In the 2025/26 academic year, I completed a year abroad, dividing the year between studying in France and Spain. For university students studying languages, a year abroad is compulsory as it provides what the classroom cannot in terms of refining your language skills and broadening your cultural understanding. You are met with an opportunity for full immersion, encouraging you to develop your linguistic abilities through authentic interactions while gaining a deeper appreciation of the culture.
Studying abroad was always something I anticipated with excitement. Yet, when I began the administrative process of applying for visas and funding, I found myself losing optimism as numerous obstacles and challenges arose. Following the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union in January 2020 and the end of the transition period in December of that year, the pre-departure preparation became more complicated for British students. The end of freedom of movement in Europe meant that young people would no longer be able to move to a country such as France or Spain for an extended period without meeting certain immigration requirements, such as possessing the correct legal documentation. However, Britain’s relationship with the EU is changing once again, with the future of young Britons in Europe being considered.
Former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government announced in April 2026 that the UK would formally rejoin Erasmus+ in 2027, after having agreed terms with the EU in December 2025. This raised questions about what the implications for British students. How will these changes impact future year abroad students? Will we see a complete return to Erasmus as we once knew it, and will students be relieved of the financial and administrative strain experienced by those who moved abroad during the post-Brexit era?
The pre-Brexit Erasmus programme for British students was an important factor in what made studying abroad more achievable and attractive, and we can understand why.
The joys of Erasmus
Erasmus was originally founded in 1987 by 11 member states, including the UK, before the EU combined its multiple other education programmes, forming Erasmus+ in 2014. The scheme is the European Union’s programme for education, training, youth, and sport that provides funding and opportunities for individuals to partake in valuable and rewarding experiences across Europe. The total funding across all Erasmus projects in the UK increased every year, from €112 million in 2014, to €145 million in 2017, and the mobility aspect took up the majority of this. This financial backing allowed organisations, typically in higher education, to offer students, trainers, teachers and volunteers opportunities in Europe to work, study, get training, teach or be part of an exchange. In 2018, 10,133 UK university students participated in the Erasmus+ scheme and were granted an average of €3,100 per student.
Additionally, the pre-Brexit freedom of movement within the EU meant that students were not required to obtain visas, avoiding the additional fees and immigration requirements currently associated with long-term placements in Europe.
This demonstrates how Erasmus+ was a well-established and highly supported avenue, encouraging personal development in young people and enabling them to gain international experiences as part of their studies. The combination of providing financial assistance and the minimal legal admin helped make the year abroad more accessible for those with lower-income families, or who would otherwise not be able to go if they did not have support. The growth in popularity and participation and the monetary backing highlight what was lost after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and subsequently, Erasmus, and provide points for comparison between the experience of those going abroad before Brexit and what is in store for the 2027 reinstatement.
What’s it like now?
Since the departure from the EU, the UK has transitioned from Erasmus to the Turing Scheme, however, they are two distinct programmes and therefore are difficult to compare in terms of how they help British students undertaking international placements.
Turing offers educational systems the opportunity to apply for funding to support their students’ mobility. Each university must ‘bid’ for a share of the Turing funding, which they can then distribute amongst their students, often prioritising those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who are underrepresented. In the 2025/26 academic year, 147 institutions were successful in bidding for the Turing funding, out of 951 applicants, with 51% of the funding is expected to go to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This competitive model has raised concerns about the accessibility of the scheme. Paul Rickard OBE, A CEO at the Durham and Newcastle Diocese Learning Trust, stated that Turing provides fears of “not being able to involve all children”. These anxieties underline how an institution-based funding system may leave students struggling without financial support, regardless of their personal circumstances.
As a year abroad student in this cohort, I experienced these limitations first-hand. Neither I nor several other students at my university and other universities across the UK received Turing funding for our placements. As well as this, British students like me who divided their year between two countries were required to obtain visas for the two countries, adding further costs and anxieties when abroad. While these are individual experiences, they reflect some of the financial and practical barriers that students can encounter under the Turing system, as opposed to Erasmus.
Erasmus’ partial return
As we enter the 2026/27 academic year, we are also entering the final year before Erasmus returns to the UK. All UK students will be eligible to participate in Erasmus+ and undertake a study or training placement abroad, with fair accessibility to funding. Scott McDonald, the Chief Executive of the British Council said that “The programme will be of enormous benefit to a range of people from different backgrounds throughout the UK”.
Despite Erasmus returning, freedom of movement is not. British students embarking on a year abroad in a European country are still required to apply for visas for international placements under the post-Brexit arrangement, which is the most prominent difference between pre and post Brexit Erasmus’.
The reestablishment of Erasmus creates an opportunity to for the UK and the EU to cooperate and improve their working relationship in the interest of young people in international education following Brexit. However, the reinstatement does not constitute an identical restoration to the pre-Brexit system. Erasmus offers the experience to live and work abroad but cannot lift any immigration barriers or allow for freedom of movement.
My experience and that of others over the last few years whilst studying abroad indicate the significance of the post-Brexit changes for British students, and the return of Erasmus+ should ease some financial pressures. The scheme will encourage British students to experience new cultures, develop personally and benefit from transformative opportunities, as generations of British students have done in the past. Nevertheless, whether the return really does make studying abroad more accessible will ultimately depend on if the experiences of future students compare to those of students before Brexit.
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