AFTER a six-year hiatus, Erasmus is set to return to the UK next year, reopening a key study abroad route for British students.
The EU and the UK signed a deal in Brussels on 15 April confirming that British students will be able to rejoin the Erasmus programme in 2027.
EU students will also be able to study abroad at British institutions.
British students with their sights set on studying abroad in Spain will once again receive EU grants and be able to study at a host of Spanish universities participating in the scheme.
Placements at the universities of Malaga, Granada, Sevilla and Valencia are particularly popular amongst British students.
Following Brexit, the UK was booted from the Erasmus scheme, now known as Erasmus+.
The scheme allows European students to study, work and complete internships abroad.
Students on the scheme receive a monthly EU grant, typically between €480 and €750.
In the UK, Erasmus+ was replaced by the Turing Scheme.
However, unlike Erasmus, Turing Scheme funding is given to universities not directly to students.
Each institution decides who gets grants, how much they receive and the process for applying for funding.
Many miss out on funding because some universities only fund students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those on study placements, leaving those undertaking work placements to cover the costs themselves.
In addition, thousands of European universities participate in Erasmus+ and students are guaranteed a university exchange.
Students participating in the Turing Scheme, meanwhile, have had to secure places at their universities’ partner institutions and competition for places is often fierce.
The UK government has said that it expects over 100,000 people to participate in the scheme in 2027 alone, including those on work placements and studying abroad.
They reiterated the scheme’s importance in developing young people’s skills and providing valuable life experience.
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said: “From learning a language to building confidence and work experience, Erasmus+ offers transformative opportunities to enhance young people’s life chances.”
It is not only British students who will benefit from the scheme as European students will also be welcomed back to UK universities.
While the Turing Scheme provides funding for outgoing British students, it offers no equivalent support for incoming European students.
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Consequently, since the Turing Scheme was introduced in September 2021, the number of EU students studying in the UK has plummeted.
EU students made up 20 per cent of the total postgraduate cohort in the UK in 2019/2023, but fell to only 6 per cent in 2022/23.
The reintroduction of Erasmus+ expected to make the UK a more attractive destination for EU students post-Brexit.
With more secure funding and more opportunities, EU and UK students alike are setting their sights on semesters abroad in 2027.
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