New Delhi: For a generation of British students, the Erasmus programme once meant a semester abroad, learning new languages, and wider EU-UK academic networks, before the UK left the scheme after Brexit in 2020. But now, the students will soon be packing their Erasmus bags again.
In 2027, the UK’s return to Erasmus+ will reshape how EU and non-EU students, including Indians, connect with UK universities.
“Today’s agreements show that our renewed partnership with the EU is working,” EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said in a statement, describing the return to Erasmus+ as “a huge win for our young people”.
For anyone imagining a master’s in London with a semester in Berlin, or a joint programme linking Delhi, Glasgow, and Paris, this framework will set the limits of what is possible and what will get funded.
What is changing in 2027
The UK and the EU have agreed that Britain will rejoin Erasmus+ only for the 2027-2028 academic year. Future access will be dependent on new deals. It is the EU’s main programme for education that supports studying abroad, internships, staff exchanges, and cooperation across higher education, vocational training, schools, youth, and sports.
Under the new deal, the UK will be joining Erasmus+ as an associated, non-EU country, paying around £570 million for the 2027-2028 session. The UK government says this reflects a discount of roughly 30 per cent compared to the standard terms set out in the post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU. Officials estimate that more than 1,00,000 students in the UK could benefit in the first year alone.
How will it work and who can apply
Erasmus+ is not an open scholarship scheme where individual students apply on their own. It works through projects. Universities, colleges, schools, youth organisations or consortia apply to their national Erasmus+ agency for funding. Students and staff then take part through the institutions involved.
From 2027, UK universities and other eligible bodies will once again be able to apply through a UK national agency, much as they did before Brexit. Once a project is approved, UK students will get to spend between two and 12 months studying or doing internships in EU and other programme-country institutions. In most cases, they will not pay extra tuition fees abroad and will receive a grant to help with living costs.
Erasmus+ sets out clear rules on who is eligible. The programme mainly covers students enrolled in recognised higher education degrees or diploma courses, vocational learners including apprentices, and school pupils, adult learners, and young people who participate through accredited schools or organisations.
Extra funding is often available for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. The UK government has said it wants to make progress by working closely with institutions and young people. Erasmus+ also supports staff mobility, funding short teaching visits, training, job-shadowing, and partnership work. This is often how joint degrees and long-term academic links are built behind the scenes.
Also read: Indian Railways achieves 99.2% electrification, beats Japan and China. What it means
What it means for Indian students
Erasmus+ draws a clear line between its core members and the rest of the world. EU states and associated “programme countries” sit at the front. Other countries, known as “third countries”, can only take part in limited, partnership-based ways.
From 2027, the UK will return as an associated country. This allows UK universities to fully run Erasmus+ projects again. But for non-EU students, access will still depend on how individual universities design their projects.
Indian students apply to Erasmus+ each year and secure scholarships — primarily through the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programmes.
In recent years, the pattern has been consistent, with roughly 100 to 175 Indian students securing Erasmus Mundus scholarships each year. In 2022, 161 Indians were selected, making India the largest beneficiary country for the second consecutive year. The number rose to 174 in 2023, fell slightly to 146 in 2024 — still among the highest globally — and stood at 101 for the 2025 academic year. Around half of the 2025 recipients were women, all enrolled in two-year master’s programmes across Europe.
Since the programme began in 2004, more than 2,200 Indian students have received Erasmus Mundus scholarships, accounting for about six per cent of all awards globally. Broader estimates suggest that over 6,000 Indians have availed Erasmus+ opportunities overall, including short-term exchanges, credit mobility, and partnership programmes.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)