SNP Erasmus+ replacement "extremely disappointing" for Scottish students

Monday, 8 March 2021 16:22

The UK Tory government’s replacement scheme for Erasmus+ has been described as a ‘extremely disappointing’ for students in Scotland who want to live, study and travel in Europe.

The new Turing scheme announced today includes a fraction of the benefits provided to students under Erasmus as free tuition and travel expenses have been scrapped and the cost of living allowance has been slashed by a fifth.

Ever since Scotland was dragged out of the EU, Boris Johnson continued to promise that the UK would participate in Erasmus+, that promise has been broken and his replacement is a significant downgrade from the EU’s scheme.

Around 2,000 students and staff used Erasmus+ each year and now they will be denied the chance to study and travel in 27 other EU countries as the new scheme puts financial barriers in front of them.

Commenting, Education Committee convener Clare Adamson MSP said:

“This is extremely disappointing for students in Scotland who want to enjoy the benefits of having access to 27 other EU countries, the Turing scheme does nothing to help students do that and has put financial barriers in their way.

“Boris Johnson promised that the UK would continue to be a part of Erasmus+, that has turned out to be a massive lie and his replacement scheme is a shadow of Erasmus+.

“Tory MP Andrew Bowie admitted last week that the younger generations are not seeing the benefit of Brexit and this is another blow to their future prospects, all at the hands of the Tories and their hard Brexit obsession.

“Thousands of students in Scotland have benefitted from the Erasmus+ scheme and have enriched their education as a result of it, but now that opportunity seems further away now more than ever.

“The only way students in Scotland will be able to access Erasmus+ now is when Scotland becomes and independent country and re-enters the European Union at the top table.”

ENDS

Notes
https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/documents/erasmus-programme-guide-2020_en

https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/funding-opportunities/higher-education-funding/