How will Brexit affect Erasmus programme as Britain leaves student exchange scheme?

A BREXIT deal has finally been done after 4.5 years of wrangling with the EU – but how will this affect UK students?

Boris Johnson today gave the nation an early Christmas present as he secured a historic Brexit deal which finally sees the UK take back control from the EU and end four years of bitter wrangling.

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The Erasmus Programme is a European Union student exchangeCredit: PA:Press Association

But although the pact will allow us trade freely with the EU without tariffs or quotas, the deal will leave thousands of students hoping to study abroad high and dry.

WHAT IS THE ERASMUS PROGRAMME?

The Erasmus Programme is a European Union student exchange programme which was established in 1987.

The programme gives students from the European union a chance to study abroad at universities in the EU member states for set periods of time.

Since 1987 more than 300,000 UK students have studied or worked in Europe on the Erasmus exchange programme.

In 2017 more than 16,500 UK students participated in Erasmus, while a further 31,727 EU nationals came to the UK.

HOW WILL BREXIT AFFECT ERASMUS?

EU Chief negotiator Michel Barnier today revealed that that the UK decided not to stay in the exchange programme.

Speaking at a press conference after the deal was agreement he said: “I have just two regrets in terms of our societal cooperation.

“Firstly the British government have decided not to participate in the Erasmus exchange program.

“Secondly the level of ambition in terms of mobility of citizens is not in line with our historical ties but that again is a choice of the British government.”

In response, at his own press conference, the PM said: “On the Erasmus scheme, it was a tough decision.

“The issue was that, as you know, the UK is a massive contributor to the higher education economy.

“Over the last decades we had so many EU nationals study here and its been a wonderful thing.

“But our arrangements mean that basically financially the UK exchequer more or less loses out on the deal.

“Erasmus was also extremely expensive.”

CAN I STILL STUDY ABROAD?

Boris Johnson then went on to reveal that the UK will be developing its own programme to ensure British students will get the oportunity to study abroad.

He continued: “So what we are doing is producing a UK scheme for students to go around the world.”

“It will be called the Turing scheme.

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“So students will have the opportunity – named after Alan Turing – not just to European Unis, but to go to the best Unis in the world.

“We want our young people to experience the immense intellectual stimulation of Europe but also of the whole world.

“Want our young people to experience the immense stimulation not just of Europe but the whole world.”