The United Kingdom and the European Union have finalized an agreement allowing Britain to participate in the bloc’s Erasmus+ student exchange scheme.
More than 100,000 people are expected to benefit when they become eligible on January 1, 2027, the British government said in a statement on Wednesday.
The agreement is currently only for one year, and Britain will contribute £570 million (€655 million, $774 million) towards the cost of the scheme in 2027.
What is ERASMUS?
Erasmus is the EU’s flagship student exchange scheme that allows people to study and train in much of Europe for up to a year.
It began in 1987 with university exchanges, but now also includes school exchanges, work experience, apprenticeships and sports.
Participants are not charged tuition at their host school or university; Instead, they continue to pay the fees of their home institution.
It includes all 27 EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Serbia, Turkey and North Macedonia.
More than 1.4 million people trained, worked or volunteered in eligible countries in 2024, the latest year for which figures are available.
Why did Britain leave Erasmus?
Following Brexit, which saw Britain formally leave the EU in January 2020, the EU offered Britons the chance to pay a fee to continue in the Erasmus programme.
But the government of then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the plan was too expensive.
At the time, Johnson said that Britain lost money under Erasmus because twice as many EU citizens came to Britain to study as British students went elsewhere in Europe.
The UK officially left Erasmus in January 2021.
Why is Britain returning Erasmus?
The British government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is trying to seek, or “reset,” closer ties with the European Union.
In a significant policy change, the UK announced in December 2025 that it would rejoin Erasmus.
“From language learning to building confidence and work experience, Erasmus+ offers transformative opportunities to enhance young people’s life chances,” UK Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said in a statement on Wednesday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Europe and Britain “have enjoyed mutually beneficial educational relations for centuries.”
“Further strengthening those relationships makes perfect sense for both sides – for our students, teachers, educational systems, economies and society as a whole,” he said in a statement.
As well as the UK, non-EU member Switzerland will also join the Erasmus scheme.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico