ERASMUS+

Erasmus+ is the EU programme for promoting education, vocational training, youth, and sport in Europe.

It has a budget of approximately €26.2 billion. That is nearly twice as much as the budget for its predecessor programme (2014–2020).

The programme's priorities for 2021–2027 are social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young people's participation in democratic life.

It supports priorities and activities set out in the European Education Area, the Digital Education Action Plan, and the European Skills Agenda.

The programme also:

• supports the European Pillar of Social Rights
• implements the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027
• promotes the European dimension of sport.

The funding primarily strengthens mobility within Europe and, to a lesser extent, with other parts of the world. It is available to students at all levels of study, up to and including the doctoral level, who wish to complete a study period or internship abroad. Students can receive funding for up to 12 months at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels.

Erasmus+ also contributes to the further internationalisation of higher education institutions by supporting short-term teaching assignments and professional development stays for teaching and administrative staff. In addition, higher education institutions can invite corporate staff from abroad for teaching assignments and can now also participate in multilateral Strategic Partnerships with other European partners (including those from the non-academic sector) to jointly develop innovative projects (e.g., in the area of curriculum development or on cross-sectoral educational topics).

Funding for most mobility measures is allocated by the National Agencies in the programme countries (all EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, FYR Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey). In Germany, this task continues to be carried out by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

Under the umbrella of the EU education program Erasmus+, the following mobility measures are funded in the higher education sector:

• Study Abroad for Students (SMS)
• Internships Abroad for Students (SMP)
• Staff Mobility (STA)
• Staff mobility (STT)

With Erasmus+, students can undertake stays in programme countries across Europe during any phase of their studies:

• Up to twelve months each for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programmes, or 24 months for single-track degree programmes (state examinations, etc.)
• Study periods in other European countries lasting 3–12 months each (including multiple periods)
• Internships in other European countries lasting 2–12 months each (including multiple periods).

Note on Special Funding

Erasmus+ aims to promote equal opportunities and inclusion; for this reason, access to the programme is facilitated for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds (in Germany, this applies within the Erasmus+ programme to single parents traveling with a child, working individuals who must terminate their employment for the duration of their stay abroad, and first-time university students) and those with special needs.

Special funding for participants with disabilities

Useful information on disability-accessible universities from the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education: www.european-agency.org.

Special funding for students with children as a lump sum

Students who take their child(ren) with them on an Erasmus+ study stay in a programme country and are single parents there during the Erasmus+ mobility period may receive special funding as a lump sum. The maximum monthly funding amount is determined by three country groups.

Note: Reporting Requirement

All grant recipients who have participated in an Erasmus+ mobility activity are required to submit a report via the Beneficiary Tool (as soon as it becomes available) no later than 4 weeks after the activity has ended, along with the relevant supporting documentation (e.g., regarding the duration of stay). If the documents are not received by the deadline, a 3-step reminder process will be initiated. If the documents are still missing, the ERASMUS+ grant must be repaid in part or in full; see the relevant notes in the “Documents and Finances” sections.

Disclaimer

“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The sole responsibility for the content of this publication [notice] lies with the author; the Commission is not liable for any further use of the information contained herein.”

Reference to DAAD

For further information and advice on Erasmus+ mobility programmes, please contact the

German Academic Exchange Service
National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation
Kennedyallee 50
53115 Bonn

Tel.: +49(0)228/882-8877
Fax: +49(0)228/882-555
Email: erasmus(at)daad.de
Website: www.eu.daad.de

Special provisions at Furtwangen University for the funding period up to and including the 2026 summer semester

Until the end of the 2026 summer semester, scholarships at HFU will be awarded through the KOOR-Erasmus Services BW consortium, a central agency of the State of Baden-Württemberg based at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences. Scholarships are awarded through KOOR-Erasmus Services BW, a central agency of the State of Baden-Württemberg based at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences.

Through Erasmus+, students can study at a European university in another participating country after completing their first year of study, in order to broaden their social and cultural skills and improve their career prospects. In the process, they become familiar with the academic system of a foreign university as well as its teaching and learning methods.

Study abroad programmes are supported in all participating countries.

Benefits of Studying Abroad

• Academic recognition of coursework completed abroad
• Exemption from tuition fees at the host university
• Funding for additional costs incurred abroad
• Support with preparation (cultural, linguistic, organisational)
• Special grants for students with children
• Special grants for students with disabilities

Requirements for an Erasmus study abroad programme

• Regular enrollment at a German university
• Completion of the first year of study
• Study period at a partner university with which the home university has concluded an Erasmus inter-institutional agreement
• The home and host universities must have a valid Erasmus University Charter (ECHE)

All students who have secured a place at an ERASMUS+ partner university are eligible for ERASMUS+ funding. It is up to the university to decide whether the entire stay will be funded or whether the funding period will be combined with zero-grant periods. The decision regarding the allocation of funded students across different project years also rests with the university.

If more students apply than there are places available, selection is based on academic performance, language skills, and commitment to the university. Members of the selection committee include the respective international affairs officers/regional coordinators of the faculties as well as the director of the International Center.

To apply for ERASMUS+ funding, the following documents must be submitted BEFORE THE START OF THE PROGRAMME:

1. Online Learning Agreement (OLA) (www.learning-agreement.eu)
2. SMS Grant Agreement
3. Signed insurance declaration
4. If applicable, sworn statement for additional funding
5. If applicable, sworn statement for green travel
6. Current certificate of enrollment

If you have submitted all documents by the deadline, you will initially receive 80% of the funding.

Finances Project 2025:

Financial support for student stays under Erasmus+ is based on the varying costs of living in the destination countries (“programme countries”).

• Group 1 (€600 per month): Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Sweden
• Group 2 (€540 per month): Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Cyprus
• Group 3 (€540 per month): Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary

One-time travel expenses are paid as follows, based on the EU distance calculator (as the crow flies):

• 10–99 km: €28/€56 green
• 100–499 km: €211/€285 green
• 500–1,999 km: €309/€417 green
• 2,000–2,999 km: €395/€535 green
• 3,000–3,999 km: €580
• 4,000–7,999 km: €1,188
• >8,000 km: €1,735

Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP):

Students participating in a BIP may apply for the following amounts:

Accommodation: Days 1–14: €79/day, Days 15–30: €56/day

Students with special needs:

If you are a parent with a child attending a partner university, have a disability with a verified disability rating of at least 20%, have a chronic illness, are a first-time university student, or have been working part-time for at least 6 months and earn between €450 and €850, you can apply for a top-up grant for your stay.

Reimbursement:

If you do not submit your final documents to the partner university by the deadline (no later than 30 days after the end of the semester), you will first receive a reminder, followed by two formal notices.

If reports are still missing after the second notice, you will forfeit the second installment.

If the final confirmation is still missing after the second notice, the university will demand repayment of all funds paid to date.

After the semester begins at the partner university, you have 4 weeks to make changes to your course schedule (add new courses, drop originally planned courses, etc.).

Be sure to contact your study abroad advisor or regional coordinator and have your new course selections approved! No changes can be made without approval.

You must officially communicate these changes via the “Changes to the Learning Agreement” section in OLA.

At the end of your mobility period or after it concludes, you must submit the following documents so that the remaining 20% of the total scholarship can be paid out:

• Confirmation of stay
• Transcript of records
• Certificate of recognition from your home university
• Feedback report
• Completion of the European Commission survey in the beneficiary tool

Students can complete internships at companies or organisations in other European countries through Erasmus+.

These placements are funded in all programme countries.

Benefits of an Erasmus+ internship abroad

• EU internship agreement between the university, the company, and the student
• Support during the internship from a contact person at the home university and another at the company
• Funding for additional costs incurred abroad
• Support with preparation (cultural, linguistic, organidational)
• Special grants for students with children
• Special grants for students with disabilities

Requirements for an Erasmus internship abroad

• Regular enrollment at a German university
• The home and host universities must have a valid Erasmus+ University Charter (ECHE); foreign companies do not require an ECHE
• Internships at European institutions or organisations, national diplomatic missions, and organisations that administer EU programmes are not eligible for funding

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Eligibility Criteria

Are you enrolled at the university and have been accepted for an (optional or mandatory) internship abroad lasting at least 61 days? If so, you can apply for funding for your stay. Applications are submitted through the KOOR Erasmus Services BW mobility consortium (HKA - Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences: E+ internship)

ERASMUS supports visiting lecturer programmes at European partner universities (STA1) that hold an ERASMUS University Charter. Through their stay, visiting lecturers are expected to strengthen the European dimension of the host university, complement its curriculum, and share their expertise with students who are unable or unwilling to study abroad. This should include the development of joint study programmes between the two partner universities and the exchange of teaching content and methods.

Teaching stays must comprise at least eight teaching hours per week and may last no longer than six weeks.

Funding is also available for teaching activities conducted by foreign company personnel at German universities (STA2) to strengthen cooperation between universities and businesses.

The following groups of individuals, for example, are eligible for funding in the ST category (STA and STT):

• Faculty members with a contractual relationship to the university
• Faculty members without a salary
• Adjunct instructors with service contracts
• Professors emeritus and retired faculty
• Research assistants
• Corporate personnel (incoming)

The programme offers the following benefits:

• Reimbursement of travel expenses
• Reimbursement of living expenses up to a maximum EU rate based on the destination country

Further information on the application process can be found on the intranet.

As a further measure to support the internationalisation of universities, continuing education and professional development opportunities are available for university staff (teaching and administrative) at European universities and at foreign companies or institutions.

Stays abroad should last at least one week (five working days) and no more than six weeks. Under certain conditions, stays of less than one week may also be eligible for funding.

STT can provide funding for university staff from all areas, including:

• General & technical administration
• Library
• Departments
• Faculties
• Finance
• International Office
• Public relations
• Student counselling
• Technology & transfer
• Continuing education

The programme offers the following benefits:

• Reimbursement of travel expenses
• Reimbursement of living expenses up to a maximum EU rate based on the destination country

Further information on the application process can be found on the intranet.

As part of your ERASMUS+ mobility programme, the university collects data via this form and other forms to assess your eligibility to participate in an ERASMUS+ mobility programme and, if approved, to calculate the amount of funding and enter into a “Grant Agreement” with you. The university retains the data, among other things, for tax and budgetary reasons in accordance with statutory retention periods. You may at any time request information about the data the university has stored about you, request its correction if it is incorrect, and request its deletion, provided that no other rights and, in particular, no legal obligations preclude this. If deletion is not possible, the data will be blocked and used only for the purposes that prevented its deletion.

The legal basis for the collection of the data is both the initiation of a contract (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR) and a statutory basis (Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR). The EU processes your data collected within the framework of ERASMUS+ on its own responsibility; the university is obligated to enter this data into the EU “Mobility Tool” or the “Beneficiary Tool.” Please see below for details on which data is affected. The privacy policy of the National Agency for EU Higher Education Cooperation in Germany can be found here: eu.daad.de/footer/de/47171-datenschutzerklaerung. In accordance with EU regulations, the host institution receives the data that you enter in the “Mobility Agreement.” It processes this data under its own responsibility. Furtwangen University, located at Robert-Gerwig-Platz 1, 78120 Furtwangen, represented by the President, Dr. Alexandra Bormann, is the data controller responsible for the processing of your data at the university; the department responsible is the International Center.

The university’s Data Protection Officer is Prof. Dr. jur. Bernhard Plum bernhard.plum@hs-furtwangen.de. The competent supervisory authority for data protection complaints is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart.

The EU receives the following data via the “Mobility Tool” / “Beneficiary Tool”:

• Last name, first name, email, gender, nationality, duration of professional experience, timeframe and type of mobility (study / teaching / continuing education), amount of funding, primary working language and, if applicable, other languages used, sending and receiving organisations

For staff mobility for teaching purposes:

• Number of teaching hours and level of teaching activity, field of education (ISCED code)

For staff mobility for training purposes:

• Type of continuing education and training, category of educational staff
• If additional funds are requested due to a disability / If, due to force majeure, the mobility was interrupted or not undertaken

Furtwangen, 08.10.2025