Funding your year abroad

If you spend time abroad as part of your degree, you will be eligible for reduced tuition fees at Sheffield and you won't be charged tuition fees by your partner university. There are also various scholarships and funding schemes available, depending on where you go.

Study abroad funding

The UK Government has recently confirmed the UK's intention to reassociate to the Erasmus+ Programme from 2027/2028. The University does not yet have confirmation about the availability of Erasmus+ grant funding for Study Abroad, but this page will be updated with more information as it is received by Global Opportunities.

University of Sheffield Bursary

Studying abroad does not affect your eligibility to receive the University of Sheffield Bursary, however if you are undertaking a different activity such as a work placement, you should check the terms and conditions of your bursary. 

External scholarships and awards

There are some external scholarships and awards available for students who are studying abroad. Below are some of the scholarships we are aware of, but there are others. It is worth checking if your host institution offers any funding, if it is competitive and if you need to apply for it.

The Butex Sustainability Abroad Scholarship

BUTEX (British Transnational Exchange Association) offers Sustainability Abroad Scholarships worth £500.

To be eligible to apply:

• You must have been offered, currently undertaking or already completed, a study abroad or exchange placement or a work/internship/traineeship placement.
• Your study abroad, exchange or work placement takes place in the calendar year in which you apply.
• Your placement must be for either one semester or one year if it is a study abroad experience.
• Work, Internship or Traineeship placements must be overseas and do not need to be a specific length of time.
• You must be enrolled in your undergraduate course when you apply for, and receive a scholarship. Once students graduate they are not eligible to receive a scholarship.

BUTEX Scholarship

DUO Scholarships

These scholarships are applied for by your host university and not directly by the student, and also involve a student from the partner coming to Sheffield for a semester. The scholarship only covers the first semester of the year abroad and usually have a maximum value of 4,000€. Countries known to offer DUO scholarships include Singapore and South Korea.

The JASSO Scholarship

This scholarship is provided by the Japan Student Services Organisation (JASSO) to privately financed international students with excellent academic performance and character who are experiencing financial difficulties in pursuing their studies in Japan.

JASSO scholarship

Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP)

If you would like to complete a traineeship in Switzerland, then you may be eligible for funding through the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP).

• How it works: Funding is provided directly by your host Swiss university. You don't need to submit a separate application to the national funding agency.
• Traineeships: Work placements are usually arranged through one of our partner universities in Switzerland.

Travel grant

Whether you are studying or working abroad, you may be able to apply for a retrospective travel grant from Student Finance following your time abroad. You may be able to receive a contribution towards some of your essential travel expenses, such as flights and visas, if you normally have an income-assessed maintenance loan or grant. 

The amount you’ll receive depends on your household income.