THE UK Government’s replacement scheme for Erasmus+ has been described as “extremely disappointing” for students in Scotland who want to live, study and travel in Europe.

Officially announced today, the new scheme includes a fraction of the benefits provided to students under Erasmus+ as free tuition and travel expenses have been scrapped and the cost of living allowance has been slashed by a fifth.

Around 2000 Scottish students and staff used Erasmus+ each year and now they will be denied the chance to study and travel in 27 other EU countries as the new scheme puts financial barriers in front of them.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon branded the decision by UK ministers to leave the Erasmus+ programme as an act of “cultural vandalism”.

Academics have also raised concerns that the UK Government is focusing on promoting links with countries outside Europe to help build links with potential trading partners such as Australia or the US.

In an attempt to fix this, the Scottish Government – as well as more than 140 European Parliament members – wrote to the European Commission urging officials to explore ways of keeping Scotland in the programme, but this was ruled out by the EU since Scotland is still part of the United Kingdom.

Commenting, Education Committee convener Clare Adamson MSP said: “This is extremely disappointing for students in Scotland who want to enjoy the benefits of having access to 27 other EU countries, the Turing Scheme does nothing to help students do that and has put financial barriers in their way.

“Boris Johnson promised that the UK would continue to be a part of Erasmus+, that has turned out to be a massive lie and his replacement scheme is a shadow of Erasmus+.

“Tory MP Andrew Bowie admitted last week that the younger generations are not seeing the benefit of Brexit and this is another blow to their future prospects, all at the hands of the Tories and their hard Brexit obsession.

“Thousands of students in Scotland have benefitted from the Erasmus+ scheme and have enriched their education as a result of it, but now that opportunity seems further away now more than ever.

“The only way students in Scotland will be able to access Erasmus+ now is when Scotland becomes and independent country and re-enters the European Union at the top table.”

Speaking last month, policy adviser for the European Movement in Scotland Alex Orr concluded: “Scotland attracts proportionally more Erasmus participants from across Europe – and sends more in the other direction – than any other country in the UK. Through associated youth work projects, the scheme is estimated to deliver at least £7 in value for every £1 it costs in public cash, and its value to the economy has been estimated to be worth nearly £34 million annually since 2014.

“A unilateral replacement, such as the proposed Turing Scheme, will never be able to replicate the wealth of opportunities for all young people, or raise the same reciprocal benefits of the Erasmus programme,” Orr added.

A UK Government spokesperson said: “These findings are incredibly misleading. Unlike Erasmus+, the Turing scheme will include opportunities to study and work in countries across the world and builds in benefits for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and areas of the UK that have had low uptake.

“For a typical HE student on a study placement, the grant rates paid under the Turing Scheme will be in line with those under Erasmus+, and in fact will be higher for high cost destinations, and the uplift for disadvantaged students will also be higher. As is typical for all HE student mobilities, including outside of Erasmus+, we expect tuition fees to be waived.”