In the History, Classics and Archaeology “Q&A” session for year abroad opportunities, the floor is opened for questions. About half the room raises their hands; nobody seems to have any idea what is happening. The talk organisers look a little alarmed but refer all questions back to a generic slide show for about forty-five minutes before the microphone is passed to a young woman in the front row. She states how interested she is in the year abroad opportunities through Edinburgh and her degree subject, however, as a student on a full maintenance loan and an Access Edinburgh Scholarship, she wants to know whether she will have access to these avenues of financial aid when studying abroad. With a cursory glance at the trusted slide show (where this naturally isn’t mentioned), the three organisers give a vague and complacent shrug to each other and then to the audience, and state they simply “don’t know.”
After the briefest of apathetic apology, the microphone is whisked from the girl and passed on to the next of the fifty-odd hands in the air.
The fact they don’t know the answer is shocking. But the treatment of the question as an annoyance, of really very little convenience, says even more about the attitude towards year abroad opportunities at Edinburgh University, and whom they are being catered and created for.
When I raise my hand and ask firmly for serious clarification on this question twenty minutes later, the organisers are full of quasi-patronising negation. Of course they didn’t mean it that way, we need only head over to the SWAY website to find out such greatly detailed information.
Personally, I cannot think of anything less “greatly detailed” than accessibility to financial aid at university, but maybe that’s an esoteric position in Edinburgh; socio-economic diversity is hardly its most acclaimed feature. However, this level of base ignorance and nonchalance seems remarkable even given such context.
Speaking to students across different schools, experiences of confusion, isolation and anxiety throughout the whole year abroad process seem copious.
Second year students on maintenance loans described how little explicit information was given regarding finances, with “very poor direction” as to where to find out information. Further describing feelings of awkwardness and uncomfortableness at having to bring up the subject. The failures of such systemic neglect within the study abroad system left one individual feeling “disempowered to apply at all.”
Considering SAAS, Scotland’s financial aid programme for Scottish students, one student found the information difficult to find, making the process “intimidating” and disenfranchising, as the experience seemed more catered towards wealthy – mostly English – undergraduates.
One languages student, for whom a year abroad is mandatory and thus the lack of financial support is extremely pertinent, described how their abroad coordinator in an information session stated, “if you have any questions, you’d best ask them now, as it won’t be a priority for me to get back to you by email.” Such apathy fosters a strong conception of complacency from those involved in the year abroad process, rendering financial issues hard to speak out about.
Understanding the relationship between finances and year abroad wouldn’t be possible without a comprehension of SWAY, Edinburgh’s Study and Work Away Service, whose role is to provide “administrative support” to students.
SWAY’s work now is increasingly difficult: the UK’s departure in 2020 from the Erasmus+ scheme has negatively affected all aspects of international exchange. Its replacement with the Turing Scheme has seen a significant reduction in opportunities for students and limited their access to financial aid, removing Britons from the EU’s strong ideological principle of accessible student mobility.
SWAY does recommend solutions for the issues of financing a year abroad. Logistical decisions such as choosing countries with less expensive visa requirements, or destinations with lower living costs, such as smaller towns. Students can also apply for a single semester exchange in many degree courses, reducing many of the durational costs of a whole year abroad. It’s unclear what the impact of anticipated staff cuts will be on the level of staff support provided by SWAY and how this may further a feeling of confusion and disempowerment among students with a lower-income background.
The financial position of year abroad opportunities thus appear very bleak. The disconnect and reductions between the governmental Turing Scheme, SWAY, and the University of Edinburgh have left students in a very difficult and disenfranchised position. Although the systematic and governmental issues often are beyond the outreach of the University, Edinburgh must do more to advocate for students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Conversations and awareness around these systemic issues are integral and must be addressed, fundamentally enabling students to feel supported by their home institution.
Photo by Christine Roy on Unsplash