Erasmus+ Scholarship

Switzerland and United Kingdom have expressed interest to participate in the Erasmus+ Programme, but to today’s date they are not associated to the programme. Therefore, according to the call’s requirements they are not eligible either as a full partner or as an associated partner.

Scholarship holders must be legally resident in EU Member States, EEA countries or countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme at the time of scholarship application and throughout the scholarship period. The Erasmus+ scholarships may be awarded to students who are either currently enrolled, on a full-time basis, in an accredited higher education institution, including tertiary vocational education and training institution; OR be eligible for, OR have secured, admission to such a programme either at the time of application or before the start of the scholarship period. They should satisfy all academic requirements as well as the enrolment and documentation requirements outlined in the scholarship scheme as designed by the participating institutions for the purposes of awarding the scholarship.

The consortium’s collaboration extends across several key dimensions.

The composition of the selected programmes is determined by the consortium. Partners should work jointly to select the programmes covered by the scholarships. The consortium must present more than one programme. We expect that each partner institution is involved in at least one programme and provides scholarships covering the full duration of study (including mobility), for a maximum of three academic years.

Example 1: If the consortium consists of four HEIs, and three of them are part of a joint programme, the fourth institution can present either a national programme or participate in another joint programme.

Example 2: If two partners are involved in the same joint programme, the other two partners may either participate in two separate national programmes or in another joint programme.

Partners should jointly design and implement the scholarship scheme. Consortia should define common selection criteria that ensure the selection of top talent students; establish fair and transparent evaluation processes; implement targeted measures to promote inclusion and diversity—such as outreach strategies aimed at underrepresented groups, adapted to the legal framework of each country. Beyond the design phase, collaboration should continue into the administration and monitoring of the scheme. Partners collectively analyse challenges and success factors, such as student retention, equity outcomes, or administrative efficiency. This evidence-based approach should support the development of recommendations for potential upscaling, ensuring that lessons learned can inform future iterations of the scholarship scheme or similar initiatives. In a nutshell, while individual partners may handle certain operational aspects—such as day-to-day student support or local administration—the strategic oversight, decision-making, and overall governance of the scheme remain shared responsibilities of the consortium. This ensures a cohesive and equitable approach across all participating institutions.

This requirement applies to the proposal as a whole – meaning the consortium collectively, not individual institutions.

If the selected programme includes a KA131 mobility, students can apply for such a mobility. However, to prevent double funding, the mobility period must be funded by only one source: either through Erasmus+ KA131, or through this Erasmus+ scholarships call.

Eligible institutions must be legal entities (public or private bodies) active in education and training, research and innovation, or the field of work. Eligible institutions should be established in Erasmus+ Programme Countries (EU Member States, EEA countries, countries associated with the Erasmus+ Programme). Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least 4 higher education institutions and/or institutions providing tertiary vocational education and training, from 4 different eligible countries. Higher education institutions, including institutions providing tertiary vocational education and training, must hold a valid Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE).

No. Only the HEIs that are legally authorised and required to award the qualification need to grant the degree.

Mobility and traineeships may take place at an institution or organisation outside the consortium, provided that it holds a bilateral or consortium agreement with at least one consortium member. Learning mobility and traineeship or internship mobility can take place in other EU Member states, EEA countries and countries associated to the Erasmus+ Programme.

The maximum EU grant amount per project is €1,250,000. In principle, it is expected that 90% of the grant (€1,125,000) will be directly used for scholarships and up to 10% of the grant may be used for administrative costs directly related to the implementation, management, and monitoring of the scholarship scheme.

No. During the information session, the Agency presented a possible example; however, it is up to the consortia to determine the most appropriate format for this document. Consortia may follow the example shown or use a different format, provided that all the required information is included.

The amount allocated for scholarships should be encoded under a single Work Package (we recommend WP4 – Scholarship Implementation), under “D. Other cost categories – D.1 Financial support to third parties.” The amount should be encoded per partner institution, in line with the scholarship allocation within the consortium.

Consortia are free to decide which costs are covered by the co-funding. This may include scholarship-related costs or organisational and administrative costs related to the implementation of the scholarship scheme.

In the context of this call, Financial Support to third parties is governed by the conditions in Section 6 of the call. In addition, you may refer to the explanations provided in the Article 6.1 on the General eligibility conditions, and 6.2.D.1 on the Financial Support to Third Parties of the Annotated Grant Agreement. This call permits financial support to third parties in the form of student scholarships, under the following conditions provided that: the calls must be open, published widely and conform to EU standards concerning transparency, equal treatment, conflict of interest and confidentiality.

Participating organisations are responsible for ensuring the target of 75 yearly equivalents is met by the project’s conclusion. To mitigate risks and avoid under-delivery, we strongly recommend implementing robust mentorship and academic support systems to minimise dropout rates, consider awarding more scholarships than the absolute minimum threshold, and foreseeing alternatives compatible with the call’s requirement, e.g. a reserve list ranking second-best candidates (see call document for the scholarship holders’ requirements). Proposals should address this type of scholarship-associated risks and foresee appropriate mitigation strategies.

The lead applicant (Coordinator) may submit only one proposal under this call. If multiple proposals are submitted by the same Coordinator, all will be rejected without evaluation. This restriction does not apply to other consortium members, who may participate in multiple proposals. Consequently, a Coordinator in one proposal can be a full or associate partner in another.

While joint programmes are strongly encouraged, other programmes can be included in the proposals, provided that they include embedded mobility, demonstrate strong European added value, are of excellent academic quality, and are aligned with strategic educational fields.

No. There is no mandatory teaching language for programmes included in the scholarship scheme.

Students can either study abroad at a partner higher education institution and/or carry out a traineeship/internship at industry, research centres, or innovation hubs abroad. Students can also combine or complement a study period abroad with a traineeship. While physical mobility is preferred, virtual or blended mobility may be acceptable if justifiably address students with special needs or fewer opportunities, helping them overcome the barriers to long-term physical mobility. Although at least one long-term physical mobility is strongly encouraged, this call recognises the need to offer more flexible physical mobility duration to ensure accessibility to students from all backgrounds, circumstances and study fields.

A common requirement for all types of mobility is that they should be recognised as part of the programme and lead to the award of ECTS credits (also for traineeships, for example).

Projects should should normally last 48 months, while the scholarships should have a maximum duration of 3 years per student. Duration must align with the standard length of the degree programme corresponding to EQF Levels 5–7 (e.g., a 2-year master’s programme = 2-year scholarship max). Please note that scholarships should not be extended if a student takes longer than the programme’s typical duration to complete their studies (e.g., 3 years to complete a 2-year degree).

Applicants must submit official accreditation certificates (or equivalent national documentation) for each programme.

No, this call only supports programmes at EQF Levels 5-7 (short cycle, bachelor’s, and master’s). Doctoral studies (EQF Level 8) are not covered.

The call funds scholarships covering the full duration of study, including mobility, for a maximum duration of three academic years. Scholarships should support students who are either currently enrolled in, OR eligible for, OR have secured, admission to excellent programmes directly related to the strategic educational fields. Scholarships awarded under this call will support talented students to complete their studies in programmes accredited according to European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Levels 5 (short cycle), 6 (first cycle), and 7 (second cycle). The study programmes must include a learning mobility and/or a traineeship or internship component abroad with industry, research centres, or innovation hubs.

Consortia must define in their proposal what constitutes “top talent”. This includes setting clear academic excellence and merit criteria – including how these will be measured; establishing consistent selection thresholds to ensure fairness and transparency. Selection must also comply with inclusion and diversity principles, ensuring equitable access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and ensuring equitable gender representation. Both criteria (excellence and inclusion) must be aligned with the applicable national legislation.

Yes. Scholarship holders can be either students currently enrolled OR students who are eligible for OR have secured admission to such programmes. Therefore, scholarships can be given to students in their second or third year of study, provided that they complete their studies within the project’s 48-month duration.

The call addresses programmes in strategic educational fields identified in the Union of Skills, Competitiveness Compass and the STEM Education Strategic Plan such as clean and circular technologies, bioeconomy, transport, digital technologies—including Artificial Intelligence—energy, water resilience, healthcare, aerospace, and defence. Given that STEM programmes are a key vector of the STEM Education Strategic Plan, they will generally be relevant, although the proposal should always clearly and explicitly demonstrate the link with at least one of the strategic educational fields listed above. The call is open to multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transdisciplinary approaches building on successful practices. We are open to integrated STEM approaches, such as STEAM approach, provided that they are clearly relevant to the above-mentioned strategic sectors. Proposals need to demonstrate their alignment with strategic education fields, their contribution to addressing the skills and labour gaps in strategic sectors and to Europe’s competitiveness.

No. Scholarships are only for accredited programmes (EQF Levels 5–7) that result in a formal qualification (i.e., short-cycle degrees, bachelor’s or master’s).

Programmes must be fully accredited by the application deadline. Exceptions may apply for programmes in the final stages of accreditation, but applicants must provide official proof of accreditation in progress. Programmes should be accredited before the signing of the Grant Agreement and evidence of accreditation must be provided to EACEA.

The call does not expect the development of new programmes. Applicants must provide evidence that their programmes are of excellent academic quality.

No, for the purpose of this call, it is not required that a joint programme leads to a joint degree. Joint programmes included in the proposal may lead to double, multiple, or joint degrees at EQF levels 5–7.

The scholarship scheme should include more than one programme. Proposals may cover different types of degree programmes with varying durations, as long as they are aligned with the objectives and requirements of the call.

No, Erasmus+ scholarships are exclusively for students.

Proposals must meet all eligibility criteria including “Offering more than one high quality programme in the defined key strategic fields”.

If the concerned proposal meets this requirement—even if not all of the included programmes are deemed relevant or excellent—it may still be awarded funding. However, only the relevant programmes (and their associated scholarships) will be formally recognised and included in the final Grant Agreement.