#Erasmus500 the initiative towards a fair Erasmus grant

Published by Manuel Herrero on

Every 7 years the Erasmus programme reviews its policy, the purpose is to sustain its popularity among students around Europe. Taking advantage of this renewal period, the proposed declaration #Erasmus500 has emerged.

A successful mobility programme

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The Erasmus programme was born in 1987 thanks to the initiative of the student association AEGEE Europe. It has enabled millions of students to study in different European universities. Ease of movement between European countries and the development of new technologies have made it possible for the number of scholarships to increases every year. This helps the participants of the programme to know better their destiny, how their life will be there and thus lose the fear of such an important change.

Here we tell you in-depth the spirit of the program and why it is so successful among students.

The #Erasmus500 declaration

In 2018 the average grant was 366€/month, an insufficient amount to cover accommodation costs in many European cities. A survey of 24,000 students made by ESN shown that the scholarship only helps cover half or less of the monthly expenses of 70% of students.

The initiative #Erasmus500 is being proposed in this context, taking advantage of the programmes's renewal period. It aims to achieve a base amount of 500€ per month for students, under the principles of inclusiveness, simplicity and strong support.

The campaign wants to obtain greater inclusivity in the scholarship for students who cannot bear the expenses. Especially those who are forced to leave their jobs, they would no longer be excluded. To do this, they propose a more simple, fair and transparent system, which allows requesting the necessary grant and the surpluses can be reallocated. The change in the scholarship would offer students stronger support by bringing their budget closer to real numbers.

Mobility during a global pandemic

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic landed in Europe changing our standards of living and education. The Erasmus programme is not an exception. Many students had to go back to their countries because of cancelled physical classes. However, several Spanish Universities have stated that they are working around the clock for the programme to be fully available for the next academic year. Moreover, the European Union will provide more flexibility to students who were not able to meet the objectives of their Erasmus course due to the pandemic.

The #Erasmus500 proposal has taken into consideration this new reality students find themselves in. However, Erasmus is not just an academic exchange programme, it is the best method to promote inclusive mobility. It is also worth bearing in mind that economic crisis may impact on students, thus this proposal would be a financial boost to enhance more participation.

The Erasmus Play team supports #Erasmus500 declaration and we want you to show your support. Together we can improve the Erasmus programme.

Show your support for #Erasmus500

 

Categories: Erasmus+ Programme

Manuel Herrero

Former Erasmus+ student, now ErasmusPlay CTO and Co-founder.

1 Comment

Erasmus experience in Valencia by ex-erasmus - · August 17, 2020 at 3:51 pm

[…] they receive from the grant only covers half or less of their monthly expenses. The initiative #Erasmus500 seeks a fair grant, that could fit the students' needs. Therefore, it is vital to know the standard […]

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