British Students, Excluded from Erasmus?

World News Nilgun Salim
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The British Government was forced to assure British citizens the access at the student exchange program (Erasmus), amid concerns that UK students are not going to be included in the program due to the Brexit.

According to The Guardian, Erasmus Plus allows students to study for free in more than 33 European countries, while the costs are ensured from European funds.

More than 200,000 students benefited from the international program, which was launched in 1987. In the last academic year, more than 15,500 British students participated at the Erasmus.

According to analysts, the best option for Great Britain in order to benefit from the student exchange program considering the fact they are not a member of the European Union is the financing of their Treasury and universities, an option adopted by Macedonia, Turkey, Norway and Iceland.

In July, a group of reporters asked the secretary of state David Davis if he can guarantee UK’s participation in Erasmus. The British secretary of state refused to offer any guarantee.

Although Great Britain no longer belongs to the EU, British officials say that maintaining ties with their institutions is crucial for them.

In 2012 and 2013, 5,5% of students studying in the UK were from EU countries, generating £3.7 billion for the UK economy and generating 34,000 jobs in local communities, according to Universities UK.

Universities UK calculates that fees paid by EU students totaled £600m in 2014-15 and that students from Europe spend £1.49bn a year in off-campus costs.