On December 17, 2025, the United Kingdom made headlines across Europe and beyond by announcing its decision to rejoin the European Union’s Erasmus student exchange program in the 2027-28 academic year. The move, hailed as a "huge win" for young people, marks a significant reversal from the country’s earlier decision to withdraw from the program as part of the Brexit process. For many, the announcement signals not just a practical shift in educational opportunities, but a symbolic thaw in relations between Britain and the EU after years of tension and uncertainty.
The Erasmus scheme, established in the 1980s, has long been considered one of the EU’s most successful initiatives. It allows students, trainees, and even those in vocational training to spend up to a year studying, training, or volunteering in another European country without paying additional fees. The program covers travel, living, and visa costs, and offers extra support for people with disabilities, additional learning needs, or from disadvantaged backgrounds. According to BBC reporting, the scheme is open to all 27 EU member states and six non-members, including Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey. Spain, France, and Germany have historically been the top destinations for British students.
The UK’s exit from Erasmus in 2020, under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was met with disappointment and frustration by students, educators, and many in the higher education sector. Johnson’s government argued that the program did not offer value for money. However, a 2021 Chatham House report cited by CNN challenged this view, stating, “Far from acting as a drain on the economy, Erasmus has facilitated the movement of well-funded students into the UK for limited periods, during which they have provided a lucrative customer base for the higher education, services and hospitality sectors.” The report estimated that Britain made a net profit of £243 million ($324 million) per year from its participation in Erasmus.
For students like Claire Thomson, who studied at the University of Glasgow and participated in Erasmus before its cancellation, the program was transformative. "Living abroad while at university allowed me to become almost fluent in two other languages and have experiences that would never have been possible in Scotland," Thomson told the BBC. She spent nine months in Germany as an English language assistant and later interned in France, experiences made possible by Erasmus and its UK replacement, the Turing scheme. "The money I received from both the Erasmus and Turing schemes meant most of my expenses were covered and I was able to travel around Germany and France in my free time," she said.
After leaving Erasmus, the UK introduced the Turing scheme—a program with a broader global reach, sending students to countries outside of Europe, including Canada, Japan, and the United States. In 2024-25, the Turing scheme funded nearly 3,000 placements in Scotland alone, according to UK government data. While Turing has aimed to target all students, with a particular focus on the most disadvantaged, critics have noted that it does not offer the same reciprocal opportunities for European students to come to the UK, nor the same level of cultural exchange.
Between 2013 and 2023, official figures show that 2,667 staff and 18,124 students from Scottish institutions took part in Erasmus. The scheme’s reach and impact have been substantial: in 2024, almost 1.5 million people and 85,600 organizations participated across Europe. A European Commission report highlighted another unexpected benefit—the birth of more than 1 million so-called “Erasmus babies,” children whose parents met while on exchanges, underscoring the program’s role in fostering not just academic, but personal and cultural connections.
The decision to rejoin Erasmus did not come cheaply. The UK government will contribute approximately £570 million ($760 million) for the 2027-28 academic year, a figure that represents a 30% discount compared to the default terms under the current EU trade agreement but is still about twice what Britain paid before Brexit. According to CNN, this costly reintroduction of a pre-Brexit perk could raise uncomfortable questions about the tangible benefits—or lack thereof—of the UK’s departure from the EU. While Brexit remains a sensitive subject in British politics, particularly on the right, recent polls suggest that public opinion toward the EU is softening, with few Britons able to identify clear advantages from leaving the bloc.
The groundwork for the UK’s Erasmus return was laid during a summit between British and EU leaders in May 2025, where both sides agreed to "deepen our people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation." Since taking office, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has repeatedly emphasized the importance of forging closer ties with the EU, seeking to move past the antagonism that characterized previous negotiations. The announcement is seen not only as a practical benefit for students but also as evidence of a broader diplomatic thaw.
Reactions from across the educational and political spectrum have been largely positive. Nick Thomas-Symonds, Britain’s minister for EU relations, called the agreement "about more than just travel: it’s about future skills, academic success, and giving the next generation access to the best possible opportunities." Sir Anton Muscatelli, president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and former principal of Glasgow University, echoed these sentiments, telling the BBC, "Anyone who has ever studied abroad will attest that the connections and collaborations fostered through international study reap benefits for many years. Erasmus also opens up Scotland to students from all over Europe to come here and experience the world-class higher education and excellence in research that our nation has to offer."
Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford, highlighted the less tangible but equally significant impact of Erasmus. "Even a brief visit to the UK – people love their time here. Many of these people are going to go on and become leaders of the public and private sector – or leaders of their countries – and that’s a good thing. We service that swirl of global talent. That’s soft power, and soft diplomacy," she told the BBC. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, who herself studied in Britain, said the renewed partnership would open the door "to new shared experiences and lasting friendships" between British and European students.
As the UK prepares to rejoin Erasmus, students, educators, and policymakers are looking forward to a new era of cooperation and opportunity. The decision is more than a bureaucratic adjustment; it’s a statement about the country’s place in the world and its commitment to the next generation’s growth, skills, and global outlook. For those who have benefited from Erasmus in the past—and for those who will in the future—the program’s return is a welcome sign of bridges being rebuilt, one student at a time.
