In January 2027, students and higher-education institutions from the United Kingdom will return to the Erasmus+ programme after a break caused by Brexit. This is a significant change, as the UK had been one of the most popular destinations among exchange participants. For 2028–2034, the European Union is planning a substantially larger Erasmus+ budget than in the previous Multiannual Financial Framework—nearly €41 billion, compared with €26.2 billion for 2021–2027.
“For the next financial perspective we have three priorities, two of which have effectively already been delivered. First, of course, the budget. The Commission has proposed increasing it by 50%. This is a satisfactory—and in my view a promising—starting point for negotiations on the outlook,” Bogdan Zdrojewski, a member of the European Parliament from the Civic Coalition and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, told Newseria.
Another priority is introducing flexibility to eliminate rigid funding tracks for specific groups, but in a way that ensures no group loses out during the budgeting process.
“The second fulfilled demand is the UK’s return to Erasmus+. All indications are that on 1 January 2027 the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Scotland will return, and we are very happy about that,” Bogdan Zdrojewski emphasizes. “Everyone was worried about Brexit and its consequence—taking the UK out of the programme. It is worth remembering that the country was very popular among Polish academics, students and researchers. Today I see this return partly as a personal success, because seven years ago I fought to ensure that despite Brexit, Erasmus+ would still include the UK for the next two years. And that worked. That is why the gap between leaving and returning is relatively short, and I hope therefore not very costly.”
The UK government has said its financial contribution will amount to around £570 million for the 2027/2028 academic year. It estimates that about 100,000 young people will be able to benefit from the programme, improving their career prospects. According to last year’s data from Universities UK International, cited by the British government, students from less advantaged backgrounds who studied abroad had a higher average rate of professional-level employment within five years (70.2%) than those who did not have that opportunity (68.3%).
“Ten years ago I fought to ensure Erasmus+ would not be closed, because such conclusions were being voiced. Some believed it had already fulfilled its function and could be reduced. But it was saved. Now there are no such dilemmas. Erasmus+ enjoys strong popularity and high acceptance—both politically and substantively—and that is a good starting point,” the Civic Coalition MEP stresses.
According to the latest available data, almost 1.5 million people participated in Erasmus+ in 2024, including pupils, students, teachers, academic staff, educators, adult learners, young people and youth workers. In total, from 1987—when the Erasmus programme began—through the end of 2024, 16.7 million people took part in mobility activities.
As set out in the draft regulation of the European Parliament and the Council establishing Erasmus+ for 2028–2034, the programme is intended to support the development of high-quality, inclusive and flexible education, training and skills systems—contributing to the European Union’s competitiveness.
“We are fighting to ensure Erasmus+ strengthens mobility, which is crucial for Central and Eastern European countries. Recent years have shown how deeply the programme has become embedded in the set of experiences that decisively shape young people’s professional mobility and the educational exposure that can serve their work and activity. In that sense, the programme is priceless,” Bogdan Zdrojewski underlines.
According to the Erasmus+ 2024 report, of the 1.5 million participants, 19% were people with fewer opportunities, including migrants, people with disabilities, and those in a more difficult social or economic situation.
“Combating exclusion is also important. The point is that Erasmus+ should not be limited only to major academic centres, but should also include smaller towns, students from rural areas, or niche groups that are overlooked in other programmes. In my assessment, the programme has achieved very high effectiveness, so we can speak of a decade-long Erasmus+ generation,” the Civic Coalition politician says.
The number of participants from Poland in 2024 was 91,050, compared with 90,320 in 2023. That is nearly 40,000 more than, for example, in 2018, when 55,408 people chose to go abroad under Erasmus+.
“Poland’s beginnings in this programme were difficult. We were underrepresented, and not everyone believed we could enter the programme as strongly as we later did. We had a period in which Erasmus+ broadened horizons—people saw a life opportunity in mobility and took advantage of it,” Bogdan Zdrojewski says. “But now we are seeing returns, and they are absolutely invaluable—not only after Erasmus+. People come back better educated and experienced in fields where their know-how can be transferred to Poland and to our economy. We have been benefiting from that for some time.”
The European Parliament and Council proposal on Erasmus+ also emphasizes partnerships for excellence and innovation. At the centre of this are, among others, alliances under the European Universities initiative, centres of vocational excellence, European teacher academies, the European School Alliance, joint study programmes, the European Youth Together initiative, and sports cooperation alliances.
“There are many educational programmes. Not all of them are as effective as Erasmus+. We have what is known as networking among various educational institutions, including universities. Today the European Union highlights their importance and the need to expand these networks. The aim is for the best, strongest and most capable universities and research units to cooperate,” the Civic Coalition MEP stresses. “No major success today is created within a closed institution—it is the result of collaboration among many institutions.”
