Turing Scheme 2026: Fund Your Internship Abroad
The UK government programme that pays for international placements. UK students receive a daily living cost grant, and students from disadvantaged backgrounds also get help with travel. 2026-27 is the final year before the UK joins Erasmus+ in 2027.
What is the Turing Scheme?
The Turing Scheme is the UK government's programme for funding international study and work placements. Its first placements started in September 2021, as the post-Brexit replacement for Erasmus+, named after mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing.
Funded by the Department for Education (DfE), the scheme provides grants to UK students for placements anywhere in the world. Unlike Erasmus+, which was limited to EU and associated countries, the Turing Scheme is truly global. You can use it for an internship in Bali, a placement in New York, or work experience in Cape Town.
The programme is open to students at all levels of education, from schools to universities. For higher education students, it covers work placements (internships), study abroad, and volunteering.
2025-26 budget
Students funded per year
Countries eligible
How much funding do you get?
Grant amounts depend on your destination group and placement length. Here are the higher education rates for 2025-26 and 2026-27 as published on GOV.UK.
Standard living cost grants
All eligible students receive these rates to help with daily living costs abroad.
| Placement duration | Group 1 (higher cost) | Group 2 (lower cost) |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term (2-8 weeks / 14-56 days) | £19/day | £17/day |
| Long-term (9 weeks - 12 months / 57-365 days) | £14/day | £12/day |
Enhanced rates for disadvantaged students
Students from widening participation backgrounds receive higher living cost grants, plus extra support.
| Placement duration | Group 1 (higher cost) | Group 2 (lower cost) |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term (2-8 weeks / 14-56 days) | £23/day | £21/day |
| Long-term (9 weeks - 12 months / 57-365 days) | £18/day | £16/day |
Additional support for disadvantaged students
If you qualify as a widening participation student, you can also receive:
- Travel grant - a contribution towards one return journey to your placement destination
- Readiness to travel funding - helps with passports, visa applications, vaccines, travel insurance and medical certificates
- Enhanced living cost rates - a higher daily grant for every placement length
What counts as "disadvantaged"?
The 2026-27 GOV.UK guidance for higher education providers lists examples, including a household income of £35,000 or less, receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits, care experience, being an unpaid carer, being estranged from your family, and being a refugee or asylum seeker. The list is not exhaustive, and your university's international office confirms your eligibility.
Travel funding
Travel funding goes to higher education students from disadvantaged backgrounds: a contribution towards one return journey, at a set rate per destination in the GOV.UK list of destinations and grant rates. Other students cover travel from their living cost grant or other funding.
How to apply for Turing Scheme funding
You do not apply to the Turing Scheme directly. Your university applies for funding, then distributes it to eligible students. Here is how the process works.
Check with your university
Contact your study abroad office, international office, or placement coordinator. Ask whether your university has applied for Turing Scheme funding and whether work placements (internships) are covered. Not all universities participate, and some only use Turing for study abroad.
Confirm your placement is eligible
Your internship must last between 14 days and 12 months and take place outside the UK within the academic year (for 2026-27, between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027). Your university decides which placements it approves.
Secure your placement
Find and confirm your internship abroad. This is where we come in: make your free profile so companies can find you, and send your own profile link with every application. Your university may require a signed learning agreement before releasing funds.
Submit your application
Complete your university's internal Turing application. This typically involves providing your placement details, destination, dates, and any supporting documents. Each university has its own deadlines and forms, so apply early. Ask your university how it allocates its funding.
Receive your grant and go
Once approved, your university will confirm your grant amount and payment schedule. Most universities pay the grant in instalments: a portion before departure and the remainder during or after your placement. You do not have to pay it back. It is a grant, not a loan.
Key timeline for 2026-27
January - March 2026: Universities submit institutional bids to the DfE
Summer 2026 (July - August): Universities receive funding decisions
Autumn 2026: Universities open internal applications to students
September 2026 - August 2027: Placements take place
We recommend speaking to your university 6-9 months before your planned start date.
Eligible placements
The Turing Scheme covers a broad range of international experiences. Here is what counts.
Duration requirements
- Minimum: 14 days
- Maximum: 12 months (365 days)
- Academic year: Placements must fall between 1 September and 31 August
Types of work that qualify
- Work placements and internships (your university decides which it approves)
- Sandwich year placements
- Placement modules and work-based learning
- Voluntary work with a clear learning component
- Study abroad combined with a work element
What to ask for
Universities require specific paperwork to release Turing funds. Ask your host company for:
- Placement confirmation letter with company details, dates, and role description
- Learning agreements co-signed by the host company and your university
- Supervisor reports and performance evaluations
- Attendance records and placement completion certificates
- Risk assessments for your destination and workplace
Already have a placement confirmed?
Tell your host company you are applying for Turing funding and send it your university's list of required documents, so it can prepare them in time.
Which universities participate?
Many UK higher education providers take part. All of the universities below appear in the official list of funded higher education providers for 2025-26.
This is not a complete list, and taking part one year does not guarantee the next. If your university is not listed, check with your international office directly.
Your university does not participate?
It is worth asking. Many universities are not aware of the opportunity or have not had enough student interest to justify applying. You can point your study abroad office to the official Turing Scheme guidance for higher education providers on GOV.UK. Student demand is often the trigger for a university to apply.
Our destinations by Turing group
Every destination we offer is eligible for Turing Scheme funding. Here is how they are grouped and what that means for your grant.
Higher cost of living (higher grant)
These destinations are in the higher cost of living group, so the daily living cost rate is higher.
Lower cost of living (standard grant)
These destinations are in the lower cost of living group and receive the Group 2 daily rate.
What does the Turing grant actually cover?
For Group 2 destinations like Bali, Bangkok, or Cape Town, the Turing grant can cover a significant portion of your monthly living costs. In higher-cost Group 1 cities like New York or Sydney, the grant covers a smaller share, but the higher daily rate helps close the gap.
Turing Scheme FAQ
No. Individual students cannot apply directly. Your university or education provider submits a single institutional bid to the Department for Education, and then distributes funding to eligible students. Contact your university's study abroad or international office to find out if they have received Turing funding and how to access it.
You can raise it with your study abroad office, international office, or student union. Many universities are unaware of the opportunity or have not had enough student demand to justify applying. Point them to the official GOV.UK Turing Scheme guidance. Some universities may join for the next round if students express interest early enough.
Often, but not for the same costs. The GOV.UK guidance says Turing funding should not be used for costs that are already covered by another source of funding. Check with your university how this applies to any bursary or scholarship you hold.
Only for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. They can get funding towards one return journey to the destination, plus "readiness to travel" funding that helps with passports, visa applications, vaccines, travel insurance and medical certificates. Other students pay for travel from their living cost grant or other funding.
You will typically need a learning agreement signed by your university, a placement confirmation from your host company, and evidence of your placement dates and activities. Your university will guide you through their specific requirements. Ask your host company early for its part of the paperwork, such as supervisor reports, the learning agreement and a placement confirmation letter.
Yes. The GOV.UK overview for 2026-27 says the Turing Scheme will not operate in the 2027-28 academic year, when Erasmus+ placements begin. In December 2025 the UK agreed terms to join Erasmus+ in 2027. Students planning placements for 2026-27 should apply for Turing funding as normal.
The Turing Scheme is the UK's own programme, launched in 2021 after Brexit. It funds UK students to go abroad but does not fund incoming EU students. Erasmus+ is a reciprocal EU programme that funds movement in both directions and covers a wider range of activities including youth work, sport, and adult education. The UK will join Erasmus+ in 2027. For students, the practical difference is mainly in funding rates and administration.
Universities submit institutional bids in spring results come in summer (July-August), and students apply through their university from autumn. We recommend speaking to your international office 6-9 months before your planned start date to avoid missing internal deadlines.
Your university decides which placements it approves, so check with your international office. The Turing Scheme funds study, work experience and volunteering placements, and many internships abroad are unpaid, so the Turing living cost grant can help cover your expenses.
No. Turing Scheme funding is a grant, not a loan. The money goes towards your costs during your placement abroad. If your placement ends early, check your university's terms on what happens to the grant.
Let us help you get funded
Make your free profile so companies can find you. Your university handles the funding, and you get the experience of a lifetime.