No deal Brexit threatens UK students’ ability to study in Europe. The Department of Education must do more to protect the Erasmus programme.
Erasmus, the Europe-wide university exchange organization, is likely to be another casualty of a no deal Brexit, putting UK students at risk of losing an opportunity of their lifetime. 53% of UK students who choose to go on an exchange study do so through the Erasmus programme. UK universities also welcome thousands of students every year, with over 30k EU nationals coming to the UK on exchange in 2016/17. The scheme, which has expanded to work, training and youth education opportunities in the form of Erasmus+, is too large to ignore.
Planning for a no deal scenario, the UK government states: “the UK will engage with the European Commission with the aim of securing the UK’s continued full participation in Erasmus+ and ESC until 2020.” However, this means virtually nothing as programmes such as Erasmus are likely to be put on the backburner in favour of more vitally important negotiations regarding food trade, medical arrangements and the rights of EU nationals living in the UK.
The Department of Education is only able to confirm Erasmus arrangements until 2020, leaving thousands of students in the dark about their future prospects regarding the financing of exchange study after 2020. Proper planning to secure Erasmus funding for UK students going abroad, as well as EU nationals coming in, can only begin after Britain has left the EU, promising months, if not years, of uncertainty.
Spanish universities have begun to cancel grants and suggest alternative destinations to students wanting to go on exchange to the UK while Norway has recently urged students to avoid UK universities altogether in fear of a tricky relationship between the (soon to be) two non-EU member states. Britain, one of the largest economies in the world, is facing a complete shutout of talent because the Conservative Party is willing to sacrifice the future of young people in order to hold onto power.
Exchange study is expensive and the people most likely to miss out on the experience are the ones from disadvantaged backgrounds. Without Erasmus grants, many working-class students are either going to be forced to seek help elsewhere or miss out on exchange study and, in turn, career-enhancing opportunities.
The UK government must do more to protect the rights of UK and EU students and their freedom to study abroad without deepening the class divide.
