Erasmus+ grants

Erasmus+ grant amount

If you are studying or working abroad as an Erasmus+ student, and comply with all relevant paperwork requirements, you are eligible to receive a non-repayable Erasmus+ grant. This is regardless of your level of study or nationality. More information on paperwork needed for Erasmus+ purposes can be found in the following 'Erasmus+ Exchange Requirements' section.

The Erasmus+ grant is awarded in addition to any student finance that you are eligible for. Read more about student finance on a placement abroad year on the tuition fees and loans page. 

In addition to the Erasmus+ grant, students from under represented backgrounds receive an additional ‘widening participation’ monthly supplementary grant of €120 (Erasmus+ study placements) or €20 (Erasmus+ work placements) who can demonstrate that their household income is £25,000 or less. 

If you are a student with a physical, mental or health-related condition that would make your participation in Erasmus+ impossible without extra financial support, you can apply for an additional 'Erasmus+ special needs support grant' to help finance extra costs associated with your condition. This grant is intended to help you take full advantage of an Erasmus+ mobility experience.  Examples of areas eligible for support include (but are not limited to): adapted accommodation, travel assistance, medical attendance, supportive equipment, adaption of learning materials, an accompanying person. 

Monthly grant rates and Widening Participation top-up rates can be viewed on the Erasmus+ website. 

Switzerland and Global Engineering Education Exchange Consortium (GE3) study placements

If you are studying or working in Switzerland, or studying at a European university via the Global Engineering Education Exchange Consortium (GE3) you are not eligible to receive the Erasmus+ funding. However, if you are studying at a Swiss institution you will usually receive comparable funding directly from your host institution. Further enquiries about the parallel Swiss exchange programme should be made to the Study Abroad Office. There is no parallel scheme for GE3 students.

Erasmus+ payments 

The British Council provide the overall funding to the University of Leeds in two allocations in Euros. The exchange rate used to convert the Euro allocation to sterling is the daily rate used by the University of Leeds when converting the Euro allocation provided by the British Council. Therefore, the rate is likely to change between the first and final allocation.

The University of Leeds will guarantee Erasmus+ funding for a maximum of initially 70% of the fully certified duration of your placement period abroad. After your placement has ended, the University of Leeds may make a final “top-up” payment of up to a further 30% depending on the level of funds made available by the British Council. The amount you receive will be calculated based on the eventual length of your placement and will be adjusted accordingly based on dates supplied on your 'Certificate of Attendance'.

Monthly grant rates vary depending on the destination country and type of programme so the projected grant rates in the table below are provided as a guide only. These rates do not include the additional Widening Participation supplement.

Provided that the required paperwork has been submitted in a timely manner, we expect eligible students to receive the grant as follows: 

• If spending semester 1 or a full year abroad - first instalment of the grant in the autumn. The "top-up" instalment is paid at the end of the academic year. 
• If spending semester 2 or the third term abroad - first instalment around the time you leave to study abroad or have started your work placement. The "top-up" instalment is paid at the end of the academic year.
• Widening Participation grants for Erasmus study or work placement students will be paid as a mid-placement payment, usually in February if spending the full year abroad. 

Multiple Erasmus+ payments

You are allowed to claim a grant for ‘multiple Erasmus+/European exchange periods’ up to a maximum of 12 months in total at each degree level, so if you are learning two languages and participating on two Erasmus+ placements (work or study) you may not be able to benefit from the grant for the duration of both periods abroad. 

Leaving early and grant repayment 

You may be asked to repay part of your Erasmus+ grant if you leave earlier than expected, or if the 'Certificate of Attendance' that you receive at the end of your placement abroad suggests you were studying abroad for less time than you received the grant for.

If the University of Leeds overpays the grant for any reason, e.g. due to miscalculation, misleading or incorrect information or because of any errors made by payment staff, then you are required to repay the relevant amount of grant money. This is because the grant is provided to assist students in both studying and working abroad each year and must be distributed in a consistent, fair and transparent way. Any grant money incorrectly retained by one student prevents that grant money from being given to another student.

Erasmus+ exchange requirements

If you will be on a placement abroad for the full academic year, the Study Abroad Office or Placements Team will provide information on the required Erasmus+ paperwork and their deadlines a few weeks prior to your placement starting. 

If you will be on work placement abroad, your School needs to approve your work placement before you can be eligible to receive the Erasmus+ grant. Once this has been approved, the Erasmus+ work team will contact you with more information and the Erasmus+ documents. For more about the Erasmus+ work placement application and deadlines, please see the information on the Careers Centre website. 

The Erasmus+ funding is generous. However, there are strict rules about the various documents and processes you need to complete or supply throughout the year to obtain the grant. Your Erasmus+ period will be deemed incomplete if the documents and processes outlined below are not completed or returned to the University of Leeds by the deadline given, and any Erasmus+ funding received to date will need to be returned to the University.

Documents needed before the first grant payment is made 

There are several documents you are required to complete and return to the Study Abroad Office/Placement Team in order to receive your Erasmus+ grant. The following information provides an outline of the required documents and deadlines by which you must complete them.

Your personalised Grant Agreement, Learning Agreement and Pre-Departure checklist will be emailed to you. All other required documents are available to download from the Study Abroad Handbooks and Documents page. 

Documents needed before the top-up grant payment is made

The Erasmus+ grant top-up payment can only be released once the below have been completed. Documents are available to download from the Study Abroad Handbooks and Documents page.