The internationalization of education, increasing mobility within the EU, globalization and the requirements of an increasingly international job market contribute to the fact that more and more students decide to complete an academic stay abroad within their higher education programme (Deutscher Wissenschaftsrat 2018). Current typical trajectories of education try to integrate an academic stay abroad. However, these chances are not available for all student groups alike, as decisions for mobility are shaped by social inequalities (i.e. age, study programme, finances of the student, chronic disease or disability) (Sherry et al. 2010). Having support by university staff and university friends may compensate for some inequalities. This paper applies Bourdieu’s theory of capital (1984, 1986) as a conceptual framework to examine the experiences of students who have competed a placement abroad, in particular students from educationally disadvantaged families, students with disabilities, and migrant students. Longitudinal data were taken from the German National Education Panel Study (NEPS; Blossfeld, Roßbach, von Maurice, 2011) with N=8,469 students. The Starting Cohort 5 of the NEPS data with higher education students were surveyed annually. The following research questions are addressed here: • How are the probabilities of socially disadvantaged students (low SES, migration background or a disability) to complete an academic stay abroad during their studies? • How does social inclusion develop during the study and how does a stay abroad effect social inclusion? The findings show the interrelatedness of social inclusion and a placement abroad: students who experience high social inclusion with peers and faculty at the beginning of their studies are more likely to study abroad. Social capital with faculty increases after such a placement, in particular for at-risk student groups, while no difference in the increase in social inclusion is observed between student groups. The findings imply a need for early interventions as some of the effects already take place in the first semester. The presentation contributes to identifying and analysing promoting and hindering framework conditions for vulnerable student groups for an academic stay abroad. The presentation wants to contribute to more equal and increased social participation of vulnerable student groups in higher education, wants to identify the need for (institutionalized) action.

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