Some Cambridge students have been unable to access Turing Scheme funding during their Year Abroad, unlike their counterparts at other universities.

The Turing Scheme is intended to provide financial support for students doing paid work, volunteering, or studying abroad. However, at Cambridge, students doing paid work placements have not been eligible for funding.

The scheme was introduced by the Department for Education in 2021 as a post-Brexit replacement for the Erasmus+ Scheme, which provided funding for EU citizens to study, train, or volunteer abroad.

Educational organisations have to apply for funding on behalf of students, and are not limited in the grant amount they can apply for, nor in the number of Turing Scheme participants they can have.

Cambridge students applying for Turing funding for the 2023-24 academic year had to complete a ‘Mobility Funding Application Form,’ which asked for information about the student’s background, the placement they would be undertaking, and how they would use the Turing Scheme grant.

One MML student doing two paid internship claimed that they were “not entitled to Turing funding”. Both salaries were insufficient to cover the student’s rent and living expenses.

The student added: “I was surprised to learn that, at my first placement, a student from the University of Oxford doing a similar internship to me, and on the same salary, was also receiving Turing funding.”

They also signalled the “gap between eligibility for this hardship fund and having to rely on parents,” which can cause financial strain on students’ families.

Another Cambridge student also reported that they did not receive Turing funding, unlike an Oxford colleague at their paid work placement in the same office and company.

Students have also claimed that a lack of access to funding has limited the opportunities students are able to pursue on a year abroad.

One MML student stated that they were “essentially required to do British Council because the internships I was looking into (many of which were recommended by Cambridge) just did not pay enough to feasibly cover the cost of rent and living expenses.”

The student was also encouraged to speak English at work, which they claim hindered the development of their language skills.

“My main source of resentment regarding the limitations of Turing funding is that I blame my lack of French now on the fact I was compelled to do a placement, essentially in English, for seven months because I couldn’t afford to do anything else,” they explained.

A Freedom of Information Request revealed that, of the 210 students who applied for Turing Scheme funding in the academic year 2023/24, 183 received funding. The University’s Turing Scheme budget for that year was £458,455, which was supplemented by a contribution from the University.

Cambridge students undertaking their Year Abroad in the 2024/25 academic year have been warned that their funding opportunities may be even more limited.

An email sent to students by the MMLL Year Abroad Team on 26 July explained that the University would receive “some funding under the Turing Scheme for 2024/25 but with a significantly reduced budget due to priority at a national level focusing on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Students doing paid placements will remain ineligible for Turing funding, but will continue to be eligible for the University hardship fund, if faced with financial difficulties.

The 2024-25 ‘Mobility Funding Application Form’ asks similar questions to those of the 2023-24 version, but requires more details about students’ financial situations.

One student, who said they “barely know anything” about the Turing Scheme has described communication about the funding as “fairly dreadful”. Meanwhile, another student said that communication about the scheme felt “rushed” as the application deadline approached.

Students who applied for Turing funding for the first half of the Year Abroad have recently received the outcome of their applications.

One student, who will be undertaking an unpaid work placement in Spain from October to December will receive Turing funding.

They described Turing funding as “so useful,” alleviating the need for financial support from their parents. While they “could have made it work” without Turing, they believe their Year Abroad would have been significantly more stressful without it.

The University of Cambridge, The Office for Students, and The Turing Scheme were contacted for comment.