Erasmus+ Program
The Erasmus+ higher education program promotes cross-border mobility among students, faculty, and staff at higher education institutions in Europe. As an educational funding program of the European Union, it has been in existence for over 30 years. To date, approximately 4.4 million students have been able to study abroad with support from Erasmus. Thirty-three European countries participate in Erasmus+: the 27 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey.
Erasmus supports all students—from bachelor’s to doctoral studies—for degree program and internship stays, as well as all other university members:
Funding Opportunities
Students at TH OWL can study for one or two semesters through Erasmus+ at a partner university in the EU that corresponds to their faculty, or at selected partner universities worldwide with which an Erasmus+ cooperation agreement is in place.
Students at TH OWL can receive financial support through Erasmus+ and other funding programs for an internship abroad in the EU and worldwide.
Under the Erasmus+ program, graduates can also receive Erasmus+ funding within 12 months of graduation, provided they submit an application before graduating.
As part of our Erasmus+ partnerships, lecturers at TH OWL can teach at Erasmus+ partner universities and receive financial support for doing so.
To further advance the internationalization of universities, Erasmus+ supports continuing education and professional development opportunities for staff at TH OWL. The program is open to all university employees: from trainees to the President.
Special Funding
The NA DAAD supports students with disabilities or chronic illnesses who have additional financial needs while studying abroad by providing grants that are awarded upon application in addition to the regular country-specific flat rates. There are two options available:
Option A: Social Top-Up
- Students pursuing a degree program or a (graduate) internship abroad who have a degree of disability (GdB) of at least 20 or a chronic illness that results in additional financial needs receive a top-up of 250 EUR per month. The Social Top-Up is granted in addition to the regular funding rates for the student’s country group. By applying for this Social Top-Up, you agree to submit proof of your disability or chronic illness (e.g., a medical certificate confirming that the chronic illness results in additional financial needs while abroad, or a disability ID card). The nature of the condition and the amount or extent of the additional needs do not need to be specified or quantified
Option B: Individual Application
- Students pursuing a degree program or a (graduate) internship with a degree of disability (GdB) of at least 20 may submit an application to the NA DAAD for additional funding that takes into account their individual additional costs abroad.
Special funding of up to a maximum of 15,000 euros per mobility period may be requested. Only additional costs incurred abroad as part of an Erasmus+ mobility period may be applied for or covered by the NA DAAD.
The grant amount is calculated based on your personal needs and paid in addition to the regular Erasmus+ funding rate. Please note that only additional costs that
a.) are not covered by national agencies (integration offices, health insurance providers, regional associations, social welfare offices, student services).
b.) are incurred by you as a result of your stay abroad. These include, for example, airfare and costs for the accommodation of accompanying assistants or for accessible housing.
The individual application must be submitted to the DAAD at least 2 months in advance. Retroactive applications will not be considered. Therefore,please contact the International Office at least 3 months before the start of your mobility so that we can submit the application together.
Additional links on this page:
- Information on DAAD funding
- Testimonials from students with disabilities
- Erasmus Student Network (Exchangeability)
- German Student Services / Studying Abroad with a Disability
- Studentenwerk / Studying Abroad with a Disability
Social Top-ups cannot be paid twice if multiple eligibility criteria are met.
The Social Top-up can be combined with the “Green Travel” Top-up.
Students who travel abroad with their child or children to study or complete an internship abroad can choose between additional financial support in the form of a top-up or reimbursement of actual expenses up to 15,000 EUR per semester and mobility.
The amount of funding is independent of the number of children. By applying for this Social Top-Up, you agree to submit proof that the child is your own and will be traveling with you (e.g., proof of parental allowance and a travel ticket). The additional funds may also be granted to couples. However, a child may not receive funding from two different sources.
The actual-cost grant is intended to cover additional expenses for your child(ren) incurred abroad during your mobility period. If you wish to apply for an actual-cost grant, please contact the International Office for information on the eligibility requirements and application documents. The International Office will assist you with the application.
Additional links on this page:
Social Top-ups cannot be paid twice if multiple eligibility criteria apply.
The Social Top-up can be combined with the “Green Travel” Top-up.
Students whose parents do not hold an academic degree recognized in Germany may apply for this top-up program.
- A degree from a vocational academy that leads to a qualification comparable to a university degree is considered an academic degree. In this context, a master craftsman’s certificate is not equivalent to an academic degree.
- Degree programs completed by a parent abroad that are not recognized as such in Germany (e.g., physical therapy) are considered academic degrees for the purposes of the eligibility criteria for receiving the supplemental grant; therefore, there is no entitlement to the supplemental amount.
Social Top-ups cannot be paid twice if multiple eligibility criteria are met.
The Social Top-up can be combined with the “Green Travel” Top-up.
Students who must give up their employment due to a stay abroad, resulting in a loss of income, may receive the supplemental grant. If the student is simultaneously receiving BAföG for study abroad, the supplemental grant will be offset against that amount. The following criteria must be met:
The employment must have taken place during this period:
Stay abroad during the winter semester:
August 1 of the previous year through July 31 of the year spent abroad
Stay abroad during the summer semester:
February 1 of the previous year through January 31 of the year spent abroad
Net earnings of more than 450 euros and less than 850 euros per month.
If you have multiple jobs, the net earnings from all jobs are added together each month.
An application is also possible if the average monthly income over 6 consecutive months is between 450 and 850 EUR.
Employed continuously for at least six months during the two semesters preceding the stay abroad.
The job in the host country is not continued during the stay abroad (this also includes remote work, online work, paid leave, etc.). Termination of employment is not a requirement; the employment contract may also be put on hold.
Excluded are activities carried out as self-employment and dual/part-time degree programs with a fixed salary.
This may involve a single employment relationship or several that follow one another immediately. An interruption during regular vacation time while employed is not a problem.
Virtual and Blended Mobility
Starting in the 2021 program year, all mobility activities can be supplemented with virtual mobility phases. This now makes it possible, for example, for students who are unable to participate in a long-term in-person mobility activity to undertake a short in-person mobility activity lasting 5 to 30 days and combine it with a mandatory virtual component.
The main focus area of the virtual component is on collaborative online learning, exchange, and teamwork within the framework of joint projects and/or online courses. There is no financial support for the virtual component, but it is also not deducted from the maximum available Erasmus+ allocation. Internships, staff mobility, and doctoral student mobility can also be carried out in a blended format.
Another new feature of the 2021–2027 program generation is the Blended Intensive Programs (BIP). These are designed to promote the use of innovative learning and teaching methods and to take advantage of opportunities for online collaboration.
Funding is provided for the development of short, intensive, and joint curricula and activities by ECHE higher education institutions from three different program countries. The Blended-Intensive Programs are designed to offer students and university staff the opportunity to participate in a short in-person group mobility (5–30 days) combined with a virtual phase.
You can download our ECHE and the European Policy Statement here.
Erasmus Code: D_LEMGO01
