In a major post-Brexit shift, the United Kingdom has agreed to rejoin the European Union’s Erasmus+ student exchange program starting in January 2027, a move widely welcomed by students, educators, and political leaders. The agreement marks the first time British students will regain access to the EU’s flagship student mobility scheme since the UK left the bloc in 2020.

Erasmus+ allows students, apprentices, teachers, and other participants to study, train, volunteer, or work across EU countries with financial support and academic credit recognition. Under the new arrangement, UK participants including international students enrolled at British universities, such as those from Pakistan will continue paying their home university fees while studying in Europe and will receive grants to help cover travel and living costs. EU students will also be able to study in the UK under similar terms.

The UK will contribute approximately £570 million ($760 million) for the 2027–28 academic year. Officials say the figure was negotiated at around 30% below the standard participation fee to strike what ministers describe as a “fair balance” between cost and student benefit. More than 100,000 people are expected to benefit in the first year, including university and vocational students, apprentices, adult learners, and educators.

The decision follows sustained domestic pressure from students and universities. After Brexit, the government led by Boris Johnson withdrew the UK from Erasmus+, replacing it with the Turing Scheme, a domestic alternative that critics argued lacked Erasmus’s integrated credit-transfer system, long-term partnerships, and cultural exchange opportunities. Student groups, including the National Union of Students, along with leading universities, repeatedly called for a return to Erasmus+, warning that its absence limited young people’s international and academic prospects.

Politically, the move reflects the Starmer government’s broader effort to “reset” relations with the European Union. Rejoining Erasmus+ addresses long-standing concerns from students and universities about global competitiveness, while also signalling closer cooperation with the EU in education and youth mobility after years of post-Brexit negotiations.

For students in the UK, particularly international students from countries such as Pakistan, the announcement restores an important pathway to study, train, and build careers across Europe without additional tuition costs. Education leaders have described the move as a “huge win for young people,” saying it will strengthen skills development, expand global networks, and improve long-term employment prospects.