Una Europa student funding

Una Europa is an ambitious European alliance of eleven top research universities. As a member, we can offer international opportunities for our students to get involved. If you have been selected for an Una Europa activity abroad, you may be eligible to receive funding to participate.

Una Europa for students

Learn leadership skills, apply for summer schools abroad and connect with fellow students across the alliance with Una Europa student opportunities.

Find out about Una Europa student opportunities 

Due to funding restrictions, Una Europa funding is now only available to Widening Participation students. To be eligible for the funding, you must be a registered student (studying for a full degree up to and including doctorate level) participating in an optional (non-mandatory) Una Europa opportunity. 

You must also meet one of the following criteria: 

  • Be flagged as a Widening Participation student by the University’s Widening Participation team
  • Be from a household with an annual income of £34,000 or less (or the equivalent for non-UK students), as assessed by SWAY and evidenced by official documentation
  • Be receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits because you are financially supporting yourself, or yourself and a dependant (e.g. child or partner), with proof of benefits required
  • Have experience of being in care or a care leaver – including anyone who has been in care or from a looked-after background at any stage of life, evidenced by official documentation
  • Be a carer (unpaid) for a family member, partner, or friend who cannot cope without support due to illness, frailty, disability, mental health condition, or addiction
  • Be estranged, meaning you have had no contact with your biological or adoptive parents for 12 months or more, or your relationship with them has broken down within the past 12 months
  • Be a refugee or asylum seeker, with official documentation as evidence
  • Be a mature learner, defined as aged 25 or over.

You are eligible for Una Europa funding if your annual household income is £34,000 or less (or the equivalent in your home country for EU/EEA/International students).  

To estimate the equivalent of £34,000 or less in your country of origin, please use the XE Currency Calculator. You are required to submit a screenshot of the quote you receive.  


Your household income is:

  • the total amount your family earns each year before tax and National Insurance
  • usually based on earnings for the previous tax years (2023/24 if your activity is taking place in 2025/26). 

Whose income is assessed depends on whether you are classified as a dependent or independent student. Dependent students will need to provide evidence of their family’s household income. Independent students will only need to evidence their own income and/or the income of their spouse/cohabiting partner. To receive support as an independent student, you must meet one of the following conditions:  

  • you're over 25 at the start of your activity 
  • you’ve supported yourself through employment or benefits outside full-time education for any 3 years before the start of your activity 
  • you have a child who is dependent on you at the start of the academic year and who lives with you for the majority of the week 
  • you have no living parents 
  • you were married, in a civil partnership or living with a partner before the start of your activity 

  1. Offer of place

    You must first have been offered a place on a Una Europa activity abroad. SWAY will need confirmation of this from a University staff member involved in the activity.

  2. Contact the Projects Team

    If you meet at least one of the eligibility criteria, email the team with your funding request.

Send your email to goabroadprojects@ed.ac.uk

Please include:

  • Confirmation that you have been accepted onto the programme
  • Dates of the activity
  • Location
  • Host institution
  • Brief description of the activity
  • Name of the supervising staff member (you may wish to cc them)
  • Which eligibility category (or categories) you believe you meet

3. Next steps

Once your information has been reviewed and eligibility confirmed, you will need to complete a risk assessment form, which must be approved by SWAY before funding can be released.

4. Travel requirements

Please check the UK Government’s country-specific webpages to familiarise yourself with entry and residency requirements for your host country.


The SWAY team is neither permitted nor qualified to provide advice on visa applications. It is your responsibility to apply for the necessary visas and permits.


Funding will be granted in a single lump sum to cover your travel and subsistence expenses. The funding amount will vary between Una Europa activities and be based on the distance to the activity, local costs in the host country, and the length of the activity. The funding will not exceed £750 regardless of activity distance and duration.

Some Una Europa partners offer meals and cover accommodation costs for participants, which will impact the award amount.


Transportation amounts will be calculated based on the distance between Edinburgh and the host destination provided by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Education Exchange Programme (see details below).

Distance (Km)Funding (£)
100 - 499 km165
500 - 1,999250

The other lump sum portion will be provided to cover daily subsistence costs. 

The amount will range from £55 to £160 per day, varying based on local costs, the length of the activity and whether the host is covering some or all the cost of meals, accommodation, etc.


You are encouraged to consider using sustainable travel in line with the values of Una Europa and SWAY. 

If you opt to travel sustainably, you will receive an additional bursary of £50 for travel costs and up to 4 days of additional subsistence support if your trip is lengthened due to the mode of transport. You can use Una Europa's sustainable travel tool for guidance on sustainable travel to our partner cities. The maximum lump sum award amount of £750 also applies to those wishing to take advantage of the sustainable travel bursary.


Thank you to the Development Trust

We gratefully acknowledge that the funding for these Una Europa activities is generously provided for our students by the Development Trust. Without this support, we would not be able to fund these opportunities, which contribute significantly to students' learning experiences. 

Thank you to all alumni, staff and other donors who support the Development Trust, including through its unrestricted Edinburgh Fund.

Una Europa and Edinburgh

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