A campaign led by British universities has been launched to ensure students can study abroad in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

At the moment, students from the UK receive financial support to study at university in Europe as part of the Erasmus+ scheme. The #SupportStudyAbroad campaign aims to support the 17,000 young people who may miss out on this opportunity if they are excluded from the scheme.

The campaign was announced by Universities UK (UUK) and is backed by universities throughout the country.

Universities taking part in the campaign have been calling on the government to commit to funding those students in the case that the UK is excluded from Erasmus+ following Brexit.

Alistair Jarvis, CEO, Universities UK said:

The benefits of study abroad are well documented. Not only does study abroad have clear employability benefits for students, it helps them to develop the language, communication and intercultural skills that will be so essential to building a truly global Britain.

In the case of a no-deal Brexit, I strongly urge the government to commit to continue funding study abroad opportunities for UK students, even if the UK cannot negotiate continued participation in Erasmus+ programme.

The launch of the campaign follows guidance published by the government last month which raised questions over the future Erasmus+.

The campaign claims that students could be adversely affected if they are unable to continue to take part. According to UUK, students who study abroad are less likely to be unemployed and more likely to be in graduate level jobs – with these benefits being even more pronounced for people from ethnic minorities and other underrepresented groups in society.

Image supplied by Universities UK