The government has announced that the UK will rejoin the Erasmus student exchange programme for the 2027/2028 academic year. The agreement will see the UK contribute approximately £570m, with officials stating that a 30% discount was negotiated compared with the cost that would have applied under the existing EU trade agreement.
Any extension of UK participation beyond that year will require further negotiation with the European Union.
EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds described the decision as a significant step for young people and said the scheme would broaden access to study and training opportunities across Europe. He added that the agreement demonstrates that the government’s developing partnership with the EU is delivering results.
Minister for Skills Baroness Jacqui Smith said the return to Erasmus would “open doors” for students and staff, enabling institutions to rebuild academic and vocational links with European partners.
The Erasmus programme ended for UK participants in 2020 as part of the post-Brexit settlement negotiated by the Johnson government, which replaced it with the global Turing scheme. At the time, ministers argued that Erasmus had become too costly.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously indicated that youth mobility initiatives could form part of a renewed relationship with the EU, emphasising that such arrangements would not restore pre-Brexit freedom of movement.