originally published on January 13th, 2009

More students at the University of Edinburgh are choosing to spend a year studying abroad despite the effects of the credit crunch, information obtained by Student reveals.

The number of students applying to the International Exchange Programme, which coordinates placements in countries outside the European Union, has risen by 55 per cent in the past year.
The total number of applications to the programme received by the International Office this year stands at 286, up from 185 in 2007/8.
The greatest increase was seen in applications from students in the College of Science and Engineering, where applications rose 64 percent to a new high of 118.

While data for the Erasmus programme, which covers students applying to study in EU countries, is not yet available, the University expects numbers to remain constant at around 250 to 300 students.
Lesley Balharry, the University’s Erasmus Exchanges Officer, told Student: “We are hoping not to see a decline in numbers of outgoing students this year, and the fact that the majority of students participating in Erasmus exchanges are eligible for Erasmus grant funding should mean that an exchange year in Europe remains a feasible opportunity.”

Students who have taken part in the International Exchange Programme in the past have raised concerns that lack of publicity means many students are unaware of the scheme and its benefits.
Ben  Wilkinson, a fourth-year English Literature student who spent a year studying at the University of California, Berkeley, told Student: “I think the year abroad is not an opportunity that everybody knows about. You have to be pro-active and look for the application information because it is not widely advertised, and before you know it, the deadline might have passed.”

“A lot of people I spoke to had false ideas about the exchange, and didn’t know for example, that the international fees are covered by the host universities and therefore, the exchange doesn’t cost as much as one might think.”

Helen Bray, a fourth-year student who studied at the University of Melbourne, added: “Despite all the paperwork required and the time spent researching cities and universities, the whole experience was absolutely worth it. It is a brilliant opportunity that I will never forget.”