All you need to know about the Erasmus Grant

The European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, otherwise known as Erasmus is an EU student exchange programme that has been helping people study internationally for 30 years. Nowadays, a semester or year abroad has become a compulsory part of many university degrees. If you decide to spend any of your time anywhere in Europe, you are entitled to the Erasmus grant, regardless of whether you chose to study at a foreign university, be an assistant at a school or do an internship for a company.

Are you eligible?

All that you need, to be able to participate in the Erasmus Programme, is to be registered at an institution of higher education that holds an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (they almost all do). You must be doing a recognised degree or some other form of higher education, and there’s no restriction on what subject you study or whether you are a full-time or part-time student (although you must be studying full-time when abroad).

How much is it?

As a UK Erasmus student, it may vary slightly from year to year, but at the moment, you are entitled to get €250-330 per month for studying abroad, and €350-430 per month for working abroad. This grant is a contribution to living costs, so these amounts vary depending on whether you are going to what is considered a high or low cost country, with places like France, Norway and Italy being high cost places to live and Spain, Germany and the Netherlands lower cost countries to name a few. What’s more, if a student’s annual household income is below around £25,000, they could be eligible for further funding, so they should consider this when applying. Students should also remember that this is a grant rather than a loan therefore it does not need to be paid back so you’re missing a trick if you don't apply for it!

Brexit?

It seems very unclear how the Erasmus grant will be affected by Brexit for UK students, however for the moment, it is staying exactly how it is and only time will tell for the future of students in the UK and this wonderful scheme.

For more information on the ERASMUS grant, click here or here for the more official sites.

Author: Roomlala

Where to live in London: A guide

When planning on moving to the Big Smoke, or simply deciding to move to a new area, it can be difficult to figure out where to live in London as the huge amount of choice can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know the city very well. Whether you’re looking for accommodation in East London, West London, North or South, there’s something for everyone. Students With universities all around the city, students in London are all spread out, just like student housing in London is too. Stud...

House rules to roommate agreements: A guide to life as a flatmate

Whether moving in with people you already know or with complete strangers, flatmate life can be a great experience, but also sometimes a messy one if you’re not careful as living in close quarters can often lead to the odd argument. However, if you follow our tips, you’ll be living in harmony. Set house rules By setting house rules right at the beginning, everyone is on the same page from day one regarding what is expected of themselves and each other. These can include who does which chor...

Buying rental property: How the buy to let scheme works

Buying rental property can be a great investment but, it can also be daunting if you don’t know where to start. The buy to let scheme offers mortgages to people who want to buy a house or flat in order to rent it out. These mortgages are slightly different to normal ones, and often have different requirements and rules. However, like normal mortgages, the buy-to-let scheme lets you buy a property without having to save up to pay it all at once. What’s the difference between a buy-to-let (BTL)...

What to include in your house viewing checklist

If you’re looking for a room, house or flat, it’s likely that you’ll want to go see the property before you sign the rental contract. This might be daunting, especially if it’ll be the first time you’ve gone to a viewing, which is why we’ve created this house viewing checklist to ensure you know everything you need to ask and look for. Things to look out for Potentially the most important part of this house viewing checklist, the things you see (and often hear) can be the biggest tell-tale...