Written question asked by Alex Burghart (Conservative) on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 2 February 2026. It was answered by Josh MacAlister (Labour) on Friday, 6 February 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Erasmus+ Programme

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 105698 on Erasmus+ Programme, what estimate her Department has made of the number of inbound EU students who will study in the UK.

Answer

The UK has agreed to associate to Erasmus+ in 2027 on terms that represent a fair balance between the UK’s contribution and the benefits the programme offers.

We have agreed a 30% discount compared to the default terms in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as well as a review of the UK’s participation in the programme ten months after our association, including data concerning demand for funding in the UK.

In 2018/19, there were approximately 31,000 inbound higher education (HE) student mobilities via the Erasmus+ programme. There were approximately 16,000 outbound HE student mobilities in the same year. The department expects there will be a greater number of HE mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme.

In real terms, the Erasmus+ budget for 2027 is 50% higher than in 2019. Due to this increased budget, we expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027 across all sectors.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 109183
Session: 2024-26
Related items: Erasmus+ Programme
Friday, 23 January 2026
Written questions
House of Commons; Erasmus+ Programme
Friday, 19 June 2026
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Overseas students Erasmus+ programme
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Erasmus+ Programme

Secondary information

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