© Provided by The Independent The replacement for the Erasmus study exchange scheme will not fund tuition or travel costs, it has emerged - and the living allowance has been slashed.
The reality of the new project has triggered fresh accusations that ministers are crushing the hopes of huge numbers of students who want to live, study and travel abroad.
Boris Johnson promised last year that there was "no threat" to the hugely-popular Erasmus programme, but his Brexit trade deal then pulled the plug.
Amid an outcry, ministers rushed out the announcement of a new "Turing Scheme", named after the legendary Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing.
But details smuggled out by the Department for Education (DfE) have now revealed far less financial support than was provided by Erasmus - which was scrapped to save money.
The European Commission paid travel costs of up to £1,315, but only students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will receive help from the UK government.
And, most significantly, free studies in any EU country, plus some others in Europe, has been replaced by pressure on universities and colleges to strike deals.
"Turing Scheme funding is not available for tuition fees," its website admits.
"There is an expectation that HE providers will agree tuition fee waivers with their partner HE providers, in order to facilitate student study placements."
The Scottish National Party said it had calculated that the cost of living allowance has also been slashed by a fifth.
"Boris Johnson promised that the UK would continue to be a part of Erasmus+. That has turned out to be a massive lie," said MSP Clare Adamson.
"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."
Boris Johnson says 'there is no threat to the Erasmus scheme'
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The DfE has been asked to explain why financial support has been removed and on the scale of the cost-of-living reduction.
The replacement was already under fire over a claim that 35,000 students in universities, colleges and schools would go on placements and exchanges, from this September.
Ministers were unable to explain how a scheme costing only £100m could fund the travels of 35,000 students - working out at only £2,850 each.
At present, around 17,000 UK youngsters participate, receiving grants much higher than that for accommodation and living costs in their host country.