universities, both full-time and part-time and across all stages of study, are eligible for funding under the Turing Scheme. It is also open to recent graduates who wish to carry out a traineeship abroad within 12 months of graduating.

The Turing Scheme is open to international students as long as you’re enrolled at a participating UK university.

Turing Scheme placements

Students can be funded for a placement anywhere in the world. However, it’s important to remember that it is the universities that put projects up for funding. Where you actually end up studying will depend on your university and project.

Turing placements can last for a minimum of four weeks (28 calendar days) up to a maximum of 12 months.

Doing a placement during your PhD

Holly shares her experience and provides some tips on how to make the most of a PhD placement.

How much funding is available with the Turing Scheme?

Students will receive monthly cost-of-living support under the Turing Scheme. The amount of the grant students receive depends on their destination country and the duration of their placement.

The Turing Scheme groups countries into three categories –

Group 1 are considered high cost of living
Group 2 are considered medium cost of living
Group 3 are considered low cost of living

If your placement is between four to eight weeks, you’ll receive –

£136.25 per week for Group 1 destinations.
£120 per week for Group 2 and 3 destinations.

If your placement is longer than eight weeks, you’ll receive –

£380 per month for Group 1 destinations.
£335 per month for Group 2 and 3 destinations.

The Turing Scheme also provides extra benefits to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. You could receive an additional £110 per month for the cost-of-living support and have actual costs of additional expenses (visa fees and health insurance, for example) also covered.

Students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will also get the full amount of the actual costs for support directly related to their disability.

How to apply for the Turing Scheme

As I’ve mentioned, students can’t apply directly to the scheme, universities will apply on your behalf.

Universities submit specific projects to the government for consideration. Funding will then be secured for all successful applicants by the university.

As a student, you’ll need to speak with the relevant department within your university to find out about the opportunities available with the Turing Scheme.

For more information, you can visit the GOV.UK website.

Tips from the author

I understand funding is a massive consideration especially when there is an international study element involved. I won’t be able to tell you that the Turing Scheme is definitely the right choice and it's all that you’ll need, but I can help you with some important things to consider.

#1 If there's an Erasmus programme shaped hole in your funding, the Turing scheme might be a close fit.

#2 Your university and project should have access to Turing Scheme funding in the first place. I’ve mentioned you won’t be applying for the funding yourself. Instead, it's up to your university to obtain funding for your project.

#3 Where you can study/work is decided by your university. What I mean is, it might not be a case of you throwing a dart on a world map to decide where you can do your research. Your university will usually tell you what the conditions of your project are. This could be something that you and your supervisor have an involvement in but it could also be pre-determined and decided for you.

#4 You’ll need to crunch some numbers to know for sure if the funding will cover everything. Yes, you’ll have cost-of-living support and money towards your visa and travel, but whether that’ll fully cover everything depends on your lifestyle. You could shrink your spending to meet what the funding covers but if you know you’ll need more, I’d recommend combining it with other funding where you can.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Turing scheme open for 2025-26?

Yes! The UK Government is continuing the Turing Scheme for the 2025-26 academic year. Check with your university about application dates and deadlines.

Can anyone apply for the Turing Scheme?

Simply put, yes! UK and international students are eligible as long as you’re enrolled on a participating course at a participating university.

Do you have to be a student to get the Turing Scheme funding?

The Turing Scheme is also open to recent graduates who wish to undertake a traineeship abroad within 12 months of graduating.

How many times can I apply for the Turing Scheme?

This depends on your university. If your university has the funding and gives you the option, you can get the Turing Scheme funding for multiple placements in the same academic year. However, they can’t last longer than 12 months all together.

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Taru Medha

Taru joined FindAPhD as a Content Writer in 2022. She creates well-researched, thorough content for our guides and blogs, as well as short video content for our social profiles. She has a Bachelors degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Bennett University in India and completed a Masters degree in Global Journalism from the University of Sheffield in 2021, giving her personal experience with postgraduate study as an international student.

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Last Updated: 03 March 2025