The Erasmus programme enables students to study or train abroad for 3-12 months as part of their degree by providing a grant from the European Commission.

The UK government initially assured that it would ‘continue to give young people and students the chance to benefit from…cultural exchanges such as Erasmus+.’ Now, it ‘aims to minimise the impact on projects in a no-deal scenario’ and ‘will need to reach (an) agreement with the EU for UK organisations to continue participating in Erasmus+.’

Universities UK is pushing the government to urgently address the Erasmus scheme

On their website, the University of Birmingham says: ‘As we leave the EU, the University of Birmingham will continue to nurture and value our European partnerships, collaborations and the contributions of our EU students and staff.

‘Nationally the University of Birmingham is working with the Russell Group, Universities UK and other organisations to influence Government and put forward the strongest possible case for universities. We are calling for the UK’s continued engagement in EU research and innovation programmes, as well as sustained academic and student mobility including access to the EU programmes which support this.’

As the future of UK participation is currently unclear, this raises the question of whether negotiations will take place in time. Universities UK, a universities organisation with which the University of Birmingham is connected, is pushing the government to urgently address the Erasmus scheme so that financial support can be ensured. It has launched a campaign demanding that the government commits to funding study abroad placements for 2019-2020 and beyond in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of Universities UK, has insisted that students should not miss out on the many benefits which the ‘life-changing opportunity’ of studying or training abroad can bring.

Beth, a second year English Literature student, told Redbrick that the grant ‘definitely did help to make the decision [to go abroad] as it makes seeing the world and learning a new language a much more viable idea – it gives you so many new skills, and, for me, is going to help me become more adventurous and confident in the long run.’

Without the Erasmus grant, I would have struggled to cover my rent

Hannah, a second-year who is hoping to go to Lyon, added that the uncertainty is ‘stressful’ and without a loan, she ‘would be struggling a lot more than initially thought.’

A fourth-year student who took part in Erasmus last year commented: ‘I definitely would have reconsidered doing a year abroad without my Erasmus grant. I do English, so it’s not like I had to go abroad because my course required it.’

For Modern Languages students, a year abroad is compulsory and the Erasmus grant can greatly help to fund the experience. A fourth-year French and German student told Redbrick that her teaching assistant wage was delayed in Germany for two months and ‘without the Erasmus grant, I would have struggled to cover my rent and other incidental costs.’

Redbrick has reached out to the University for further comment regarding the future of its involvement of the Erasmus scheme, but is yet to receive a response.