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Financial Planning

Costs

Erasmus does not come free, and the costs vary from country to country, and according to the period of time you spend abroad. While you are not charged for tuition at the host university, you will need to budget for flights, accommodation, food and other general expenses. Some countries are more expensive than others, as are some cities, and the level of extra expenditure involved will also depend on whether you are currently living at home. If you are, you will find that accommodation will become a major cost. However, if you are already paying rent here in Galway, you will probably find that accommodation costs are cheaper abroad than they are here in Ireland. In some countries you may be entitled to some financial assistance towards the cost of your rent. For example, in France you may be able to get a substantial rent rebate of up to approx. 50%. Your host university will have details on the procedure for applying for this. A rough estimate of costs for a 9 month period abroad could be between €7,000 and €10,000 including rent, food, books and other essentials. However, much will depend on your own particular needs and budgeting skills. You will also need to keep in mind travel costs, including two return flights, as most students who are away for the full academic year return home for the Christmas holiday period. Some students may find that they have to pay a fee to the host university for special language classes for Erasmus students.

Funding/Mobility Grants

On the plus side you may receive an Erasmus mobility grant towards the cost of your study visit. You will find more information about this, as well as other financial aspects of your Erasmus mobility period, in our Handbook for Outgoing Erasmus Students, available on our Latest News page.

It's a good idea to start saving early, so as to ensure that you will have adequate funds to support yourself while you are abroad, but note also that all EU citizens are entitled to work in another EU member state.

Students with disabilities or special needs may be entitled to apply for extra funds from the Erasmus programme. Please contact the International Office, University of Galway for further details.

Important

Please note that the minimum duration of an Erasmus study visit is 2 months. If you do not complete this minimum duration, you will be obliged to return your mobility grant to the International Office, University of Galway.
If for some reason you have to withdraw from the Erasmus programme after you have been issued with your grant, please inform the International Office, University of Galway, immediately.

How the grant will be paid: your Erasmus grant will be paid in two instalments, the first and largest of these at the beginning of your study period, and the remainder after the satisfactory completion of the study period, provided all paperwork is in order and the online final report has been submitted. The money will be transferred to your Irish bank account and students will be notified by e-mail when the payments are being made.

Some important forms need to be completed in relation to your grant, and you should ensure that you return these promptly to the International Office:

Certificate of Arrival - your grant can only be paid when this form has been returned to the International Office, so please don't delay in getting it signed and stamped when you arrive at your host university. Please go to the Latest News page for a link to this and more information.
Individual Acknowledgement of the Student Mobility Grant form: you must sign one of these forms in respect of each grant instalment you receive, and return the form to the International Office, University of Galway to confirm receipt of your grant. Please go to the Latest News page for a link to this document..
Certificate of Confirmation of Attendance, which should be completed, signed and stamped by your host university at the end of your study period abroad. This certificate must be returned to the International Office, University of Galway, as proof that you have attended the host university for the duration of your approved study period. You can also download a blank certificate from our Latest News page.

Your final grant instalment cannot be paid until all the relevant paperwork has been submitted to the International Office.

Other important documents which you will need to complete and return:

Learning Agreement (see "Academic Procedures") – and please remember to update it in Semester 2 if necessary.
Student Final Report - you will receive a request for this by e-mail from the European Commission, and you will have to complete the report online.
Student Narrative Report – not compulsory, but very useful and greatly appreciated by future students!