UK will contribute around £570m to the EU student exchange scheme from 2027-28
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Ministers have agreed terms with the EU to rejoin the Erasmus+ study abroad scheme from 2027.
The UK will contribute around £570 million to the EU-funded Erasmus+ programme from the 2027-28 academic year – a 30 per cent discount compared to the EU-UK’s standard trade agreement, according to the Cabinet Office.
Future participation will have to be negotiated as part of the EU’s long-term budget and be “based on a fair and balanced contribution”.
The new deal is likely to mark the end of the UK’s own £100 million-a-year Turing scheme, which was created after Brexit as a replacement student exchange programme for Erasmus and placed more emphasis on sending learners from disadvantaged backgrounds abroad.
Details on the Turing Scheme beyond this academic year will be “shared in due course”, the Cabinet Office told FE Week.
Rejoining Erasmus+ could see over 100,000 FE learners, university students and apprentices young people travel across Europe for study and work placements in its first year.
EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: “This is about more than just travel: it’s about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities.
“Today’s agreements prove that our new partnership with the EU is working. We have focused on the public’s priorities and secured a deal that puts opportunity first.”
Ministers began negotiating to rejoin Erasmus earlier this year. It came as the budget for the Turing scheme was slashed by almost a third, as well as placing limits on daily costs and funding pots available to FE providers.
The government will appoint a UK national agency to administer the Erasmus+ programme and will issue guidance ahead of the 2027 funding call.
It will also work with education providers to maximise take up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
Skills minister Jacqui Smith said: “Erasmus+ will open doors for thousands of students and staff right across the country in universities, schools, colleges and adult education.
“This is about breaking down barriers to opportunity, giving learners the chance to build skills, confidence and international experience that employers value.”
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “It’s brilliant news that the UK is rejoining Erasmus+. For both staff and students of all ages, the opportunity to travel and spend meaningful time abroad is so important.
“For students, it widens their perspective on the world, opening their eyes to different cultures and different ways of life, and for staff, the opportunity to learn from other countries on how they deliver technical education and skills is invaluable.”