Poor communication from UCL and delayed payments from the UK’s study abroad scheme left a number of students financially stranded, an investigation by The Cheese Grater can reveal.
One UCL student fell into a £2,000 overdraft as a result of delayed payments from the Turing Scheme, the post-Brexit programme by the UK Government that provides funding for students studying abroad.
However, it is understood that his peers from other UK universities had received their payments early into their term.
In addition to the delays, constant changes to the payment timeline given by UCL have left students unable to plan their finances during their year abroad.
After applications for the funding closed in April, students were told that UCL may not receive funding for students until “later this year” and therefore may not be contacted until October 2024.
The indebted student, who we are calling Jones, said he budgeted under the impression that he would not receive the money for a few months, but expected payment within the first academic term of their year abroad.
In emails seen by The Cheese Grater, students were told that they would receive 80% of their funding “after their arrival” in a foreign country. This can account for up to £445 per month for a placement over eight weeks taken by students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Students were then told to update their payment details by 4 November, and that they may not hear from them until December, although they aim to get funds to students “as soon as possible”.
In an AskUCL exchange in late November, the Study Abroad team told Jones that they still had not been given the timeline from the Turing Scheme for when the portal will be ready for onboarding students, and reiterated the fact that students may not hear until December.
However, the delay in payment and the lack of clear communication from UCL meant that the student had been left to rely on his overdraft to pay for necessities.
Similar problems arose for students abroad last year
The Cheese Grater got in touch with students who went on their year abroad last year, both from UCL and other UK universities.
One student from the University of York reported receiving their funding as early as October, whereas another from the University of Leeds said they did not get the money until February, having only applied in January after being put off by poor communication over who was actually eligible for the scheme.
In addition to this, many students in the UCL History Department only received their first payment in January 2024, although one said they did not feel financially burdened by the late payment due to the significantly more generous student loan and maintenance from the Welsh Government.
Others, meanwhile, reported receiving their money a few weeks into the term, much earlier than others. However, one such student said she still had to rely on her parents for living costs, as well as £2,000 she had saved for flights, accommodation, and a dining card.
Another history student, studying in a notoriously expensive US city, did not receive Turing funding as she missed the May 2023 application deadline.
She said her year abroad depleted all of her savings.
She was unable to submit a late application through UCL even though students at other UK universities were able to apply as late as January and the payments were made nearly a full year from the initial application deadline.
Turing failures a barrier to participation, analysis finds
Earlier this year, a Guardian report revealed that an official analysis of the Turing Scheme found its application window to be too small, repetitive, and confusing, whilst the nature of the payments as reimbursements rather than being upfront was said to limit the inclusion of financially disadvantaged students.
Despite its “truly international” remit and supposed superiority when compared to the Erasmus+ scheme, The Cheese Grater spoke to one student who felt that the Turing Scheme was not suitable for students who travelled to countries where term dates fall outside the UK-European norm.
Gabi, who studied in New Zealand, described her experience with the Turing Scheme as “more positive than bad”, but noted that “students need a level of privilege to properly benefit from it” – had she not had financial support from family, or been able to save up the previous year, she would not have been able to undertake a year abroad.
The academic year starts much earlier in Australasia than in the Northern Hemisphere, which meant that Gabi had to wait until halfway through her academic year to receive any payment.
The stress of the poor payment system was compounded by the fact that her second-year results came just two days before her flight to New Zealand, meaning she had financially committed a significant amount, without the help of any grants, before receiving confirmation that she would be able to undertake her year abroad at all.
Communication seen by The Cheese Grater also reveals that UCL students are not being redirected to financial assistance through the University’s Financial Assistance Fund, which is eligible for students in unexpected financial hardship.
The Turing Scheme and UCL’s implementation now face fresh criticism for failing disadvantaged students who were encouraged to take up a year abroad on the promise that they would be financially supported in a timely manner.
It has left students feeling abandoned by their University, in countries where they often cannot get a part-time job to help pay the bills.
The Cheese Grater has reached out to UCL for comment.
