As it aims to make ’mobility for all’ a reality, financial support mechanisms in the next Erasmus programme must boost its capacities to reach out to a wider and more diverse student population, in particular to students from under-represented groups, such as mature students, students with caring responsibilities or with special needs, also students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. In addition, arrangements to boost mobility are necessary, as the new programme also aims to triple the number of mobility experiences compared to the previous one.
Therefore, in this recently launched study PPMI is analysing the alternative scenarios, which would make it possible to achieve the aforementioned objectives. Each option identified by the study is expected to propose adjustments (e.g. in the amount of grant provided for different student groups, in the scope of student body that are eligible for support, in duration of different types of mobility, etc.) designed to make the next Erasmus programme more inclusive by better reflecting the needs of diverse participants, while at the same time increasing their overall number with a given total budget and ensuring efficiency and fairness of the proposed grant system.
PPMI was awarded with the contract to prepare this study by DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture of the European Commission.
In order to draw up and test the scenarios for student support in higher education under the next Erasmus programme, the study will take stock of similar schemes within and outside the EU, consult beneficiaries and stakeholders on changes needed in the next period to foster inclusiveness, analyse administrative/monitoring data, as well as market prices data and statistics to determine the new or updated grant levels, and assess the impact of alternatives defined on the basis of these analyses.
