Erasmus - anyone got any experience of this?

[GrumpyOldBag]

DS is in Lower 6th and we are looking at University options. I have heard a little about the Erasmus programme enabling him to study abroad for a year as part of his degree (we would look at a Greman-speaking country). But the website is hard to follow and school not great at giving out info.

Anyone got any direct experience they can help with please?

Anybody heard whether Erasmus still applies to those students starting modern foreign languages this September?

There is no official guidance available as yet. My own university has put up information saying that some form of Erasmus will almost certainly available for students starting in 2016/2017 but funding for it is uncertain. Basically we don't have a clue, anymore than we have about other EU funding for science and education after we exit.

DDs 2nd choice sent her this email yesterday : I found it really useful, if depressing that they felt the need
intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/student-hub/menu.aspx?nodeId=3500

in short, even if Article 50 is invoked at 9am tomorrow, Erasmus still lasts 2 years

It's very important to send out these emails though - we are bracing ourselves for a drastic drop in the number of EU students at UK universities given the uncertainties on tuition/visas 2 years after Article 50 is invoked and we have to make as many reassurances as we can as soon as possible to avoid losing large numbers of students. (Students lost -> income lost -> redundancies.)

Erasmus is probably a relatively small problem compared to the loss of EU students starting 3/4 year courses for which the fees etc for the 3th/4th year are unclear.

The UK also has a significant number of EU funded PhD students on 1+3 and 4 year funding. It's completely unclear whether/how they will be able to finish their PhDs if they have more than 2 years more to study.

And no increase to fees if the HE bill gets kicked into the long grass....

Yes. And we can look forward to further drops in RCUK budgets as the economy tanks and the pound falls - the latter is a particular problem for RCs which have fixed contributions to international projects made in Euros/Dollars.

But if the HE bill is kicked into the long grass that also means no TEF. Let's try to look for positives (in a very bleak landscape for HE and research).

No OfS, no splitting of teaching and research, privy council, HEFCE continues - that I like. and not having to write 15 pages of TEF I like too

Might not all be bad...! apart from the cuts and redundancies

Finance arrangements for EU students about to start study in the UK or applying to study in the UK this autumn will remain unchanged for duration of courses:

www.slc.co.uk/media/latest-news/eu-nationals-and-student-finance-in-england.aspx