Go Abroad
An international mobility may be to study, work, or to take part in a volunteering opportunity or Summer School abroad.
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Volunteer
Support a cause you are passionate about in a recognised public or private organisation. Please contact the career service and your course leader to discuss available opportunities for your area of interest.
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Short Mobility
With faculty approval, short mobilities can take place for a minimum of 2 weeks during official holiday break or during term time without extending your course length.
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Work
You may be interested in completing a work placement in a company or industry relevant to your field of study. Get in touch with your course leader and USW careers service to find out more about opportunities available.
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Study
A study mobility allows you to spend time at a host institution abroad and could contribute towards credits earned. This may be an option as part of your USW program. Firstly, speak to your course team about a study option. Alternatively, we would recommend exploring volunteering opportunities or summer schools if a study program is not possible at this time.
We understand that there are many factors to think about when considering a period abroad, one of which is money. The University of South Wales has been successful in its bid for Turing and Taith funding for the 2025/26 academic year.
The Turing and Taith grants can help contribute to the cost of living overseas. The grant rate will vary depending on the scheme, duration and destination country/territory of a student’s international experience. It is useful to think of the grant as a partial reimbursement for costs incurred during a student’s mobility and is not intended to cover all expenses.
Both schemes are available to UK and International students from all backgrounds to provide financial grants to support an international mobility.
Taith funding
Taith is the Welsh Government funded programme which launched in February 2022.
The scheme supports mobilities with a contribution towards living costs for individuals or groups, providing flexible short and long term opportunities to learn, study, work or volunteer abroad.
The minimum duration is 2 weeks.
The maximum duration is 12 months.
Funding per student is dependent on:
- The duration of the international mobility.
- The destination country.
Taith funding includes a subsistence and travel grant.
The subsistence grant is calculated on a daily rate per participant. The daily rate varies depending on the length of the mobility, with different rates applicable for the first 2 weeks, 2 – 8 weeks and over 8 weeks.
Taith destination countries/territories are grouped into three categories: Group 1 (high cost of living), Group 2 (medium cost of living), Group 3 (lower cost of living).
Higher Cost of Living Country Examples:
- USA
- Sweden
- Australia
- France
- Norway
Lower Cost of Living Country Examples:
- Vietnam
- Poland
- Malaysia
- China
- Kenya
Student grants are calculated on a daily rate based on country destination and travel distance.
- Approximately £300-£360 for a mobility of 2 weeks duration
- Approximately £450-£600 for a mobility of 1 month duratio
- Approximately £3000-£3800 for a mobility of 9 months duration
All students will receive a travel grant included alongside the subsistence grant which is calculated based on the distance of their host country .
Please note that the exact amount awarded will be based on your exact mobility duration using the dates on your confirmation of start and end forms. The above figures are provided as a guide only, students completing mobilities with shorter durations will receive less funding, students completing placements longer than 9 months will receive more.
Additional financial support is available for participants facing exceptional circumstances, including the provision of additional support for disadvantaged participants and those with disabilities and/or additional learning needs for those undertaking a physical mobility.
Additional Finance Support will be aligned with your personal circumstances but can include:
- An additional 50% top-up to the subsistence grant.
- An additional 50% top-up to the travel grant for destinations beyond 4,000km.
- 100% of actual costs for additional travel related costs e.g. visas, passports, travel
insurance, luggage (where necessary).
If you meet the above or below areas, please contact [email protected] for further
information.
- Low-income background (An annual household income of £25k or less) as assessed
by Student Finance. - Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are
financially supporting themselves. - Estranged students
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Students who have caring responsibilities
- Disability and/or additional learning needs
Information outlining the eligibility criteria can be found via the Taith Programme Guide - Page 37.
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Turing funding
The Turing scheme is the UK government’s global programme which launched in 2021 to provide funding for study and work abroad mobilities at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The minimum duration is 1 month (28 days).
The maximum duration is 12 months.
Funding per student is dependent on:
- The duration of the overseas placement.
- The destination country.
The Turing Scheme provides funding towards the cost of living which is dependant on the
duration and destination country. The scheme divides destination countries or territories
into three groups:
Higher Cost of Living Country Examples
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- USA
Medium and Lower Cost of Living Country Examples
- Most countries in Mainland Europe
- Taiwan
- Belgium
- Portugal
A full list of destination countries within each group is available on the Turing Scheme website.
Students on a study, work or volunteering mobility will receive the following mobility grants based on duration:
| Placement Duration | Group 1 | Group 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 28 to 56 days | £19 per day | £17 per day |
| 57 to 365 days | £14 per day | £12 per day |
If your application is successful, students who meet disadvantaged background criteria as outlined by Turing will be required to provide support of their status.
Participants will receive an additional £110 per month as a contribution towards your cost-of-living grant, as well as distance-based funding to contribute towards the direct costs of travel for a placement.
In order to be eligible for Widening Participation via the Turing Scheme, we ask that you meet at least one of the Turing widening participation criteria below:
- Low-income background (An annual household income of £25k or less) as assessed
by Student Finance. - Students receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are
financially supporting themselves. - Estranged students
- Refugees and asylum seekers
- Students who have caring responsibilities
- Disability and/or additional learning needs
| Placement Duration | Group 1 | Group 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 28 to 56 days | £23 per day | £21 per day |
| 57 to 365 days | £18 per day | £16 per day |
Students who meet the criteria will also receive funding as a contribution toward the cost of travel.
Participants from widening access backgrounds may also receive funding for exceptional
costs. Exceptional costs are calculated on an actual cost basis and are specifically for any additional costs incurred to support participation in a mobility.
Please contact [email protected] for further information and guidance and to understand support available for your personal circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know
The term mobility refers to a period of learning, work experience or volunteering overseas
for period of time.
You may also see a mobility referred to as study abroad, international opportunity,
international placement, or international experience.
We hope you are excited at the opportunity to take part in an international mobility!
Once you have discussed this with your course leader, please register to find out more about Turing and Taith funding support.
Each department/faculty may have their own selection process to determine which students will take part in a study mobility. As a first step for all mobility options, please contact your course leader to find out further details of the options available to you.
Finding an international opportunity can feel like a big step. International placements or volunteering require proactive research and planning from students. Whilst USW doesn't typically source individual student placements, we encourage you to utilise USW resources to aid your search.
Once you have found a potential opportunity, discuss with your course team/Careers and contact [email protected] for mobility funding advice. USW will then review the opportunity for suitability and advise on eligibility to receive funding support available via Turing or Taith.
Depending on your mobility objectives students and recent graduates have the opportunity to study, work or volunteer abroad from as little as 2 weeks up to a 12 months.
We encourage you to access the Careers, Placement and Employability Services to find out more about opportunities, talk to a dedicated careers advisers and also to contact your course leaders who will be able to provide insight into the type of mobility which will benefit and enhance your university goals.
Via USW Careers, Careers Connect is a useful resource that can help you find a range of organisations for international volunteering and international placement opportunities as a starting point.
Please note that travel and mobility approval must be granted by the relevant School or Placement team for funding support to be considered.
Each subject area will have it's own timetable which is important to discuss with you course team when considering taking part in a mobility. A mobility can take place during your studies (with faculty permission) or within holidays periods.
Funding for a mobility abroad is supported from 1st September – 31st August.
Any days spent on mobility outside of these dates will not count toward your minimum mobility duration and will not be funded.
Yes. The University of South Wales has been successful in it application for Turing and Taith Scheme funding for the Academic year 2025/2026.
Please register you interest once reading information provided above and speaking to you course team about your ideas.
Once you have submitted an internal application form approved by your course leader your application will be considered for funding. Submission of an application form does not guarantee funding at this stage.
USW will support as many students as possible with the funding available under Taith and Turing. It is therefore important to speak to your course leader and submit your application form once you have done your research in order to be considered.
In the event of demand from students exceeding the limited amount of funding that we have left, a process of prioritising applications will be implemented when allocating grants.
As part of our decision process, we may also take into account if you:
- Are from a disadvantaged background
- Have special educational needs and/or disabilities
- Have a period abroad as a compulsory part of your degree programme
Under mobility scheme guidelines approved students will receive a mobility grant from one funding body, either Turing OR Taith. It is not permitted to receive dual funding.
Once your mobility has been approved the USW International Team will match students with the Taith or Turing funding scheme based on the eligibility criteria, destination and budget remaining.
This decision is made by USW.
Yes. Students from all nationalities and backgrounds are welcome to apply for a mobility
Please check further eligibilities with your faculty and also with the International Team as there may be additional points to consider such as the type of activity you can undertake under the regulations of your visa.
If you have been informed that you are eligible for a Turing or Taith Scheme grant and have completed the requested internal application form you will be required to provide mobility documentation prior to your travel (ie. signed grant agreement, learning agreement, and confirmation of approved risk assessment/insurance arrangements) and some documentation at the end of your placement (ie. study/work certificate, transcript of studies, and online report).
Documentation is a compulsory element of receiving funding. Our team will be in touch to support you with completing documentation requirements. All the required forms for completion prior to the start of your placement.
Register now
Have you found an International experience? Find out more about Turing and Taith funding here. We’ll contact you to provide an introduction to funding options.
Register your interest