McNeil Scholarship
A chance for students from Scotland to spend a year at Drexel University in Philadelphia, USA
How much will it cost?
Researching the cost of studying or working abroad is a vital step in planning your international experience. While we strive to ensure that we have opportunities to suit all budgets, knowing more about the costs involved allows you to save the money you need to make the most of your time abroad.
Tuition fees for those spending one or two semesters abroad are usually paid to the University of Aberdeen as normal, though the exact method of payment will depend on your fee status (see table below). No tuition fees would be due to your host university for those on study exchange.
Exact tuition fee arrangements will depend on when students commenced their degree.
STUDY EXCHANGE Single semester Full academic year Scottish (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS Full fee paid by SAAS Scottish (self-funded) Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student Rest of UK Full fee paid by student 15% of fee paid by student
(£1380 for 2021/22 – 2024/25)(£1430 from 2025/26)International / EU Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student TRAINEESHIPS Single semester Full academic year Scottish (SAAS-funded) Full fee paid by SAAS 50% fee paid by SAAS
50% fee waiverScottish (self-funded) Full fee paid by student 50% fee paid by student
50% fee waiverRest of UK Full fee paid by student 15% of fee paid by student
(£1380 for 2021/22 until 2024/25)(£1430 from 2025/26)
International / EU Full fee paid by student Full fee paid by student Tuition fees will be unaffected for students undertaking summer or graduate opportunities.
Eligibility for maintenance grants and loans
Students going abroad for a semester or year should continue to be eligible for maintenance grants and loans as normal, ie SAAS, Student Finance, etc. If you are unsure, check with your funding provider.
Additional funding opportunities
The funding available depends on where you are going and what you are doing. We have outlined the main funding opportunities below. Please note, these are subject to availability and not guaranteed.
Where there is no funding available, you should assume that an opportunity is self-funded, ie that you have to pay for your own living costs (as you would if you were in Aberdeen) plus your own travel costs.
Additional Support from SAAS and SFE
If you are SAAS or SFE-funded, you may be entitled to additional funding to support your mobility. Please contact the relevant provider for more information.
SAAS
If your period abroad is a compulsory part of your programme, you may be able to apply for the SAAS Study Abroad Grant. This is new for the 2025/26 year and replaced the SAAS Travel Grant. Eligibility is similar to undergraduate bursary schemes currently available through SAAS:
- Students whose household income is below £34,000
- Students who are eligible for the Care Experienced Bursary (CEB)
- Students who are eligible to the Estranged Student Bursary (ESB)
Please note, paid traineeships are not eligible, and therefore this funding is only open to students undertaking study exchange.
Student Finance
SFE/SFW/SFNI students may be able to submit receipts to reclaim the cost of items such as flights, health insurance, vaccines and visas. Students do not have to be going abroad on a compulsory mobility to qualify, and traineeships may also qualify. However, eligibility may depend on household income.
Please note, if you are funded by the Turing Scheme and meet the disadvantaged background criteria (see below), you cannot claim these expenses from both sources.
Turing Scheme
Study exchange and traineeship opportunities may be funded under the UK Government's Turing Scheme. This is dependent on the level of funding available for each academic year. You cannot apply for funding directly from the Turing website; students instead apply through the Go Abroad team. Please note that Turing funding is never guaranteed.
General Eligibility
- Turing-funded placements must take place outside of the UK.
- Students do not need to be a UK national to apply for Turing funding. However, students returning to their home country for a mobility period will not be eligible.
- Students must follow FCDO travel advice
Funding Rates
Turing Scheme funding rates depend on the duration and location of the placement.
Turing splits countries into two groups, based on an assessment of general living costs in those destinations:
- Group 1 countries (including Australia, Canada, Japan, Norway, USA)
- Group 2 countries (including most European countries, Hong Kong, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea)
Turing Scheme funding rates for 2025/26 are as follows:
Duration Group 1 Group 2 14 to 56 days £19 per day £17 per day 57 to 365 days £14 per day £12 per day Students from widening access backgrounds (ie someone who meets one or more of the criteria below) are entitled to an additional top-up of £4 per day, and can also submit receipts to reclaim certain costs, such as one return journey plus transfer, compulsory insurance, visa costs and vaccines.
Disabled students and students with long-term health conditions can receive the standard grant rate plus actual costs for additional expenditures related to their disability or health condition, such as the cost to transport a mobility aid, prescription costs, etc.
Widening Access criteria
- an annual household income of £35,000 or less
- receipt of a University scholarship or bursary that was awarded on the basis of financial need
- a home address in SIMD20/POLAR4Q1 postcode
- previously eligible for free school meals or Educational Maintenance Allowance
- receipt of Universal Credit or income-related benefits because they are financially supporting:
- themselves
- themselves and someone who is dependent on them, such as a child or partner
- experience of being in care or who is a care leaver – including anyone who is or has been in care, or from a looked after background, at any stage of their life
- a carer, meaning anyone who both:
- looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, and cannot cope without their support
- is not paid for this care
- someone who is estranged – including anyone who has had no contact with their biological or adoptive parents for 12 months or more, or the relationship with their parents has broken down within the last 12 months
- a refugee or an asylum seeker
Visit the Turing Scheme website for more information
Further information about the Turing Scheme and how to apply will be shared by the Go Abroad team once available.
Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP)
SEMP funding enables Swiss higher education institutions to provide funding for mobility abroad. This includes students going to Switzerland from a partner university overseas, such as the University of Aberdeen, for a period of study. This is administered by the Swiss host institution. Please note, this is not available for traineeships.
north2north Funding
north2north is a funding programme for institutions in the University of the Arctic network. University of Aberdeen students can apply for this funding if they include any of the following institutions within their study exchange application: Denmark - Aarhus University; Finland - University of Helsinki, University of Lapland, University of Turku; Norway - University of Bergen, University of Tromso (aka UiT - the Arctic University of Norway). This funding is administered by the host institution, via University of the Arctic.
Award amounts vary by country:
- Denmark - €1,000 for a study exchange of 2-5 months, €1,300 for a study exchange of 6-8 months and €1,500 for a study exchange 9-12 months. €500 is also available for travel.
- Finland - €3,000 for one semester and €5,000 for two semesters.
- Norway - approximately £5,000 per student, per semester.
2025/26 grant rates are still to be announced. These are 2024/25 rates for guidance only. Please note, north2north funding is not available for traineeships.
If you are applying to any of the institutions listed above, we strongly encourage you to also apply for the north2north grant rather than relying on Turing Scheme funding. If you later apply for Turing Scheme funding for these destinations without having applied for north2north funding, your funding application will be deprioritised.
Students should submit a Statement of Motivation for each north2north host on their Exchange Study Plan and send it to GoAbroad.Outgoing@abdn.ac.uk. The deadline is 12 noon on Friday 14 February.
McNeil Scholarship
The McNeil Scholarship is for Drexel University in the USA. This is a competitive award which has, in previous years, been $25,000 USD. This Scholarship is an excellent opportunity to enhance your C.V. This is administered by the Go Abroad team but the application is separate from the main Study Exchange Application. Students applying to Drexel University should apply by 12 noon on Friday 14 February.
Lord Wilson Scholarship
Two single semester scholarships of £5,000 each are available for students going to Hong Kong. Preference will be given to those applying to Lingnan University but applications to any Hong Kong partner will be considered. These can be awarded for either Term 1 or Term 2. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be prioritised but all students applying to a partner in Hong Kong are encouraged to apply. The deadline is Friday 14 February. Please contact GoAbroad.Outgoing@abdn.ac.uk for details.
Rhodes College Scholarship
The Rhodes College Scholarship is available to one student from a financially disadvantaged background. The successful applicant will receive $6,000 (single semester exchange) or $12,000 (full year exchange). The recipient will be asked to write a thank you letter to the donor during their exchange. The deadline is Friday 14 February. Please visit the Rhodes College Scholarship page for details.
BUTEX Scholarship
The BUTEX Scholarship is available for destinations in North America. These are competitive awards of £500 GBP. Applications are made directly to BUTEX.
Stevenson Exchange Scholarship
This scholarship is for students studying in France, Germany or Spain. Students undertaking a Teaching Assistantship may apply for a Scholarship but must be in a position to combine teaching with attendance at a University. This scholarship is administered by the University of Glasgow but students are nominated by the University of Aberdeen. In previous years awards have ranged from £250 to £3,000. Applicants are required to attend an interview.
Scottish Italian Scholarship
This scholarship is for students studying in Italy. This scholarship is administered by the University of Glasgow but students are nominated by the University of Aberdeen. This is a supplementary scholarship and in previous years awards have ranged from £500 to £600. Applicants are required to attend an interview. Please contact GoAbroad.Outgoing@abdn.ac.uk for details. The closing date is 10 March 2025.
Students going abroad during their degrees should budget for the following additional costs:
- Return flights to and from host destination at the beginning and end of your exchange period. If you plan to travel home for weekend breaks, holidays or celebrations then you should also budget for these flight costs.
- Visa costs. For UK nationals, you will need a visa to study or work abroad in most destinations. For EU nationals, you will need a visa to study abroad at any of our partner institutions outside of Europe. Visas can be costly. In addition to the processing fee itself you may have to meet the costs of required medical exams and/or obtaining required police certificates, as well as travel to/from the relevant Embassy which may be some distance from your home. Visa requirements, and therefore costs, vary be country, so it is worth researching these costs prior to applying for study exchange.
- Insurance. While you will be entitled to University of Aberdeen travel insurance free of charge, taking out additional private insurance is highly recommended (and for some host universities, essential).
This is in addition to costs that you would usually budget for if you were in Aberdeen, such as:
- Accommodation
- Subsistence, ie food, drink and other essentials
- Local transport
- Books
Check out this useful Go Abroad budget calculator from the Digipass Project to help you with your financial planning.