OeAD-Calice: Support for students aborting or interrupting their Erasmus+ study abroad
OeAD offers accommodating solutions for funded projects
The OeAD offers support in the case of discontinuation or interruption of Erasmus+ stays abroad
Even though travelling within the programme is currently not possible due to the corona virus: the mobility programme Erasmus+ still is and will remain active.
Erasmus+ is the central programme with which the OeAD, as national agency commissioned by the European Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), supports the internationalisation of Austria as a location for education and research. The outbreak of the corona virus hits the programme promoting cooperation and mobility with EU partner countries hard. Even though the travel opportunities of the programme are currently suspended due to the corona virus: the mobility programme Erasmus+ still is and will remain active. Currently the focus is on providing information and advice.
Within the Erasmus+ programme the European Commission has provided the participating institutions such as the OeAD with opportunities to alleviate the disadvantages for the participants. "The OeAD is doing everything that is in its power to prevent any concerns for funding recipients such as individuals or organisations," stresses Jakob Calice, the OeAD‘s managing director. Extraordinary costs that students and university staff might incur in connection with the corona virus will therefore be mitigated by the OeAD as far as possible. Cancellation costs may result from students cancelling, aborting or interrupting planned trips. Students will report any costs incurred to the OeAD and indicate whether they cancelled or aborted their stay. They have to confirm that they will not apply for a reimbursement of the costs elsewhere and that the costs will not be reimbursed by any other authority. Calice: "We expect a very high number of reimbursements since more than 3,500 students had planned a stay abroad via Erasmus in the summer semester 2020".
If Erasmus students are unable to take exams because they are no longer abroad when the exams are taking place, the following applies: Erasmus students are not required to obtain the minimum of 3 ECTS credits per month. The completion of sufficient ECTS credits will not be required for the granting of funds under Erasmus+ in the summer semester 2020. There will be no random credit check taking place later. Moreover, many higher education institutions across Europe have switched to e-learning and offer students the opportunity to continue attending courses and take exams online.
If students have the opportunity to return abroad and continue their studies at a later point in the year, this is possible as far as the OeAD is concerned. This decision depends primarily on the higher education institution, the student and the study plan. It is also often possible to take exams online. In the end, however, it is an autonomous decision.
The OeAD’s managing director Jakob Calice says: "Erasmus+ not only serves to exchange knowledge across borders but also to strengthen and live the European identity. It also serves to motivate young people such as pupils and apprentices to participate in democratic life in the EU". Hence the OeAD’s call: Trips that cannot be undertaken at present or projects that cannot be carried out as planned can also be postponed to a later date in 2020.
Erasmus+ Education in Austria
Responsible for the implementation of "Erasmus+ Education" in Austria is the OeAD as national agency commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) and the European Commission.
More than 48 million euros in funding were approved for project executing organisations in Austria in 2019.
The OeAD has established the e-mail address anfragen@oead.at for questions regarding the Erasmus programme in connection with the corona virus and provides information on a dedicated web page: https://oead.at/en/the-oead/information-about-the-corona-virus