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SPAIN WAS THE most popular country for Erasmus students to visit last year, with the University of Granada receiving most of these visitors.
Almost 270,000 students travelled under Erasmus last year – a new record for the programme.
Ireland came 14th on the programme’s list of most popular EU member states, according to the latest Erasmus statistics from the European Commission.
There was a very small change in the number of Irish students electing to take an Erasmus study or employment period abroad in 2014 compared to 2013: last year 2,762 travelled, while 2,754 went in 2012.
Most Irish students headed to France (589), Spain (493), the UK (454) and Germany (329).
Last year, the majority of Erasmus student were studying a bachelor-level programme and 61% were women.
The average Erasmus grant was €272 a month (up 9% on the previous year).
While most students opted to study abroad under the programme, one in five (or, 55,000 students) chose to take an Erasmus job placement. The programme also offers academic and administrate staff an opportunity to train abroad: 52,600 of them received Erasmus funding last year.
EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou said Erasmus helps students build their career potential:
As well as contributing to a sense of belonging to the European family, the skills which Erasmus promotes also help students to boost their employability and career prospects. Our new Erasmus+ programme will enable even more young people to study, train, work or volunteer abroad in the next seven years.
In total, 3 million students and more than 350,000 academic and administrative staff have travelled abroad under the programme.
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I loved the Erasmus program, just back from a year in Sweden and couldn’t recommend it more! An amazing way to improve your confidence and develop new life skills.
Hiya Ryan I’m thinking of doing an Erasmus in Sweden, Stockholm any tips coming from an Irish background? Really clueless about what the nightlife is like or how dealing with the currency is? :)
Went to Liege in Belgium on my own. I went in my own so I would be forced into meeting people. I’d recommend it to anyone.
Great attitude :)
May I ask, were you shy before going or introverted most of your life prior?
Sounds as if you gave yourself a healthy ultimatum, and I’m genuinely curious as to why?
I no longer see huge groups of Spanish and French students congregating in large towns and city suburbs like they used to years back in the summer months. It was great to see back then. Is Ireland no longer a destination for them on the same scale?
It was very common for families to take a Spanish or French student for a few weeks for a few quid, but I don’t hear of it happening these days.
hmm…some of the Spanish students were notorious for stealing in my town.
And believe it or not some would attempt to claim the dole whilst here (True Story; I ain’t joking).
Have you a link to your unbelievable true story is was putting “True Story” in brackets the level of evidence that convinced you this hors$h1t was true.
Ignore the’is’…
FFS, The students that Niall is talking about were 15 and 16 years old, not a hope in hell of them ever getting the dole.
True, Ron. I was thinking of back in the 80′s and 90′s. Back when we were a strictly all Irish society. I used to love seeing all the French and Spanish students about the place.
They were at the time, teenaged kids.
A link? Maybe I should write you a blog or something? I worked in the Social Welfare Office at the time, that’s how I know. I don’t really care if you believe me or not, it happened. And furthermore, there’s lots of 18yr Spanish students out there as well…
So no evidence then, maybe you should change your username to “The Stupid Hurts”.
I remember them well Niall, they used to travel in large flocks in the area I was working at the time. My younger sister did an exchange with a Spanish girl back then, she stayed with my parents for a while and then my sister went back with her and stayed with hers. They still keep in touch, in fact my sister visited her last year or the year before. I’m not sure how much the exchange element played a part in it but maybe that has something to do with its decline.
Evidence? Lol You seem to be having difficulty understanding the difference between the words ‘attempting’ and ‘getting’. I said ‘attempting’, anyone with a little bit of knowledge of the system knows it’s possible to do – http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Claiming-Benefits-Abroad_holder.aspx
Whose stupid now fella?
I’m sorry you seem to have misunderstood me, you need to provide a link that states that what you are saying actually happened.
Just to clarify.. you need to provide a link to a reputable source which states that the teenage Spanish secondary school students that used to come to this country in the late 80′s and early 90′s were ‘attempting’ to claim ‘the dole’.
Just some random link to some social welfare regulations does no prove the above does it… as i said, change the username.
Oh hang on, I’ve actually found some evidence.
http://bit.ly/1qRszNK
A link? Lololololol. I might just write that blogpost… FFS. Jesus, you really are a gobsh#te if you think it wasn’t tried. I seen it with my own eyes. As I’ve said, I don’t really care if you believe me or not.
@the truth hurts see all those red thumbs beside your posts that means no one believes you! Btw are you still doling out dole?
When Primark opened is Spain a lot of Spanish friends said “That’s the shop with no alarms”
This is bollocks, there’s still loads of them around but you have to remember Spain and Italy were badly affected by the recession and that these language courses aren’t cheap.
Only the other day I was jogging through Temple Bar wearing an AS Roma jersey and a few young Italian fellas stopped me to tell me they were Roma fans and to have a chat about football.
Was an Erasmus Student in Galway. Great experience! Eight years later I’m still in Ireland. Wouldn’t think twice if I was to chose again!
I went to Belgium, it was a great experience, if you are going on Erasmus, join a club or something, and actually get to know locals. I joined the local really club, super experience.
I’m in Canada at the moment and I have just finished my Erasmus. The difference between the grading system in Ireland and Canada is unbelievable. I can now see why Ireland is struggling with the level of Maths.
All in all, Erasmus is the greatest way of opening a students mind. I have seen and heard of new careers here that I haven’t heard of in Ireland. Erasmus can only make students work harder to secure a better future.
I’d like to see the full figures for this and for the Erasmus Mundus while we’re at it. I’d like to know how many Irish might be joining me in China(well Taiwan) next year. Anyway this is a great programme and everyone should consider applying imo :)
About 500,000 people have left Ireland in the last 6 years.
And yes they were all students at some stage….
Erasmus = smoking hash and shaggin birds!! HIIYOOOOOOOO!
Students don’t opt to go to Spain, France or Germany; it’s a requirement if they are studying the language.
I went to Prague and would have done my entire undergrad there if I could!
Not necessarily so, Leanne- some students go voluntarily, stick together there and don’t make much progress in the target language, but do benefit in many other ways.
Just back from 6 months on Erasmus in Rotterdam! Any curious parents or students out there, take the chance if you get it! We all had a fantastic experience.
None gone to Syria ?
“As well as contributing to a sense of belonging to the European family, the skills which Erasmus promotes…blah blah blah”
I went on Erasmus myself, as did many of my friends. It was unbelievable fun but to make it out as some sort of life changing experience is ridiculous.
It’s an extended piss up funded by the EU mobility grant. The exams most people do are an absolute joke, go and chat to the lecturer for 5 minutes and he’ll sign off your grade for the semester.
Still a great year though.
Went to Leuven, Belgium in 2010, very character building and a great experience.
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