ERASMUS (study abroad)

• Your exchange will only be recognised on a pass/fail basis however you will receive BU credits for the units studied during your exchange
• You will be expected to pass your study exchange in order to progress at BU; however the grades from the study abroad period will not count towards your final degree classification
• Your Erasmus study exchange will form part of your degree and will be recognised on your final degree transcript, as well as your diploma supplement.

As an exchange student it is your responsibility to find your own accommodation which could be on or off campus. The partner university usually have resources to help with this.

An Erasmus study exchange can benefit you personally, professionally and for your studies. Visit The British Council website for details on this.

• EU member states
• Check if a bilateral agreement exists between your preferred institution and BU.

To be eligible for an Erasmus study exchange you must:

• Be enrolled at BU
• Have successfully completed your first year of studies or be a Postgraduate student
• Be performing well academically.

To help support students with disabilities or exceptional special needs there is limited additional funding available, but this must be applied for prior to the start of the mobility period. Please read the additional information & application form document for further details.

In order to participate in the Erasmus programme both you and your host university need to complete the official Erasmus documents before the exchange commences and also at the end of the exchange period. Please read the Erasmus Guidance note carefully before completing the documents. You should save the documents to your own computer before you complete them. The following documents need to be completed / read:

• Guidance Erasmus Docs
• Non-UK Bank details form
• Erasmus learning agreement
• Certificate of Attendance
• Pre-departure Erasmus

BU Product Design student Martin Constantine won First Prize in the Film Category of the British Council and Ecorys 'Your Story' Competition! 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the EU funded Erasmus programme and Martin's film wonderfully portrays the positive impact his Erasmus placement with Visteon in France has had on his personal and professional development. Martin will be attending the Prize Awards Event on 15 November 2012 at the British Council London offices. Martin's winning film can be seen here.

Further information about the competition and the other entries can be seen online here.

A video interview with MEP Graham Watson about how participating in the Erasmus scheme can increase your graduate employability.

A 2010 Europe-wide survey among employers shows that, when it comes to graduate recruitment, 'soft' skills are just as valued as sector-specific and computer skills. Significant numbers of employers questioned said that the ability to work well in a team (98%), to adapt to new situations (97%), communication skills (96%), and knowledge of foreign languages (67%) were important when recruiting for their companies. Almost 50% of companies with considerable international business identified knowledge of foreign languages as the most important skill for the future. This is great news for Erasmus students who acquire these very skills!

Read the EU press release.

Read some stories about students who have done Erasmus (pdf - 1.22mb)

• The grants can vary depending on the destination country. Generally, you will receive €370 per month for Central Europe, €310 for Eastern Europe. For the following year (13/14) these amount will likely be slightly adjusted
• The grants are paid in one lumps sum prior to you departure. For example 4 months at Germany university will lead to a grant payment of €1480 before you leave (€370 x 4)
• You will continue to pay your tuition fees to BU, but do not need to pay the partner university
• You are responsible for your transport, accommodation and other associated living costs
• National grants and student loans can be maintained during your Erasmus period, but it is your responsibility to advise your Local Authority and Student Finance England of your study abroad period
• If your family's household income is below £25,000 per annum or you are a care leaver please inform us as you will receive an additional grant of currently €500
• For 2013-14 the British Council are offering a one-off supplementary grant of €400 for students undertaking mobility to the following less-visited Erasmus countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. Please note that this allowance can be paid only once for each student during 2013-14, regardless of the number of mobilities they undertake.

In order to qualify for Erasmus funding the minimum length of exchange is 3 months. If you terminate your exchange before the minimum requirement whilst on your placement you will need to refund the entire grant.

If your placement is shorter than 3 months you can apply for the Global Horizon Fund.