UK to rejoin Erasmus+ in 2027

On Wednesday 17th December the UK agreed terms to join Erasmus+ scheme commencing in the 2027/28 academic year. There are currently over 30 countries participating in the programme that allows students and staff to undertake opportunities abroad without additional fees. Instead these costs are covered by the EU with taxpayers’ money. The UK contribution to cover the 27/28 academic year will be approximately £570 million. This represents a 30% discount in comparison to the original terms of the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), signed in December 2020. 

By joining Erasmus+ British people in further or higher education, apprentices, sports coaches, and adult learners will be able to study abroad, do a placement year, or take a training course. 100,000+ people could benefit from the scheme in just the first year, the government says. A report by UUKI in 2025 found those who studied abroad were more likely to receive a first-class degree, higher graduate earnings, and professional-level jobs than those who were not globally mobile. 

The UK’s involvement in Erasmus+ terminated after Brexit, in 2020 when the government announced the EU-UK TCA. The UK was given the opportunity to remain a participating country in spite of Brexit; yet, Boris Johnson stated that the programme did not offer value for money. The government stated prior to Brexit, more than twice as many EU students came to the UK than British to Europe. However post-Brexit the discrepancy reduced: in 2018/19,133 UK-based students and trainees travelled to other countries, whilst 30,497 came to the UK. The reduced opportunity for UK students during the interim period (2020-2026) presents how Brexit affected those who were not old enough to have a say in the 2016 referendum. 

The rejoining of Erasmus+ will allow students to broaden their horizons, without the weight of the extortionate fees that were required over the past six years.