Going Abroad – FAQ for Parents/Guardians/Carers

How does going abroad during their degree benefit the student?

Most students who go abroad find that by the end of their placement their confidence and independence have grown enormously and that they have developed not just their academic skills/foreign language skills, but also communication, presentation, and organisational skills. Spending a period studying abroad, working in a foreign environment, and dealing with challenges along the way is proof of adaptability and ability to problem-solve, all soft skills and qualities highly valued by future employers.  Students also find the period abroad an excellent opportunity to get to know another culture and people and make contacts who remain lifelong friends. 

How is the student supported?

 
The Placements and International Programmes (PIP) team works together with colleagues from across the University to prepare students for their time overseas and support them whilst away.  We are here to answer any questions that may arise before departure and maintain contact with students throughout their time abroad. 

Once a placement is confirmed, students will also receive access to further support and guidance, including: 

• Accommodation fair/focus week and drop-in events 
• Specific guidance directly from the host university if on a study placement 
• General accommodation guidance in a country-specific initial briefing 
• Forum for engaging with UoM students currently abroad or recently returned 
• Global Guidance Ambassador (students recently returned from abroad providing peer support) consultations in the Atrium 
• Country-specific meetings and contact with country advisors from the PIP team 

During international placements, we ask students to keep in touch with us at key points using our web-based My Placement system. This allows us to confirm that students are safe and well and attending their placement as expected. It also reminds them of things they should do while abroad, such as updating their contact details and registering for FCDO advice.   
  
Students are responsible for providing mobile numbers and for keeping their emergency contacts up to date on the student system so that we can contact them quickly in the case of an emergency or if there is important information that we need to provide.

We provide detailed resources and support to help students prepare for their placement, including on our website Go Abroad | Preparing to go | The University of Manchester, to enable them to address any challenges they might encounter whilst abroad.  If there are any problems that the student cannot resolve, please encourage them to contact their exchange coordinator at their host institution or their work placement supervisor. It is very important to try to resolve situations locally before resorting to intervention from Manchester as inevitably this is slower.   
    
 

How much does it cost to go abroad?

Students going abroad for a full academic year pay a reduced tuition fee to the University of Manchester (20% or less of a year’s tuition fee). If they are abroad for only one semester, they will pay the same standard fees to Manchester. Students participating in the International Exchange Programme, studying abroad at one of our exchange partner institutions, do not have to pay any tuition fees to the partner institution. For more information, see: Go Abroad | Finance and funding | Tuition Fees | The University of Manchester 
 

Students will still be entitled to their full student loan (the maintenance loan gets extended when going abroad for a full academic year) and students whose household income is assessed by Student Finance may be eligible for Travel Grants. Travel Grants are means-tested and are designed to help students cover any necessary costs incurred during their placement overseas, such as flights, insurance, and visas. Students should consult Student Finance for more information. 

 
The PIP team manages Turing Scheme funding provided by the UK Government, designed to contribute to covering the additional costs associated with studying/working abroad. The Turing Scheme has currently been confirmed up 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. 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 a 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. 

Students are advised as early as possible as to whether they will receive funding under the scheme, but often this is later than we would like as we are subject to external timelines for confirmation of funding.  Beyond Turing funding, PIP is not able to offer any assistance with additional costs incurred by students studying abroad. The student must be able to meet all such costs (flights, accommodation, books, insurance, visas, and day-to-day living expenses) themselves. For more information, see: Go Abroad | Finance and funding | Turing Scheme | The University of Manchester 

Does the student need a Visa?

Please note that the student is responsible for applying for a Visa for the countries where this is required. Any specific Visa or immigration queries should be directed to the relevant instances of the host country. Students can find Visa guidance and links on our pages: Go Abroad | Preparing to go | Visa Guidance | The University of Manchester 

Will the student get accommodation abroad?

 
Please be prepared that finding accommodation abroad is likely to be time-consuming and challenging. Many partner universities are currently facing a housing shortage due to an increase in numbers of exchange and home students. As such, unless specifically stated, exchange students are generally not guaranteed university accommodation at their host institution. Please ensure the student starts searching for accommodation as early as possible. General guidance on finding accommodation, as well as an accommodation guide with links and helpful tips can be found here: Go Abroad | Preparing to go | Accommodation | The University of Manchester  

The best way to start looking for accommodation at the partner university, is to look through the Accommodation section in each of the partner institution programme brochures on My Placement, where we provide housing information from our partner universities and links directing students to the source. Considering each student might have different living habits, budget, or general preferences, we strongly recommend students to research the housing options well, as it might affect a student’s overall abroad experience. 

What if something happens to the student while abroad?

All students receive a safety briefing and complete a risk assessment in order for us to grant them approval to undertake their placement; it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that mitigating actions outlined in the risk assessment are undertaken and that they maintain a continual assessment of the risks associated with their placement.  We also highly recommend that students register for specific country updates provided by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. They also have access to the AIG Travel Guard notification system provided by our insurer. PIP maintains a watching brief on travel advisories for all countries where students are located, issues guidance accordingly, and has systems in place for crisis management. 
 
All students undertaking a placement abroad are automatically insured under The University of Manchester’s travel insurance policy. Cover is valid two weeks prior to the required arrival date and one week following the end of the placement for long-term placements, and for an extension of maximum 7 days, and no more than 50% of the period of the placement, for short-term placements (3 months or less) in the destination of the placement (based on placement dates provided by the host institution/placement provider). Additional travel prior to or following their placement abroad should seek additional insurance to cover them for that period. Personal cover should also be secured for any personal holiday travel undertaken during the placement. Students have been provided with full details of the insurance cover and the contact details for The University of Manchester Insurance Office, which you can find here: Go Abroad | Emergencies and Insurance | Insurance | The University of Manchester 
 
Students on study placements may find that their host institution or country will also have a compulsory health insurance policy that they must purchase before they will be permitted to register. Before committing to a work placement, students should make sure that they understand the insurance put in place by the proposed employer. For more information, see: Go Abroad | Emergencies and Insurance | Insurance | The University of Manchester 

How can I provide support if the student is having difficulties adjusting abroad?

We recognise that in the early days students may feel anxious and perhaps downcast and may encounter difficulties in adapting to the new environment, no matter how carefully they have prepared for this experience.  Common stress factors include finding suitable accommodation, dissatisfaction with initial accommodation, adapting to a new culture, feeling unable to cope with the foreign language, and difficulties adapting to an increased workload together with a level of homesickness. These difficulties in settling in can be compounded by confusion about administrative matters.  This can be upsetting for parents who feel helpless and worry about how their children are coping.  We often receive feedback from students that they found the initial period very difficult.  However, as they grow in confidence, they typically reach the stage where they do not want to leave! Indeed, one of the greatest benefits that the placement experience brings to students is to enable them to become much more resilient, independent, and self-confident individuals. It is during this initial settling-in period that you can be particularly supportive, encourage them not to give up and reassure them that problems can be resolved.  We should point out, however, that many students settle in well from the very beginning.  Each experience is different. 
  
If the student is unable to work through the situation having followed the chain of support ‘in country’, they can contact PIP, but they must do so themselves.  Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we cannot discuss an individual’s personal situation with a third party, such as a parent, guardian, or carer. Apart from the data protection issue, discussions with a third party can also lead to misunderstandings.  We thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.