Turing Scheme

The Turing Scheme is a UK government funding programme to enable students to participate in international study and work placements abroad. The Turing Scheme has currently been confirmed as running for 4 academic years - 2021/22 to 2024/25 - and is available to support university-approved overseas placements with a minimum duration of 4 weeks (28 days) and a maximum duration of 12 months.

Individual student funding comprises of a contribution towards living costs and is calculated based on the cost of living in the host country and the duration of the placement.

A higher level of funding is available for students from lower income backgrounds both as a higher contribution towards living costs as well as a contribution towards travel costs (where this cannot be claimed from other sources).

2025/26 placements

The government has not yet announced whether the Turing Scheme will continue beyond 2024/25. However, the University has committed to underwrite funding for students from lower income backgrounds participating in eligible international placements in 2025/26. This means that students who are eligible to receive the Manchester bursary will receive funding for their placement regardless of the future of the Turing Scheme. Please note that is has recently been confirmed that for 2025/26, students with household income of £43,000 or less will be eligible for the Manchester Bursary.

Funding for semester and year long placements for bursary holders has previously been in the range of £445 to £504 per month depending on the placement location.

2024/25 placements

The University of Manchester has been successful in applying for Turing funding to support students undertaking international placements in 2024/25.

To be eligible for funding, a placement must:

  • be a minimum of 28 days long (excluding travel days to/from the placement);
  • be approved and supported by The University of Manchester;
  • be part of your programme of study or an eligible summer placement*;
  • not be taking place in your country of domicile.

 To be eligible for this funding, students must:

  • be a fully-registered undergraduate of the University;
  • have ‘Home’ fee status;
  • have a household income of £35,000 or less (based on your means-tested assessment through Student Finance in either 23/24 or 24/25, where this data has been released to the University).

The daily grant rates for placements in 2024/25 are as follows:

  Students with household income of £35,000 or less Students with household income over £35,000
Placement lasts between 28 and 56 days in a group 1 country £23 per day £19 per day
Placement lasts between 28 and 56 days in a group 2 country £21 per day £17 per day
Placement lasts over 56 days in a group 1 country £18 per day £14 per day
Placement lasts over 56 days in a group 2 country £16 per day £12 per day

 

The cost of living groups are determined by the Department for Education and a list can be found here. Please note that no days spent abroad before 1 September 2024 or after 31 August 2025 can be funded.

Any questions regarding funding can be directed to turingscheme@manchester.ac.uk. Questions about going abroad more generally can be directed to goabroad@manchester.ac.uk

Where any additional funding becomes available throughout the year, we will distribute this on an ongoing basis based on household income where this has been assessed and shared with the university.

Medicine and Nursing students will have their eligibility assessed once their placement application has been approved by their School. Eligible students will then be contacted directly via email.

Applications for the PGR Turing Scholars scheme will open in the coming weeks.

*Eligible summer placements include summer schools managed by the Placements & International Programmes Office and certain international volunteering programmes.

 

Information for students receiving Turing funding

PAPERWORK

What paperwork will I have to complete?

You will be expected to complete a Grant Agreement, Certificate of Arrival and Certificate of Attendance and confirm your bank details.

The Grant Agreement is your contract with the University and it details the terms and conditions of Turing Scheme funding. Please read this carefully before completing, and make sure that the information you provide (i.e. your placement dates) is as accurate as possible.

Confirmation of Bank Details can be provided by uploading your bank nominated bank details to your Student Centre. In addition, the UNIV: Turing Scheme Bank Details Confirmation must be completed in order to confirm that you have uploaded details of your nominated bank account.

The Certificate of Arrival confirms your exact placement or exchange start date and your predicted end date and is completed at the start of your placement. This document enables us to calculate your grant entitlement, as your grant is based upon your duration spent at your host. This can only be completed once you have arrived at your host organisation or institution, and must be signed and stamped by an authorised signatory (i.e. a member of staff from the International Office or HR staff member).

The Certificate of Attendance confirms your exact placement or exchange end date and is completed at the end of your placement. Similarly, to the Certificate of Arrival, this enables us to calculate your exact entitlement for the period you spent abroad. This must also be signed and stamped by an authorised signatory at your host organisation or institution.

You must also receive Travel Approval ahead of starting your placement to be eligible for funding. Late applications for travel approval risk funding being reduced or removed. Information about the travel approval process is provided by your placement office.

Where can I find paperwork on My Placement?

Your Grant Agreement, Certificate of Arrival, Certificate of Attendance and the Bank Details Confirmation Questionnaire can all be found in your placement record in My Placement.

Is there a deadline to complete paperwork by?

The Grant Agreement and Confirmation of Bank Details should be completed before the start of your placement or exchange. We would recommend completing both of these as soon as possible to avoid delays in receiving funding.

The Certificate of Arrival can only be completed once you have arrived at your host destination. This must be completed within 21 days of your arrival.

The Certificate of Attendance must be completed at the end of your placement or exchange. This should be completed no earlier than 7 calendar days before your end date, and no later than 21 calendar days after.

Other sources of funding

Students receiving Turing funding can make up the difference between their Turing funding and their actual costs via other sources but MUST NOT claim for any actual costs (e.g. flights, visas etc) through more than one source of funding.

 

General Frequently Asked Questions 

Which countries can I go to? 

The Turing Scheme is fully international and can fund participants who are travelling to any country where the FCDO does not advise against travel. Please note that Travel Approval must be granted by the relevant School or Placement Office for funding to be granted. 

How do I apply? 

University of Manchester students do not need to apply for the Scheme. When an application for a placement is approved in the My Placement system, an eligibility assessment is automatically conducted. This includes checking means testing information from Student Finance. Eligible students will then be contacted with further information and guidance on grant rates and paperwork.  

Do I need to provide any evidence of my eligibility?  

You should ensure your household income data through your means testing assessment is visible to us via Student Finance as this is the primary way we assess your eligibility. To do so, ensure that when completing your application for Student Finance, that you apply for means-testing and that you do not opt out of this information being shared with the University. If you prefer not to take out student loans, it is still possible to submit an application and be means-tested and then turn down the loan offered. This allows us to access the information we need to assess your eligibiltiy for Turing funding while also not rquiring you to take out an unwanted loan. If you are not eligible for means-tested maintenance loans or if your loan is managed through Student Finance Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, please contact us on turingscheme@manchester.ac.uk for further advice.

What happens if some of my placement dates fall outside of the 1st September – 31st August window? 

Any days spent on exchange/placements outside of these dates will not count toward your minimum mobility duration and so will be deducted from your total placement length when calculating your grant. For example, if your placement starts on 2nd August 2024 and ends on 2nd September 2024, your total funded mobility would be 30 days rather than 32 days as the 1st and 2nd September would not be funded. 

Any queries regarding the Turing Scheme can be sent to turingscheme@manchester.ac.uk.

 

This is the information for Turing placements being undertaken in 2024/25

Eligibility

The University of Manchester has been successful in applying for Turing Scheme funding to financially support students undertaking international placements in 2023/24.

As the Turing Scheme prioritises funding for students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds, the University of Manchester will distribute funding based on the below criteria:

  • Students must have ‘Home’ fee status
  • Students must not be undertaking their placement in their Country of Domicile
  • Students must have a household income of less than £35,000 (as assessed by Student Finance) OR have been eligible for contextual admissions at the point of entry to the University and have a household income of less than £62,343 (in line with the upper limit for being awarded an income-based increase to the minimum maintenance loan)

Placements must also:

  • Take place outside of the UK
  • last a minimum of 28 days between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2024
  • have received travel approval

All students undertaking full year or semester-long placements who meet these criteria have been contacted by email.

If you believe that you meet these eligibility criteria but have not received an email regarding your eligibility assessment, please contact turingscheme@manchester.ac.uk and we will look into this.

We are currently completing individual eligibility assessments for Medicine and Nursing students. You will be contacted during the autumn with further information regarding eligibility for funding for elective placementes overseas once these eligibility assessments have been completed.

Applications for the PGR Turing Scholars scheme close on 31st Janaury 2024. Full informaiton can be found here.