What does the UK rejoining Erasmus mean for students in the Netherlands?

The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, has announced that universities in the UK will rejoin the EU’s Erasmus study programme from January 2027. We look at what this means for people studying in the Netherlands. 

UK to rejoin the EU Erasmus programme

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that UK higher education institutions will rejoin the EU’s Erasmus programme. The programme allows people studying, training or completing an apprenticeship at a European higher education institution to do a study or training exchange in another European country. 

While the Erasmus programme is funded by the EU and all 27 member states take part, six non-member states also participate, including North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. The UK withdrew from the study exchange programme in December 2020, shortly before leaving the EU in January 2021.

Starmer initially hinted at the coming change in May, ahead of a summit between the UK and EU. Starmer’s Labour government has now announced it will contribute around 570 million pounds (around 650 million euros) per year to fund the Erasmus scheme for the academic year 2027/2028.

What does the news mean for students in the Netherlands?

The change will make it much easier and more affordable for students at Dutch universities to study abroad in the UK. While they are on exchange, students pay the fees of their “home institution” while they study at the exchange institution. Any extra costs are covered by the EU’s Erasmus fund.

In the Netherlands, EU students pay around 2.500 euros per year to study, while non-EU students pay a tuition fee that is set by each university - somewhere between 6.000 and 30.000 euros per year. International students at UK universities pay between 15.000 and 25.000 pounds (between 17.000 and 28.000 euros) annually.

The news means that Dutch and international students at Dutch higher education institutions will again have the opportunity to study in the UK without having to pay anything extra. 

Erasmus exchanges typically last six months or one year. In advance of a student’s year abroad, their home institution will help them arrange their study programme, accommodation and other necessities for their exchange.