The Special Status of Swiss Universities

Following the referendum “Against Mass Immigration,” which was held in Switzerland in February 2014, Switzerland’s participation in Erasmus+ has been temporarily suspended. Although this means that Swiss universities cannot receive EU funding, they continue to participate in student and staff exchanges within the framework of existing higher education partnerships.

This is made possible, among other things, by the SEMP, the “Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP).” The SEMP offers mobile students, as well as faculty and staff members submitting an application for a stay at a Swiss university, the opportunity to apply for a financial grant.

A key difference from funding under Erasmus+ is that, in the case of a stay at a Swiss university, the financial grant is paid directly by the host university. Please refer to the website listed below for the current funding rates.