Don’t let special needs stop you studying abroad

In addition to this, to support your special needs, Erasmus+ will pay particular attention to further support services such as pedagogical or technical support services, guidance or physical accessibility.

However, it is up to National Authorities in each country to define the criteria for students to be entitled to the top-up grant for disadvantaged backgrounds. In some countries, this criteria allows students with families to be entitled to the top-up grant for disadvantaged backgrounds. In other countries this is unfortunately not the case.

If you have special needs, the best place to seek advice is your international relations office at your home institution.

Disability support

If you have a disability, you may apply for a specific grant after having been selected for a mobility period. Your Erasmus coordinator of your home institution will be able to give you the necessary information about the application procedure, such as deadlines, where to find the application form or how to submit it. In the application process you will need to fill out a form in which you describe your special need(s) and requirements as well as a detailed cost estimate. This will need to be supported by a statement from an authorised institution which can attest your claims.
After your application has been fully assessed and the additional amount you may receive has been confirmed, you will need to sign a grant agreement which clarifies your rights and duties.

Applying for the Erasmus+ disability top-up is free of charge for you as the applicant: the application procedure itself does not involve any fees. The additional funding is calculated on the basis of your individual needs and is paid on top of the regular Erasmus+ grant, covering only those extra costs that arise because of the stay abroad and that are not already covered by other national bodies (such as integration offices, health insurers or student services).

Under the current Erasmus+ programme, participants with fewer opportunities - including students with a recognised disability or a chronic illness - can receive an inclusion top-up of €250 per month on top of the regular Erasmus+ grant during long-term mobility. As an alternative, if the flat-rate top-up is not sufficient to cover your extra costs, you can apply for a real-cost reimbursement instead. In Germany, for example, students with an officially recognised degree of disability (GdB) of at least 20 or a certified chronic illness are eligible, and the real-cost application typically needs to be submitted to your International Office several months before the mobility begins. In many cases a declaration on honour is enough at the application stage, but you must be able to produce supporting evidence on request.

Make sure that you anticipate all eventualities and possible needs before you go abroad and include these in your application. Later additions may not be considered.

During your studies it is important that you keep evidence of all the additional expenses that arise due to your special needs. You will need to report the precise amount and hand in the invoices etc. at the end of the study period.

Support for accompanying children

Being a parent is hard enough. However, if you are faced with the double responsibility of studying on top of your child-care responsibilities it can make your mobility options seem limited. For this reason in some countries Erasmus+ offers special financial assistance if you are accompanied by your children during your studies abroad. However, not all countries offer this additional support for students with children. The amounts and the way they are calculated vary considerably depending on your home country, your host country and the specific programme, so there is no universal EU-wide rate. As a guide, students taking their children with them on a long-term Erasmus+ mobility can typically receive an inclusion top-up in the region of €200 per month in addition to the standard grant, and note that only one such top-up can be granted at a time (so you cannot combine, for example, a disability top-up and a child top-up).
You should be able to get the necessary application forms in your international relations office at your home institution. This form will need to be submitted together with your initial Erasmus application to study abroad. Make sure you have any relevant documentation organised and at hand before the application deadline. You may need to provide copies of your children’s birth certificates and any other evidence of financial support you are currently receiving elsewhere.