Erasmus+ Grants for Students with Disabilities or Fewer Opportunities

What the inclusion top-up covers

Erasmus+ pays an additional inclusion support top-up to participants with disabilities or fewer opportunities, on top of the standard monthly mobility grant. Several university Erasmus offices, including Uppsala University's inclusion support page , list the fixed top-up at around 250 euros a month, calculated per day of your mobility. This amount comes in addition to your normal grant group rate, not instead of it.

The top-up applies regardless of which host country you travel to, unlike the standard grant, which varies by destination. This keeps the extra support consistent for students who need it, whether they study in a Group 1 or Group 3 country under the standard Erasmus+ grant bands, since the extra cost of accessibility support does not shrink because a destination has lower rent.

The top-up covers the general extra cost of studying abroad with a disability, health condition, or economic and social barrier, separate from the larger, uncapped support available for disability-specific expenses.

Who counts as having fewer opportunities

Erasmus+ defines fewer opportunities broadly. It includes participants with disabilities or health problems, but also economic barriers such as low income or dependence on state support, social barriers, educational difficulties, cultural differences, and geographical barriers such as living in a remote or rural area. Your national agency and home institution apply these categories through their own criteria, so ask your international office which categories they accept and what proof they need before you assume you do or do not qualify.

A student who already receives a means-tested grant at home, for example, often qualifies for the economic barriers category without needing extra medical evidence. A student with a documented chronic condition that affects daily life, such as a mobility impairment or a long-term illness, typically applies under the disability and health category instead, which opens access to the uncapped real-cost reimbursement described below.

How disability-related costs get reimbursed

Beyond the fixed top-up, Erasmus+ covers disability-related costs in full, based on real, documented expenses rather than a set monthly amount. This includes personal assistance, accessible transport, adapted accommodation, on-site medical support, and extra costs for an accompanying person if your situation needs one. You submit these costs with supporting evidence, and your institution or national agency processes reimbursement separately from your standard grant payments.

Universities typically ask for medical documentation from a recognized health authority to confirm your specific need before approving this funding, so start the paperwork early, ideally as soon as you know you plan to apply for Erasmus+.

How the top-up reaches you

Your home institution processes the inclusion top-up alongside your standard Erasmus+ grant payments, usually on the same installment schedule. Real-cost reimbursements for disability-related expenses often follow a separate timeline, since your institution or national agency needs to review your submitted receipts and documentation before paying them out. Ask your international office for the expected payment schedule for each part of your funding.

Combining inclusion support with other funding

The inclusion top-up sits on top of your regular Erasmus+ grant and does not replace other funding you already qualify for, such as a national student loan, a university bursary, or a country-specific low-income supplement. Mention your inclusion status when you apply for any of these separately, since some national agencies coordinate eligibility across schemes.

Arranging support at your host institution

Contact the host university's disability or accessibility office before you arrive, not after your mobility begins. Many European universities have a dedicated contact for incoming exchange students with accessibility needs, who arranges adapted housing, exam accommodations, or physical access to buildings ahead of your first day. Share your Erasmus+ inclusion documentation with them early, since some accommodations take weeks to arrange.

If your application is delayed or refused

Ask your home institution's international office to explain the decision if your inclusion support request is refused or the amount looks wrong. National agencies set the detailed criteria and review appeals, and your international office escalates disputed cases on your behalf in most situations rather than you contacting the agency directly.

How to apply

• Tell your international office about your inclusion needs when you submit your standard Erasmus+ application, not after you are already selected.

• Ask specifically which fewer-opportunities categories your national agency recognizes, since criteria differ by country.

• Request the inclusion top-up form alongside your learning agreement paperwork.

• For disability-related costs, gather cost estimates and medical documentation before your mobility starts, since reimbursement depends on real costs you document with receipts.

Documents to prepare

• Medical certification from a recognized health authority, if you apply based on disability or a chronic health condition.

• Proof of economic or social circumstances if you apply under a fewer-opportunities category other than disability.

• Cost estimates for any accessibility support you expect to need at your host institution.

• Your standard Erasmus+ learning agreement and application, since inclusion support is added on top of it, not applied for separately.