The UK is set to rejoin the Erasmus programme, restoring access for British students to the EU-funded study, training and volunteering scheme five years after the country ended its participation following Brexit.
Ministers are expected to confirm the move this week, with UK students understood to be able to take part in Erasmus placements from January 2027. The government has declined to comment on the detail of ongoing talks with the European Union.
The decision marks a significant policy shift after the UK withdrew from Erasmus in December 2020 as part of its post-Brexit trade deal. At the time, the then prime minister Boris Johnson described leaving the scheme as a “tough decision”, arguing that participation had become “extremely expensive”. It was replaced in 2021 by the UK’s own Turing scheme, which funds international placements worldwide.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously signalled a desire to reset relations with the EU, suggesting in May that a youth mobility arrangement could form part of a broader agreement.
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