The Turing scheme

The Turing Scheme is international in focus and allows for universities to support students in placements across the world. It is designed as a contribution to the general cost of living, allowing universities to support students all over the world. The scheme aims to help participants from all backgrounds develop new skills, gain vital international experience, and boost their employability. The Turing scheme has now been confirmed until 2024-2025 and St Andrews will continue to bid annually.  

Turing scheme funding is available for students on study and work placements which are an integral part of their degree whether optional or compulsory.  We are also able to fund additional activities including short term research placements for post graduate students, summer study placements, volunteer activities and some internships.  We will contact all confirmed study and work abroad students early in the calendar year to invite applications and will open applications for other cohorts throughout the cycle.  

We also offer a range of University of St Andrews scholarships and bursaries.  These subject to their own deadlines and application processes and we are committed to continuing our exchange programmes and supporting our students on their placements.

Funding information:

Awards for Turing are made based on our institutional application, which are submitted annually in April. The Global Office will circulate a call for applications each year from students participating in study or work abroad opportunities, and the University will then communicate results directly to students who have responded to the internal application for the scheme once we have our institutional award which is usually received at the end of the summer.

The following is an indication of the levels of funding one may expect to be in place for 2023-2024. We will confirm the amounts in due course:

  • Destination countries/territories are grouped into three categories: Group 1 (high cost of living), Group 2 (medium cost of living), Group 3 (low cost of living)     
  • Student placements with a total duration of four to eight weeks will receive:
    • £545 per month (equal to £136.25 per week for Group 1 destinations)
    • £480 per month (equal to £120 per week for Group 2 and 3 destinations).
  • Student placements with a total duration of nine weeks to twelve months will receive:
    • £380 per month (for Group 1 destinations)
    • £335 per month (for Group 2 and 3 destinations)

The students’ bank details on MySaint must be up to date for the funding to be processed.

Please note that placements lasting nine weeks to twelve months will receive the rates identified for this category for the full duration of the mobility and not the higher rates for the initial period of eight weeks. The minimum duration of 4 weeks for Higher Education placements is equal to 28 working days.

Please be aware that the mobility start date is not the date on which you arrived at your placement, but the first date on which you must be in attendance at your placement.

Additional Support:

Extra funding may be available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds or who meet the UK government's special education needs or disabilities criteria for additional support. Contact us at studyabroad@st-andrews.ac.uk for more details. The University will apply for this uplift in funding on your behalf if you have indicated to us that you may be eligible.

For participants with specific educational support requirements, the Turing Scheme will also fund up to 100% of actual costs for support directly related to their additional needs and we invite participants to let us know of relevant costs where they relate to mitigations for needs outlined by the UK government as being eligible for this additional funding as listed on the UK Government's Turing Scheme webpages. 

However, please note that support for the additional needs listed above can only be funded with receipted expenditure. Evidence must be provided at the start of the placement to be able to request this funding, so we encourage students to make arrangements at their host destination as early as possible to allow a quick collection of evidence.

Documentation:

Students are required to sign and return documents before, during and after their time abroad. For more information, please refer to the documentation webpage.

  • Attendance at the Pre-Departure meeting in April each year is compulsory for funded students on study and work placements which are part of their degree.
  • Pre-Departure Agreement - must be uploaded by May 31 using the Outbound Documentation Tool for the same group of students.

 For all funded students.  

  • Award letter – must be signed and returned (first payment will usually be made within the week after letter is returned).
  • After each payment has been received, the Global Office will require receipts in the form of a Student Acknowledgment of Receipt of Grant form (SARG), which will be sent directly to the student. SARGs are due four weeks after the receipt of each grant. Further payments cannot be made until you have returned your receipts. SARGs should be uploaded to the Outbound Documentation Tool.
  • A Certificate of Attendance to be signed by all parties, including the host institution, as evidence of dates of placements, and should be uploaded to the Outbound Documentation Tool.

Timeline:

  • The Award Letter is sent towards the start of the placement.
  • First payment is sent within two weeks of the Award letter being signed and returned.
  • The first SARG must be sent back to the Global Office in order to receive the next payment.
  • Semester abroad students or students on placements shorter than a semester receive 90% of their funding at the start of their placement and the final 10% as a balancing payment at the end of their placement. (2 SARGs to sign in total). Please note that students will not receive their final payment until the Certificate of Attendance is returned.
  • Year Abroad students receive 45% percent of their funding at the start of their placement, with a further 45% at the start of semester two and the final 10% as a balancing payment at the end of their placement. (3 SARGS to sign in total). Please note that students will not receive their second payment if their first SARG is not returned, nor their final payment until the Certificate of Attendance is returned.
  • The Certificate of Attendance document is sent to students and a signed copy must be returned prior to the end of the placement. Should the placement end early, it is possible that the Global Office may request repayment of a proportional amount of the funding for onward repayment to the National Agency.

Please note that any Turing Funding received by a student is not a loan – it is a grant administered by the University on behalf of the British Council who run the scheme for the UK government.

Extension Info

Extensions to periods that are initially identified in the award letter are not guaranteed due to the parameters of the University’s funding award, but the Global Office will aim to add to periods in that letter if informed about them before it is initially signed. We are happy to receive requests for extensions during a placement as long as we receive the request one month before the original end dates of the placement.

Future of Turing

The Turing scheme will operate until at least the end of the 2024/2025 academic year.  The University will normally apply for funding in April for the following academic year and we normally hear the result in August. 

Student funding

Current student finance arrangements remain in place. We advise that students contact their student finance company directly for further information at present. 

Annual funding

Please note: the University of St Andrews is unable to guarantee Turing scheme funding in any given year.  Turing scheme funding is awarded each year on the basis of our application as a University. We will invite applications from students participating in study or work abroad placements and other activities such as volunteering and summer placements and will apply on your behalf.  We will approach students with additional calls for applications throughout the year depending on funding. We cannot guarantee that our applications for funding will be successful, we will usually notify you of the outcome of our application funding in August prior to the academic year in which your activity will take place.  

As part of the Turing programme, eligible students will be issued with a Turing award letter which must be returned to the Global Office. This contract or award letter will serve as a guarantee of funding.