U.K. rejoins EU's Erasmus+ program; Dutch-British student exchange possible from 2027

The United Kingdom will rejoin the European student exchange program Erasmus+ in 2027, the two blocs announced. That means that, for the first time since Brexit, Dutch and other European students will be able to go study in the United Kingdom without extra costs. The same goes for British students wanting to study in the European Union.

The Erasmus+ program, named after the Dutch humanist and scientist Desiderius Erasmus, was established in 1987 to connect Europeans. Students can apply for Erasmus+ grants to study in another European country for between 2 and 12 months, in some cases up to 24 months. The grant covers living expenses, so that studying in another country costs about the same as studying at home.

The United Kingdom withdrew from Erasmus+ in 2020 after Brexit. Then-prime minister Boris Johnson considered the fees too high. Keir Starmer’s government is seeking to reconnect with the EU. Access to the Erasmus+ program is a first step.

The European Union and the United Kingdom announced the agreement on Wednesday. The agreement is only for one academic year, but British Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds still called it a huge victory for Britain’s young people. Future participation will be negotiated later as part of talks on the EU’s long-term budget for up to 2034.

The EU and the U.K. are still negotiating on British access to the EU electricity grid and the easing of trade barriers for food and drink. Talks about the U.K.’s accession to a key EU defense fund broke down last month because the parties could not agree on the price the UK would have to pay.