“It’s positive to see the government commit to exploring re-association to Erasmus+, subject to a fair financial agreement.”
One piece of news that went largely under the radar this week, is that the UK could be edging closer to rejoining Erasmus+.
Hopes have risen that the government is exploring options to rejoin the student mobility scheme before the end of the current European Union programme, which runs until the beginning of 2028.
A formal notice was issued on the Department for Education (DfE) website in August. It informed that it was looking for potential contractors interested in helping it “understand how we may structure our requirements and develop our strategy” following the EU-UK summit in May 2025, at which the British government “agreed to work towards association to the Erasmus+ Programme”.
In other words, the government is advertising for a future contract of up to £24mn for a private company to run the scheme.
One news source that reported the announcement was the FT, which noted how the tender indicates ministers are preparing ground to rejoin the European student swap scheme.
The article continued how this week, the Department for Education held a preliminary meeting with prospective suppliers after setting out in a tender notice its intention to pay between £20mn and £24mn for an 18-month contract starting in July 2026.
The UK quit Erasmus after Brexit, after the then prime minister Boris Johnson ruled it was not value for money. However, the UK-EU “reset” deal confirmed with Keir Starmer in May included an agreement to open negotiations of the UK rejoining.
But the DfE warned in the notice that it must receive “significantly improved financial terms” to secure involvement.
A UK government spokesperson told University World News: “We are not going to pre-empt our ongoing conversations with the EU regarding summit outcomes, including discussions regarding association to Erasmus+.”
The spokesperson went on to stress that “any deal with the EU would not include paying into the overall EU budget”, and they would need to consider the implications for other programmes, such as the UK’s Turing Scheme.
The Turing Scheme was set up as an alternative to fund young British people studying or working abroad after the UK left Erasmus+ in 2020 and covers mobilities outside, as well as inside, the EU.
But the post-Brexit student exchange replacement has been criticised. Analysis in 2024 showed that Turing students had been forced to drop out because places were confirmed too late, while others failed to receive funding until after their return.
The analysis by IFF Research found that inadequate funding and problems with delivery had a disproportionate impact on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“There was a general view that some delivery issues raised had a greater impact on participants from a disadvantaged background and may have created barriers to many participating,” said the report.
With many reported shortcomings of the Turing Scheme, it’s not surprising that reaction to the prospect of the UK rejoining Erasmus+ has been positive.
Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, told University World News:
“It’s positive to see the government commit to exploring re-association to Erasmus+, subject to a fair financial agreement.
“The scheme offers a broad range of opportunities for learners and staff across the education, training, youth, and sport sectors.”
Thomas Jørgensen, director of policy coordination and foresight at the European University Association (EUA), said: “This is certainly good news; there would be a lot to say in favour of full association of the UK to the programme.
“We might be on the last leg of the current version of Erasmus, but projects selected within the next two years will become common activities until the end of the decade, so it is by no means too late.
“Moreover, the proposal for the next Erasmus programme contains provisions similar to the last one, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement foresees that programmes can be continued from one generation to the next: any timing is good timing.”
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