Erasmus+ 2021-2027

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport for the period 2021-2027. It offers individuals the opportunity to spend, for example, a period of their studies in another European country. Students can study at a partner higher education institution abroad. Students and graduates can do a traineeship abroad. University staff have the opportunity to stay abroad for further education and training purposes or to teach abroad at a partner university. Future graduates thus acquire foreign language skills and intercultural competences that they need for a successful transition into the labour market.

The Erasmus+ exchange programme was launched by the European Union in 1987. The focus is on lifelong learning for participants across national borders. This strengthens people's educational, professional and personal development. This is of particular importance for growth in the European Union, in Europe and beyond. High-quality jobs are created and secured, social cohesion is strengthened and innovation is stimulated. Finally, Erasmus+ also contributes to strengthening European identity and active citizenship. The programme's objectives are in line with, among others, the guiding principles of the European Area of Education, the European Higher Education Area, the European Renewal Agenda for Higher Education and the Union's Youth Strategy 2019-2027.

With the 2021 project, a new era of the Erasmus+ programme has begun, the 2021-2027 programme generation.

The cross-cutting themes of inclusion and diversity, sustainability, digitalisation and participation in democratic life receive special attention in this period.

• Inclusion and diversity

The cross-cutting theme "Inclusion and Diversity" is intended to contribute to more equal opportunities in education in the new programme generation. "Participants with fewer opportunities" (Fewer opportunities) are therefore specifically promoted. This refers to participants with a degree of disability of 20 or more, with a chronic illness, first-time graduates, working students/graduates and participants with children. Special grants are available for this purpose, which can be paid in addition to the regular mobility flat rates.

Students/graduates who cannot participate in long-term mobility (2 months or more) due to special circumstances have the opportunity to complete a "blended short term mobility". In this new mobility format, the funded students spend between 5-30 days physically abroad and also complete a virtual phase.

• Sustainability

In line with the European Green Deal, participants are encouraged to use sustainable means of transport during their stay abroad. Financial incentives will therefore be provided for green travel.

• Digitalisation

The digitalisation of the Erasmus+ programme is one of the priority objectives for the new Erasmus+ era. This is in line with the strategic priorities of the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). The management of mobilities is to be fully digitalised, including the introduction of the digital paperless file. FH Aachen has joined the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) network for this purpose.

Important steps on the way to complete digitalisation include the use of the OLA (Online Learning Agreement), the EWP Dashboard or the introduction of the Erasmus+ App and the European Student Card. The individual digital projects are grouped under the European Student Card Initiative (ESCI).

In addition, in the new era there is the possibility to carry out mobilities in a mixed format (blended mobility). The physical stay abroad is combined with a virtual phase.

The cross-cutting theme of "digitalisation" will thus make a further contribution to sustainability and additionally to the simplification of processes.

• Participation in democratic life

Erasmus+ aims to create interest in the European Union and participation in democratic processes among participants. Active citizenship is to be strengthened and the growing together of Europe beyond national borders is to be promoted in order to ultimately create an awareness of the common European identity and to advance the European integration process.

Erasmus+ in Higher Education distinguishes between 3 Key Actions.

• Erasmus+ Key Action 1: Learning Mobility of Individuals

The first Key Action, Individual Learning Mobility, specifically promotes the mobility of higher education staff in the spirit of lifelong learning. Students and graduates can be funded for a study period abroad or an internship abroad. Employees can receive funding for a stay abroad for teaching purposes or for further education and training.

Information for individuals - National Agency for Erasmus+ University Cooperation - DAAD

Funding mobility - National Agency for Erasmus+ University Cooperation - DAAD

• Erasmus+ Key Action 2: Partnerships and Cooperation Projects

Key Action 2 aims at establishing and implementing strategic partnerships and cooperation projects. Cooperation between higher education institutions and partners from the non-academic sector is possible. The internationalisation of higher education institutions is therefore specifically promoted in this key action.

Promotion of Higher Education Cooperation - National Agency for Erasmus+ Higher Education Cooperation - DAAD

• Erasmus+ Key Action 3: Policy Support

Key Action 3 "Policy Support" provides targeted funding for projects that strengthen political cooperation at the European Union level. The aim is to advance European reform processes and provide impetus in the fields of education, training, youth and sport.

Erasmus+ Policy Support - National Agency for Erasmus+ University Cooperation - DAAD

An Erasmus+ stay abroad can be planned in an Erasmus+ Programme Country or Partner Country.

There are currently 33 Programme Countries:

Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Iceland, Liechtenstein & Norway.

In contrast to the programme countries, the partner countries have an international dimension. At the FH Aachen, the partner countries are currently Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Information on programme and partner countries in the Erasmus+ programme - National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation - DAAD

Students of FH Aachen who would like to complete an Erasmus+ study visit can do so at an official Erasmus+ partner university.

Information on the procedure of an Erasmus+ study grant can be found here.

With Erasmus+, students from all three study cycles (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate) of all subject areas can be supported during their stay abroad. Students thus have the opportunity to get to know teaching and research methods on an international level during their studies, as well as to acquire intercultural competence and foreign language skills. The work done abroad is recognised at FH Aachen as agreed in the Online Learning Agreement.

On this page we have compiled the information on Erasmus+ study funding for you.

Erasmus+ offers students from all subject areas the opportunity to put the theoretical knowledge they have acquired during their studies into practice during an internship in a company in another European country and to get to know the culture, language and working methods of the host country. To be eligible for funding, the practical training must last at least 60 days and be a compulsory or optional part of the degree programme. Research placements at universities, for example as part of a final thesis, can be funded through the Erasmus+ programme.

On this page, we have compiled information on the Erasmus+ Internship Funding Programme.

The regulations mentioned below apply from the use of the 2022 Call:

"Participants with fewer opportunities".

In the academic year 2022/2023, "participants with fewer opportunities" will receive special support at FH Aachen within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme. This means that students and graduates with a long stay of 2 months or more can apply for a supplement of 250 € per month for the period in which they are financially supported. For short-term stays of between 5 and 14 days or 15 and 30 days, a one-time application for 100 € or 150 € can be made.

All proofs and certificates must be submitted in the original or as certified copies.

Participants with fewer opportunities" include the following groups of persons:

• Students and graduates with disabilities.

A degree of disability of at least 20 is present.

Proof:

Severely disabled person's ID card or notice from the state social welfare office or medical certificate.

• Students and graduates with chronic illnesses

A chronic illness with additional financial needs abroad is present.

Proof:

Medical certificate

• Students and graduates with a child

The student's own child is taken along during the entire stay abroad. If several of your own children are travelling with you, the supplement can only be applied for once. The supplement can also be applied for if your partner is travelling with you. However, double sponsorship of the child must be ruled out. If both parents are on an Erasmus+ stay abroad and at least two children are travelling with them, both father and mother can apply for a supplement for one child each.

Proof:

Child's birth certificate and child's travel documents.

• First-time academics

First-time academics are students and graduates from a non-academic family. This means that both parents or caregivers do not have a degree from a university or university of applied sciences. A degree from a university of cooperative education leading to a degree comparable to a university degree is considered an academic degree. A master craftsman's diploma is not an academic degree. If one parent has completed a degree abroad that is not recognised as such in Germany, the student's or graduate's parent counts as an academic parent and the supplement cannot be applied for.

Proof:

Honourable declarations of both parents or degree certificates of both parents (e.g. vocational training).

• Working students and graduates

The group of employed students and graduates includes those who have already worked for at least six months continuously and have earned more than 450 € net but less than 850 € net in each of these consecutive six months. These six months must be in the last year before the start of the stay abroad. For example, if you start your study abroad or internship abroad on 01.09.2022 (first day of stay according to the grant agreement), you must consider the period between 01.09.2021 and 01.09.2022. As a rule, the employment should be subject to social insurance contributions. In the case of self-employment, if corresponding proofs and certificates can be submitted, the supplement can be applied for. Those who complete a dual study programme or extra-occupational degree programme and receive a fixed salary cannot receive the top-up. The top-up can generally only be applied for if the activity is not continued abroad.

Proof:

Salary slips

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Notes:

Applying for the supplement does not automatically entitle you to receive it. The Department of International Affairs will review the application and the required supporting documents, which must be submitted by the deadline.

If you belong to more than one of the above groups of persons, you can only apply for the supplement once.

Students or graduates with disabilities, chronic illnesses and students or graduates with children can submit an application for real costs as an alternative to the top-up. If there are further uncovered costs when the top-up is received, an application for real costs can also be submitted. Information on this is available on request from the Department of International Affairs.

Students/graduates with disabilities, chronic illnesses and students/graduates with children who submit an application for real costs can also apply for the top-up for "participants with fewer opportunities" if they also belong to the group of first-degree students or working students/graduates.

Students/graduates who complete practical training can do so part-time if they are unable to do so full-time due to a disability, chronic illness or caring for a child.

The special subsidies (practical trainings / participants with fewer opportunities / green travel) can be combined.

University employees (STT and STA) with a disability, with a chronic illness or with a child can claim real costs.

Further measures may be added during the course of the programme.

Environmentally friendly travel is defined as travel in which low-emission means of transport are used for the majority of mobility (including train, bus, carpool, bicycle, hiking, horseback riding).

An increased travel allowance or a one-off allowance of 50 euros may be paid, if applicable.

In addition, individual support is paid out to the extent of up to 4 travel days.

The Special Green Travel Grant must be applied for in due time before the start of the mobility. After the stay abroad, the original tickets must be presented.

For the allocation of travel days, the following rule applies at the FH Aachen:

The distance between Aachen (starting point) and the destination abroad (e.g. location of the partner university or internship provider) is measured with the EU Distance Calculator. The one-way distance applies here.

Depending on the distance range, between 1 and 4 travel days are awarded:

All participants in the Erasmus+ programme are obliged to take care of sufficient insurance coverage on their own. Erasmus+ does not provide any insurance cover on the part of the programme or FH Aachen. It is the responsibility of the beneficiaries to take out all relevant insurances before leaving the country.

These include the following insurances:

• Liability insurance with international cover (for private damage and damage at the workplace)
• International health insurance with repatriation (also in case of death), which also covers pandemic cases
• Accident insurance with international cover (for private accidents and accidents at the workplace).

It is possible to take out DAAD group insurance (health/accident and liability insurance) at your own expense. Further information is available from the DAAD insurance office.

The promotion of foreign language competence is an important goal of the Erasmus+ programme. During the stay abroad, students/graduates are supported by the OLS platform ("Online Language Support") in acquiring and deepening their knowledge of the working and/or national language of the destination country.

Before leaving the country, the OLS language test must be taken in the working language. This test documents the language level prior to mobility. However, this is not a selection criterion for receiving Erasmus+ funding.

NOTE:

The obligation to take the OLS test is currently waived for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 projects. This affects all grantees who are abroad in the following semesters:

• Summer semester 2022
• Winter semester 2022/2023
• Summer semester 2023
• Winter semester 2023/2024
• Summer semester 2024

However, all those who receive funding have the option of using the self-study programme independently and on a voluntary basis.

This is possible via the following link:

https://academy.europa.eu/local/euacademy/pages/course/community-overview.php?title=learn-a-new-language

If you have any technical questions, you can contact the support of the European Commission directly:

https://academy.europa.eu/local/euacademy/pages/faq/index.php

Students, graduates and higher education staff with a "zero grant" are participants in the Erasmus+ programme who do not receive any financial support to cover their stay abroad. However, they enjoy all the other benefits of the Erasmus+ programme, such as tuition fee waivers or recognition of achievements abroad. Accordingly, in the case of an Erasmus+ Zero Grant, all documents must also be submitted as for a financial grant.

It should be noted that zero-grant periods also count towards the Erasmus+ mobility account.

Zero-grant periods cannot be subsequently converted into financially funded periods.

Another innovation in the current programme generation is the Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP).

These are short, intensive programmes that use innovative learning and teaching methods, including online collaboration.

A BIP involves a total of at least three ECHE HEIs from three different programme countries, with at least two HEIs sending a total of at least 15 mobile learners to the host HEI. Mobile learners include students (SMS) and higher education staff for training purposes (STT).

Learners spend between 5 and 30 days at the partner HEI and also complete a virtual component of unspecified duration before, during or after the physical stay.

Students must earn at least 3 ECTS at the host institution, which are recognised by the home institution.

In international teams, learners work on joint tasks or projects and can thus, for example, tackle socially relevant problem areas and strengthen the acquisition of foreign languages and intercultural competence.

Among other things, the BIPs create the possibility of integrating a stay abroad into study subjects in which a long stay is more difficult due to the organisation of the studies.

Virtual teamwork enables the participants to have a transnational online learning experience, which allows the participants to get to know each other step by step beforehand or to review what they have worked on after the mobility.

An existing partnership between higher education institutions can be intensified in this way or new partnerships can be established. A cooperation lasting several years can be established and the anchoring of the BIP as a compulsory elective module can be aspired to.