The Turing Scheme: Are today’s students getting a fair deal? Meera Saravanan, IF student researcher, investigates

The Turing Scheme
Since the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU), it no longer participates in the Erasmus+ programme. The UK’s membership to the Erasmus programme was first established in 1987, and since then cross-cultural education has been heavily prioritised in the UK. The scheme was renowned for provided stability and a consistent stream of funding. This gave students the ability to take up international study and work opportunities without the lingering fear of financial setbacks
Following Brexit, the Turing Scheme was created. The new scheme allows for schools, colleges and universities to apply for government funding to support student study or work on placements abroad. It was aimed at helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education (HE) settings and provides opportunity to those across the country. On the surface, the Turing Scheme has greater scope than the Erasmus+ programme as it allows students to study and work well beyond the confines of EU partners.
Financial pressures on today’s students
In 2021/22, the first cohort of Turing students took up their study and/or placements and the government reported that there were high levels of participant satisfaction. Unquestionably the scheme: supports many students ;it broadens their world view; and introduces opportunity for professional development. It is for this reason that the Turing Scheme needs to continue but with some important reforms.
Older versus younger living costs
For older generations, accessing developmental opportunities such as Erasmus+ was far more achievable. With little to no tuition fees, together with more generous grants, older generations could focus on other opportunities such as the travel offered by Erasmus. In contrast, current students are confronted by skyrocketing tuition fees, rising housing costs and a lack of financial support, all of which leaves little financial room to even contemplate international mobility.
Delivery issues and funding uncertainty
Delivery issues have been highlighted with the new scheme, and this has had an adverse effect on students who are keen to travel and study. Without meaningful intervention, the scheme may struggle to deliver its full potential. Integral to the design of the Erasmus+ programme was certainty over funding with reviews set every 5–7 years. This ensured that HE providers had the ability to plan long term along with their students. Currently, the Turing Schemes operates in a much shorter window of one year. Furthermore, the scheme cannot guarantee the amount of funding for placement providers until the last possible moment. Many students have spoken out about only getting confirmation of their funding status after they had begun their placement year. This leaves many students, especially those without a financial support system, taking a gamble on large financial decisions or even deciding to decline their placement opportunities.
Cost-of-living pressures on students
Domestic cost-of-living pressures facing poorer students take away the opportunity to study abroad because of the need to work to support their study. Research conducted by the higher education think tank HEPI found that over half of full-time university students have paid employment alongside their study. It means that opportunities for personal development such as studying abroad often come second to day-to-day financial survival. Although the Turing Scheme prioritises disadvantaged students, the lack of certainty in its delivery will continue to create significant barriers for those without financial safety nets.
Ensuring equity across institutions
Do all students have equitable access to personal development across institutions or does the cost-of-living crisis facing poorest students reduce opportunities for personal development alongside their studies? Think educational trips, exchanges as well as Turing-like global community building. Furthermore, some academics and commentators have questioned whether the scheme favours larger and more established institutions. Many providers reported that the Turing Scheme’s application process was challenging. This was due to limited communication and short timelines and these placed burdens upon providers with fewer resources and administrative support. This naturally affects smaller and less established institutions, which often have many students from disadvantaged backgrounds; here intra-generational fairness needs to be prioritised.
The Turing Scheme has so far conducted an evaluation of Year 1. The evaluation report noted that “HE providers delivered only half the planned placements” during the period. It is important to note that COVID-19 was a factor during the period. It seems only fair that higher education institutions should be doing more to provide opportunities for disadvantaged students to take up Turing Scheme placements when their lobbying to increase fees (which will impact all students) has been successful with the new government.
The broader challenge of intergenerational fairness
The Turing Scheme has significant potential to support those from marginalised backgrounds and reform is needed in certain areas. Long-term planning must be prioritised, along with a greater institutional understanding of the lack of financial support available to many students. Inclusivity across institutions, together with a more streamlined application process for universities, will allow more students to access these opportunities. As with all major funding programmes, the Turing Scheme should be created hand-in-hand with users – in this case students and educational providers – in order to ensure that it addresses all the needs of those who will be directly affected.
Beyond the Turing Scheme, students are facing a broader issue of lack of opportunities. Due to rising personal financial cost-of-living pressures, many students are unable to engage in activities that might help to enhance their academic experience, such as educational trips, internships or local community engagement. This is in contrast with older generations who had more financial buying power as students. The Turing Scheme represents an opportunity to redress this imbalance.
Image courtesy of: Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash