Erasmus: Record numbers of students receive EU funding to study or train abroad

Erasmus: Record numbers of students receive EU funding to study or train abroad - 21 June 2010,

More students than ever went abroad for studies and company placements with EU support through the Erasmus programme in 2008/09. According to new figures released today, almost 200 000 higher education students received grants to study or train abroad. This represents an overall increase of 8.7% on the previous academic year and means that more than two million young Europeans have benefited from Erasmus funding since the programme's launch in 1987. The biggest increase is in the number of students going on company placements - up more than 50% on the previous year. In addition, last year more than 36 000 staff from higher education institutions went abroad to teach or receive training in one of the 31 European countries participating in the Erasmus scheme.