From 2007 to 2009

The Network of Experts in Student Support in Europe (NESSIE) that was set up in October 2007 in order to overcome obstacles to the portability of student support and to assist countries in the implementation of portable support. The Network meets once a year and in-between mainly functions on the basis of e-mail exchanges between its members.

At it first meeting in Lisbon on 2 October 2007, the network decided:

• The scope of the network
• The mode of operation
• Which concrete actions
• Cooperation with other relevant networks / organisations
• Which kind of experts should be involved in the network

Bologna Process Network of Experts on Student Support - Draft notes of the meeting on 2 October 2007

In its report for the 2009 Ministerial Conference, the Network called for a more consistent data collection on portability of student support and a more permanent structure for the Network. Also after the 2009 Ministerial Conference the Network will continue to exchange information and to encourage countries to make student support portable. For this purpose, all Bologna countries that are not part of the Network yet, are explicitly asked to join and to appoint an expert in student support as member of the Network.

Report of the Expert Network on student support 2009

From 2009 to 2012

NESSIE 2009-2012 - Terms of reference version 24.08.2010

Representatives from Denmark, Ireland and Austria jointly chaired the Network from September 2009 to September 2011. Between the annual meetings of the Network, the Chairs also met together to organise the next steps of the Network. For this purpose the following actions were undertaken:

Database of information

• The Network agreed on the most important data needed by experts on student financial support for their everyday work.
• Two templates were produced to facilitate the exchange of data.
• 15 of both two templates were completed by countries participating in the Network of Experts on student support.
• In cooperation with the BFUG Secretariat, the templates have been posted on the password- protected EHEA Back office area (long version template), respectively on the EHEA website (short version template).

Data exchange

A template on data-protection was developed, but as long as the national laws on data protection continue to exist, the Network agreed to develop, as a first step, a template on data exchange with an overview of the number of students with portable student support in Europe and an overview of foreign students holding student support.

Future Steps

The future actions of the network will be agreed upon in the coming period of the incoming joint Chairs of the Network 2011-2013. For further information please see the annex Addendum to Network report.

Report of the Network of Experts on Student Support in Europe (NESSIE) 2009-2011
Addendum to the Report of the Network of Experts on Student Support in Europe (NESSIE) 2009-2011

From 2012 to 2015

At the Bucharest Ministerial Conference 2012 the EHEA Strategy “Mobility for Better Learning” was launched. Its 10 themes, including the improvement of quality mobility, increasingly mobility into and out of the EHEA and the further internationalisation of the EHEA are the basis for the terms of reference (work plan) of the Bologna working group on mobility and internationalization.
Moreover, to exchange information and to provide assistance in facilitating the portability of grants and loans, the Network of Experts on Student Support in Europe (NESSIE) was set-up as a sub-structure to the Bologna working group on mobility and internationalization.

Terms of Reference of the Network of Experts on Student Support in Europe - Endorsed 15.03.2013

The Report of the 2012-2015 BFUG Working Group on Mobility and Internationalisation presents in annex VIII a section dedicated to Portability of financial student support – Guidelines for further implementation that concludes by:
The realisation of these guidelines should be covered in the next Bologna Process Implementation Report. EHEA countries are encouraged to participate in the Network of Experts on Student Support in Europe (NESSIE) in order to exchange information and benefit from each other's experience in this field.

Report of the 2012-2015 BFUG Working Group on Mobility and Internationalisation