First-Gen or Low-Income? This Is for You Too

The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) is open to all young people aged 18 to 30 regardless of your background and circumstances. Economic disadvantage may represent a barrier, for instance a low living standard, low income, needing to work to support yourself, dependence on the social welfare system, long-term unemployment, insecure situations or poverty, being homeless, in debt or with financial problems. ESC volunteering is fully funded: technically you pay nothing, although you sometimes pay costs such as tickets and visas first and are reimbursed (paid back) afterwards. No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects. Our guide on inclusion support explains the support for young people who face barriers.

Last updated: November 2026.

Do you need money to take part?

You do not need money to apply: in ESC and Erasmus+ youth projects, nobody should pay anything at the application stage. In ESC, you sometimes pay costs such as tickets and visas first and are reimbursed afterwards. In Erasmus+ youth projects that ask selected participants for a participation fee, the fee is usually deducted from the travel reimbursement, not paid in advance. A participation fee is usually a contribution the organisation asks for its own institutional capacity, not a cost of the programme. Victor, a student without a lot of money, searched the internet alone for affordable ways to go abroad, and the search led to the European Solidarity Corps. Victor says the programme covers essentially everything needed to go and stay there plus some pocket money, and that made Victor financially able to go abroad. Another volunteer, on a project in an eco community in rural Finland, learned what the programme offered: pocket money, food money and not having to pay all of the travel expenses alone. Our guides on whether ESC is fully funded and what Erasmus+ covers list the costs.

What if you cannot pay for the ticket first?

Tell the sending and host organisations before you buy: for participants with limited financial means, organisations can also support them, and this should be agreed before buying. In Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps projects, participants usually buy their own return ticket first and the organisation reimburses them afterwards. One ESC volunteer in Finland says the ticket is sometimes covered in advance, or you buy it and the cost is covered after you arrive. For the first weeks of an ESC project, it helps to bring 50 to 100 EUR until a bank account is opened, and volunteers with limited means can agree with the organisation to receive cash against a signed receipt. Our guides on hidden costs in fully funded projects and how much money you need go through the cash you need before you get reimbursed.

Is the pocket money enough to live on?

Pocket money was enough for some volunteers and not enough for others. Here is what volunteers say:

🌞 Portugal: Büşra did not have much financial difficulty, because the host organisation gives a set amount of pocket money according to the country's economy.

❄️ Finland: a volunteer on a 12-month ESC project in Pori says Finland is very expensive and the pocket money was only just enough, so the volunteer could not set aside much budget for travel. The volunteer saw how quickly the cost of living rose: the transport card given on arrival was first 40 euros, then 50 euros and finally 64 euros within one year, and it was paid on the volunteer's behalf.

🏠 France: Elisa had 400 euros a month, and accommodation, no bills and a travel card for free buses in the region were provided. Elisa says that was enough to live on and to travel, without using reserve money, and adds that you need additional funds for travel because the project does not cover it.

🌲 Sweden: a volunteer in Borås says Sweden is very expensive and the money received was not enough, so the volunteer took money from personal savings to have a decent life. Food and a roof were there, but hobbies, activities and having a drink with friends had to come from personal money, and the volunteer says "I lost money from this experience".

🧾 Lithuania: one ESC volunteer does not agree with people who promote this kind of volunteering as basically very cheap, because the pocket money is only for eating and grocery shopping, and if you have no money of your own and no help from family or anyone else you will not be able to do anything. The same volunteer suggests that if you do not have your own money you should not even think about coming, because you will be sad and think of the many things you cannot do. Of the five volunteers asked in Lithuania whether they would recommend ESC volunteering, one said yes only if there is a budget, three said yes, and one said it depends, but yes.

🪙 Poland: one volunteer writes "you have to survive with 700 zl per month and you struggle to save money for partying and traveling".

🩺 Germany, a different programme: Gian did the FSJ, the voluntary social year in Germany, which is not the European Solidarity Corps. Gian had free accommodation, health insurance was covered, and the monthly allowance of 370 euros was just enough to cover personal expenses.

Our guide on ESC pocket money explains how the amount works.

What can you do if money is tight?

If money is tight, first check what the project covers, and if you want to travel during the project, save money before going or choose countries that are more affordable and less expensive to live in. Here is what volunteers did or advise:

🔎 Read the details: check what the project covers, because some projects pay pocket money monthly and some daily.

🗺️ Choose the country: if you really want to go mainly to travel, a volunteer on a 12-month ESC project in Pori, Finland, recommends going to countries that are more affordable and less expensive to live in.

💰 Save first: if the cost of living is very high and the pocket money only just covers your monthly expenses, the same volunteer strongly recommends that you save money and prepare a budget for the trips you will make there.

🗣️ Talk about it: a volunteer in Borås, Sweden, discussed the money problem with the coordinator, who made several proposals to improve the situation for upcoming volunteers.

🕓 Work alongside: a university Erasmus intern in Malta, on a 500 euro grant with 300 euro rent, took a part time job of 4 hours per day next to the unpaid internship, and writes "It was not easy managing 2 jobs daily but we had no other option and at the end it all worked out for the best".

Our guide on how much money you need covers the full plan for the cash you need.

Is there extra support for young people with fewer opportunities?

Yes: organisations arrange the support process for young people with fewer opportunities, and depending on the participant's situation, supporting documents such as health reports may be requested. The organisation may ask for documents especially when the need is related to health or when it involves a cost. University students and recent graduates with fewer opportunities receive a top-up amount, which is extra money added to the individual support in their EU Erasmus+ grant, for long-term mobility. The criteria are defined at national level by the National Agencies in agreement with National Authorities, so ask your university or National Agency whether your situation counts. Our guides on inclusion support and paid internships abroad cover the details.

Do you need a degree, experience or perfect English?

No: your level of education is not a barrier, and someone who has only finished middle school can also take part in the projects. There is no requirement to be a member of the sending (support) organisation or to have taken part in its activities before. Most projects accept participants with basic English. Applying is completely free, and you do not need to write a project to take part in the ESC: you apply to the projects that are published. Our guides on who can apply and how to find projects show where to start.

Has someone like you done it?

Yes: people growing up in a family with limited financial resources, and people who had never left their country before, have done it. Here are their words:

🎓 First in the family at university: a student from Spain writes "As the first person in my family to go to university, I never thought that I would end up doing my last year as an Erasmus, but I convinced myself that I would be able to make it work". The experience was hard: the student went to class in the morning and to work in the afternoon, and had no time for a social life.

💡 Limited family income: a participant from Portugal who joined a one-month ESC team in Italy writes "Growing up in a family with limited financial resources, I learned from an early age to be determined and ambitious in order to build a comfortable life for myself".

🛍️ Low economic background: a young volunteer from Paris, who was deciding between job hunting and volunteering abroad, worked in a local charity shop in Italy and says "I wanted a unique experience that allowed me to feel useful". The same volunteer says the project brought more self-confidence.

✈️ Never left the country: an ESC volunteer on a two-month team in Italy writes "I discovered that I am capable of handling tasks I had never done before, and I think I managed quite well in all of them".

🌍 Sceptical at first: a volunteer from Georgia writes "When I first heard about the volunteer project, I was a bit skeptical, because I had never been out of the country, nor did I have experience volunteering in such an important project".

😟 Afraid of going: a volunteer from Hungary who came to Poland writes "My fears were real because I have never been abroad even for vacation".

🧭 Feeling lost: Victor was 19 and not sure where to go with life when volunteering in Sardinia, and says the European Solidarity Corps gave a direction for what to study, new friends, new experiences and new skills.

Our article on young people not in work or education in Europe gives the figures and what Erasmus+ and ESC offer.

Frequently asked questions

Will I earn money on an ESC project?

No: ESC is not a temporary or part-time job, an internship or paid work. Christina, an ESC volunteer in Lithuania, says volunteering is not paid, but you get some monthly money for food and accommodation and things like that. Our guide on ESC pocket money explains the amount.

Can my family be asked to pay?

No: in ESC, costs are covered and the volunteer receives pocket money, and families pay nothing to anyone.

What if someone asks me for a fee?

If an organisation asks you to pay at the application stage, report it to the National Agency or the European Commission and let us know, so we can report it too. No fee is ever asked for applying, in ESC or Erasmus+ youth projects. Our guide on spotting fake offers shows the warning signs.

Where do you go from here?

Money is a real question, and volunteers answer it in different ways. The Youth Works Hub pages below cover the next steps.

👉 ESC projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=esc-projects

👉 Erasmus+ projects: youthworkshub.org/?tab=erasmus-projects