In a significant reversal of post-Brexit policy, the United Kingdom has secured a deal to rejoin the European Union's flagship Erasmus+ education and training programme. The move comes five years after the UK withdrew from the scheme following its departure from the EU, marking a major shift in cross-Channel academic and cultural cooperation.
How Will UK Erasmus+ Membership Work?
The UK government will establish a new national agency to administer the programme, with the first applications anticipated to open around mid-2026. Full participation for British students, apprentices, and institutions is scheduled for the 2027-28 academic year. This interim period will be used to evaluate how effectively the scheme creates opportunities, particularly for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Individuals cannot apply directly to Erasmus+. Instead, they must apply through participating organisations such as universities, colleges, schools, youth groups, or their workplaces. Programmes can last from as little as two days up to a full year and are available across all EU member states and associated countries, including Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Serbia, Turkey, and North Macedonia.
Eligibility and the Scope of Erasmus+
While the original 1987 Erasmus scheme focused on higher education students, today's Erasmus+ is vastly broader. It now encompasses work placements for apprentices, sports coaching, teacher training, and school language and cultural projects. UK ministers are particularly keen to promote the vocational and work experience elements for students and apprentices.
The financial support structure includes grants to help cover travel, accommodation, living costs, course fees, and some overheads. Notably, students participating in exchanges will continue to pay tuition fees to their home institution. In the last full year of UK participation (2018-19), the scheme was used by just under 10,000 university students and more than 8,000 trainees from the UK.
The Cost and Political Divide
The UK has negotiated an initial annual fee of £570 million, which the government states represents a 30% discount on what it would otherwise have paid. Ministers argue this discount acknowledges the historical imbalance where the UK received a disproportionate share of incoming EU participants. Research from Universities UK in 2020 estimated that Erasmus delivered a net economic boost of £243 million to the UK after costs were deducted.
The political reaction has been sharply divided. The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the move as "a moment of real opportunity" and a step towards repairing the Brexit deal. Conversely, Conservative critics have been hostile. Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott labelled the £570m cost "nuts," while Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel accused Labour of "dragging Britain back under the control of Brussels."
The path back into Erasmus follows a notable U-turn. After Brexit, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson initially assured Parliament there was "no threat to the Erasmus scheme." However, by December 2020, membership was dropped from the UK-EU trade deal, with Johnson claiming the UK lost out financially due to more EU nationals studying in Britain. An exception has been students in Northern Ireland, who continued to participate with support from the Irish government.
Looking ahead, the current Erasmus+ framework concludes in 2028. The UK will need to renegotiate its membership terms under the new framework. The government has stated its intention to retain the 30% discount and will use the coming years to assess the success of its renewed participation before the new agreement is adopted.
