This research employs a qualitative comparative policy analysis, trying to answer the question of whether LGBTQ+ students are recognized as a group with fewer opportunities that grant them access to additional financial support within the national Erasmus+ frameworks of Greece, Austria, and Italy. Despite strong European-level commitments to equity in educational mobility, the operationalization of inclusion criteria remains mostly delegated to national agencies, leading to significant disparities. Using a qualitative, multi-case policy analysis, this study examines legal texts, national strategies, and institutional practices, revealing three distinct paradigms of (non-)inclusion.

Findings highlight that LGBTQ+ students, particularly those facing family estrangement, economic insecurity, or gender-affirming healthcare needs, encounter unique and intersectional barriers that are not adequately addressed by broad vulnerability categories. The lack of standardized criteria across member states weakens the Erasmus+ program’s commitment to inclusion, leading to unequal access to mobility opportunities. This research emphasizes the urgent need to recognize LGBTQ+ status within national eligibility frameworks, supported by binding EU-level mandates and monitoring systems. Without such systemic changes, the principle of educational equity risks becoming superficial rather than transformative, leaving the most marginalized youth behind in European mobility programs.