There are few experiences as powerful as stepping into another culture, hearing new languages, and finding your place in the world beyond your own borders. For today’s students, the Turing Scheme makes this possible. It is the UK’s flagship programme, helping schools, colleges, and universities open doors for young people to study and work overseas.
At its heart, the scheme is about much more than travel. It is about growth – in skills, in confidence, and in understanding.
What is the Turing Scheme?
The Turing Scheme is a government-funded initiative that gives UK students the chance to live, learn, and work abroad. It helps providers in schools, further education, and higher education arrange meaningful travel experiences around the world – from a few weeks to a full academic year.
By supporting travel, living costs, and extra needs, the scheme ensures that these opportunities are not just for a few, but for everyone, especially those who may not have had such chances before.
How Travelbound can help
As a specialist educational tour provider, we support institutions in maximising the Turing Scheme’s benefits. Our services include:
- Bespoke Programme Design – Aligning international study plans with curriculum and funding requirements.
- Logistics Management – Handling travel, accommodation, and coordination with overseas institutions.
- Application Support – Assisting in developing strong proposals that meet assessment criteria.
- Student Support – Providing pre-departure briefings and ongoing welfare assistance.
Why it matters
The benefits of international study or work cannot be overstated. With every Travelbound student tour comes:
- New skills – Students return with sharper problem-solving abilities, independence, and adaptability.
- Career advantages – Employers look for graduates who can work across cultures and show resilience.
- Cultural awareness – Living abroad fosters open-mindedness and a deeper appreciation of our shared world.
- Personal growth – Beyond academics, it is often the quiet lessons – navigating a new city, building friendships across borders – that leave the greatest impact.
As with any great journey, the Turing Scheme gives young people stories and lessons that stay with them for a lifetime.
Who can take part?
The Turing Scheme is open to a wide range of education providers across the UK and British Overseas Territories, including:
- Schools: offering shorter travel experiences for pupils over the age of 14.
- Colleges and FE providers: giving learners, apprentices, and vocational students global experience.
- Universities: enabling undergraduates – and, in some cases, postgraduates – to study or work overseas.
Students themselves do not need to be UK nationals, but they must be registered with an eligible provider in the UK.
Different funding streams for different institutions
The Turing Scheme recognises that schools, colleges, and universities each have unique needs, priorities, and ways of working. For this reason, the funding is organised into distinct streams, or “pots,” tailored to different types of institutions.
- Schools – Whether a single school or part of a consortium, the schools’ stream supports pupils aged 14 and above, shorter tours, and funding for accompanying staff. Schools also receive guidance on including disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs.
- Further Education (FE) and Vocational Education & Training (VET) Providers – This stream helps colleges and vocational providers offer study or work placements for apprentices and vocational learners. Funding covers a range of experiences, from shorter student tours to extended projects, with additional support for equity and inclusion.
- Higher Education (HE) Providers – Universities and higher education institutions can use this stream to support undergraduates (and, in some cases, postgraduates) on study, work, or volunteering placements abroad. Experiences are designed to enhance academic learning, employability skills, and global awareness.
Each stream has its own application route, funding limits, and assessment criteria. This ensures that every provider competes on fair terms, with support appropriate to their size, focus, and the students they serve.
By separating funding in this way, the Turing Scheme allows schools, FE colleges, and universities alike to create meaningful, safe, and life-changing international experiences for their students – each tailored to the unique nature of their learning environment.
What the funding covers
The Turing Scheme provides grants to help remove the financial barriers to studying or working abroad. This can include:
- Travel costs – return journeys and local transfers.
- Living costs – daily or monthly support for accommodation, food, and essentials.
- Organisational support – helping institutions with the costs of running projects.
- Extra support for disadvantaged students – covering visas, passports, insurance, or other key expenses.
- Special support for SEND students – ensuring every learner can take part fully.
- Accompanying staff costs – for schools and FE groups where supervision is essential.
Funding amounts for students
The amount each student receives depends on the destination country and the ‘cost of living group’ it has been assigned by the Department for Education (DfE). These groups are based on the overall cost of living in that destination:
Group 1 – higher cost of living
Group 2 – lower cost of living
There are different rates depending on the length of the experience and whether the student is from a disadvantaged background:
- Placements for students from non-disadvantaged backgrounds
14 to 56 days: Group 1 – £19 per day | Group 2 – £17 per day
57 to 365 days: Group 1 – £14 per day | Group 2 – £12 per day
- Placements for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
14 to 56 days: Group 1 – £23 per day | Group 2 – £21 per day
57 to 365 days: Group 1 – £18 per day | Group 2 – £16 per day
This tiered approach ensures that funding reflects both the cost of living abroad and the individual needs of each student, helping to make tour fair, inclusive, and accessible to all.
A taste of the experiences with Travelbound
Each Turing Scheme tour experience is unique, shaped around the curriculum and the goals of both the educator and the student. To give a flavour of what’s possible, here are just a few examples of the kinds of journeys students could embark upon:
University & College Travel & Tourism Trips to New York
Explore iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, and study first-hand how tourism and entertainment fuel one of the world’s busiest cities.
University & College Business Studies Trips to Budapest
Visit global firms, hear from financial leaders, and see how an economy in transition blends tradition with innovation.
University & College Art & Design Trips to Barcelona
Draw inspiration from Gaudí’s architecture, discover Picasso’s early works, and immerse yourself in one of Europe’s great artistic capitals.
University & College Travel & Tourism Trips to China
Walk along the Great Wall, discover the Terracotta Warriors, and study how one of the world’s largest economies welcomes visitors from across the globe.
University & College Media Studies Trips to Los Angeles
Step into the world of film and television in Hollywood, meet industry professionals, and explore how stories created here shape culture worldwide.
These are but glimpses. Each Travelbound tour offers not only new knowledge but new perspectives, turning theory into experience and curiosity into understanding.
A lasting impact
Take, for example, Bournemouth University who were awarded a substantial £1.2 million grant through the UK Turing Scheme for the 2024/25 academic year. This enabled around 500 students to be immersed in diverse cultural and professional environments, enhancing their educational journey and providing them with a global outlook. Students spoke of renewed confidence, cultural understanding, and the joy of building friendships across continents.
This is the real power of the Turing Scheme: helping students not only see the world but understand their place in it.
Looking ahead
The Turing Scheme continues to evolve and expand, with each year offering new opportunities for students and institutions to take part. Projects run within the academic cycle, from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2026, and funding is carefully targeted to ensure wide participation.
For educators and international officers, now is the time to start preparing future applications, strengthening partnerships, and inspiring students to look beyond the classroom.
A journey worth taking
As a team of travel and education specialists, our Travelbound team know first-hand the value of seeing the world through new eyes. Every student tour tells a story – of courage, of curiosity, of learning that lasts far beyond a single journey.
The Turing Scheme is more than funding; it is a pathway to growth. For the students of today, it offers the chance to step out into the world and return transformed, ready to take their place in a global community.
To speak to the Travelbound team on support around your next student tour, use our online enquiry form or call us on 01273 244 572
Disclaimer: This article is based on government guidance for the 2025/26 Turing Scheme cycle at the time of writing. Application windows, eligibility rules, and funding details may change in future years. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official UK government website at gov.uk
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