Did your DC get any money from Turing ?

[IlovedLadybirdbooks]

DD is doing MFL degree and on her year abroad in France. Just been informed by her home university that she won't get anything from Turing.

Bit disappointing as her YA is mandatory and she only gets the minimum maintenance loan. Would have been good to get some help with visa, insurance and travel costs.

Yes he did. The uni were very good about it all.
What uni is your child at?

University of Nottingham.

Is your DS doing a mandatory YA? Which uni is he at? And how much did he get?

He was at Newcastle doing mfl. The tear abroad was mandatory and he had a job. Can't remember exactly but he got a decent chunk of money- about 5k? Something like that?

£5k???

My DD is doing a compulsory year abroad in Germany working and has received turing scheme. I believe about £4k. She is in receipt of the full maintenance loan due to my income (though not this year because of the YA) her internship pays a pittance. She's at Birmingham. I don't know what she'd have done without the Turing money it's cost an absolute fortune (for me) getting her on this YA.

@IlovedLadybirdbooksI would query this but some universities DO means test Turing. They don’t all have the same policies. Or the same number of dc going abroad. Many top MFL departments don’t get enough Turing money. Plus they don’t ring fence it for compulsory year abroad. They give it to the “nice to go abroad” dc as well. So engineers, politics etc. It’s not just reserved for MFL who must go abroad.

No wonder students don’t want to do MFLs because this money is going to all sorts of students and many will be on full loan and considered deprived but not doing a MFL degree. I’d get dc to at least ask what’s going on. MFL students are seen as middle class by some universities and loads of others qualify for Turing but not them.

With visas needed, work is not easy to get abroad and many students attend universities. Also the best universities here have been choosy about what work is done making it even more difficult to attain. Turing needs revision! Not sure if we are making some attempt to rejoin Erasmus. We need to.

The Turing fund is pretty much means-tested - it varies from university to university and its inadequacy is beyond the university’s control.

Just to add, it was definitely means tested in Birmingham uni.

Eventually. A non mfl degree but she had almost returned by the time funding came through, so not much use for funding upfront costs. It was prioritised for mfl students and those with compulsory ya, then remainder distributed on a means tested basis,

My foster son is hoping to get some Turing funding either next year or in third year to help pay for 6 months in Australia. He's doing a sports course. He's been told by his tutor if his grades are good enough he should get funding as means tested and he's a disabled student on full maintenance loan.

Thanks for your replies. I'll try to get DD to query it.

Yes. DC2 is studying abroad this term. It's optional. They are dyslexic, autistic and have ADHD, so they actually got more per day that the other UK students who are there with them.

@IlovedLadybirdbooks Many universities don’t prioritise Turing for MFL students. Personally a trip to Australia for sport isn’t a requirement. Studying abroad for a MFL student is a requirement. As usual, MFL is seen as less important. The universities know British passport holders will find it difficult to work. So EU passport holders get an advantage with work too. Essentially the universities don’t all use the money for the required year abroad and many means test harshly and give the money to “nice to go” students because it enhances their inclusive credentials.

DS received Turing funding last year - Nottingham Uni, compulsory year abroad. He was told the Uni has received much lower funding than they had applied for but he was prioritised as he has DSA. He only received the daily payment for days he was in Uni rather than the full time me he was abroad but it was very helpful.

There are different rules everywhere. However a job and Turing is riches others cannot get due to lack of visas and work. It’s a patently unfair system.

more of the consequences of Brexit. And universities don’t like the scheme imposed on them, as it offers no stability or security of funding.

My daughter got nothing at all from Turing, we had to fund everything.

My DS got Turing for his year abroad in the US (about £5k) plus an academic scholarship from his uni (UEA). Both were vital as the flights, accommodation, meals etc were pretty eye-watering. This was in 2023

@ParmaVioletTea Yes it stinks. Why does someone get £££ for USA when compulsory MFL year isn’t funded? This is what I don’t understand? It’s being used to support “nice to have” instead of the mandatory year.

Yes, my DC received Turing funding for her international year of about £3000. Was through University of Leeds and was an 'optional' international year. I think it was means tested and she gets about 80% of a full.loan usually. She got a bit extra due to being in an underrepresented group too. It wasn't automatic funding - she had to submit an application.

At my place, it's means-tested. And as academics, we can't predict how much we'll get and what conditions will be imposed (it's run nationally by Capita, last I looked).

The previous government established it as a way to try to level the playing field for families whose DC were eligible for the full loan and bursaries ie low income families.

The joys of Brexit. If any of you voted to leave, I hope you're happy.

@ParmaVioletTeaYes I know the history of it but dc who study MFLs are being short changed aren’t they. Turing is speed too thinly and it’s about levelling the playing field. Brexit has not only harmed MFLs it’s harmed studying in those countries too because others get the money who aren’t even going to Europe! Why aren’t MFLs prioritised?

We are planning to rejoin Erasmus but it's more likely to be in 27 than 26.

I agree - from what I gather on Mumsnet threads and uni websites the attitude is totally outdated. Birmingham for instance says the only job acceptable is at graduate level and you can't be an au pair or equivalent. How exactly are UK students supposed to manage that without an EU passport?

Are unis really telling their MFL students that they won't give them Turing money and won't them let take the jobs they would actually be allowed to do? WTF are they supposed to do?

There are quite a few schemes offering work placements in France but all want EU passports.

Dd is currently on her MFL mandatory year abroad. She applied for Turing but we are high earners so she didn’t get a penny. DH has basically put off retirement to pay for it! I do think MFL degrees are becoming less accessible as a result which is extremely sad.

Means tested at ds’s uni and yes he got a quite large amount which really helped.