Yay - UK has agreed a deal with the EU to rejoin Erasmus+

There is a block of young people (the millennials) who have had a very raw deal in their education.

First the Erasmus rug was pulled from under their feet then they had the disruption of covid.

Not a good start.

Excellent news indeed. I hope that it might open a dialogue with Norway, which has a good programme agreement with the EU regarding international study for its citizens, but, of course, this ended for the UK after Brexit.

Hmm.

EU STUDENTS owe Britain more than £5bn in unpaid loans, official figures show.

The total outstanding amount, lent to those studying at UK universities, has increased from just £0.7bn in 2013-14 to £5.8bn in 2024-25, according to data from the Student Loans Company.

Access to student loans for new EU students, without settled or pre-settled status, ended after Brexit.

But the disclosure has sparked fears that the UK taxpayer could have to give up even more cash on top of the £8.75bn bill the UK faces for rejoining the EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme.

Great news.
Any move to reinforce ties with Europe and give young people more opportunities as well as bringing the brightest and best minds to collaborate on university research programmes is a win win as far as I’m concerned.
And let’s not forget forging stronger ties with our European neighbours in these unpredictable days when we can no longer rely upon the US to be an ally, has got to be a good thing.

Some info.

The UK said it had negotiated a fee of £570m for the first year, a 30% discount based on what the government says it would have paid otherwise. Ministers say the discount recognises that the UK historically received a disproportionate share of visits from EU participants. Research by Universities UK in 2020 estimated that the UK gained a net £243m boost to its economy from Erasmus after deducting costs.

The youngest millennials will be 30 this year - it’s Gen Y and Gen Z who have been affected by Covid and who lost the Erasmus opportunities.

It’s not about the money, although resident students bring a lot to the economies of university towns. Contacts, broadening of horizons, reciprocal cultural understandings all contribute to possibilities for future collaboration on all sorts of issues as they get older. UK universities lost a fortune in research grants after Brexit, and are declining in reputation on the world stage as a result- this could go some way to helping patch things up. It won’t restore what was lost, but every little helps, I suppose.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Hmm.

EU STUDENTS owe Britain more than £5bn in unpaid loans, official figures show.

The total outstanding amount, lent to those studying at UK universities, has increased from just £0.7bn in 2013-14 to £5.8bn in 2024-25, according to data from the Student Loans Company.

Access to student loans for new EU students, without settled or pre-settled status, ended after Brexit.

But the disclosure has sparked fears that the UK taxpayer could have to give up even more cash on top of the £8.75bn bill the UK faces for rejoining the EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme.

Hmmm, yes. There are also far more European students coming here than ours going out and we are paying for them! Bad deal.

If more investment went into modern language teaching, and it became less acceptable for English speakers to not have another language it would be easier for the arrangement to be more reciprocal. There is nothing political about it, and no 'deal'. UK students have the same rights as EU ones to apply, but far fewer do for the reasons I mentioned.

Modern language teaching has gone down the pan in the UK. You don't even need to visit the country to get a degree in the language, especially if you are doing a combined honours. So the teacher teaching French, German etc at GCSE might never have studied in that country.
Added to that, pupils don't actually have to take a language at all at GSCE, that's how little foreign languages are thought of now.
Yet all the world wants to come and learn English!

Homestead62

Can someone please explain to me how Erasmus works and what the benefits will be to the UK as a whole? Before someone jumps down my throat, I've never been to university and am curious about the scheme and the benefits it will bring.

Anything you read about Erasmus is only true if it works for you. Neither my DD, who studied abroad nor my niece who studying abroad benefited from the Erasmus Scheme.

I was on holiday once in Florance and I met a young American guy who was on the Erasmus program. He was studying at a small town called Fiesola which is near Florence. I do hope they are able to restate our participation. Studying or teaching in another country is an amazing experience and adds a powerful flavour to the CV.

I did think of applying but put that aside when the uni awarded me a studentship to finish my Masters and begin a Ph.D. After my doctorate I went on an exchange based at Uni of Nevada which is just outside Las Vegas. That was an amazing glitzy year and led to some excellent contacts in my field.