Lib Dems launch campaign to save Erasmus programme for students at Sussex and Brighton Universities
The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to safeguard access to the Erasmus exchange scheme for over 1,500 students from Sussex and Brighton universities. A petition has been launched that urges both the government and EU leaders to preserve Erasmus opportunities for UK students in the coming Brexit negotiations.
The latest figures show almost 1,300 students from Sussex and Brighton universities have studied abroad using the Erasmus scheme since 2007. Around 1,500 more students from Brighton and Sussex universities were expected to benefit from Erasmus from now until 2020.
Young people going on the scheme benefit from free tuition and a monthly grant of around £240 to help with living costs. Separate schemes also give young people in vocational training the opportunity to do apprenticeships abroad.
Cllr Sarah Osborne, Lib Dem Group Leader on Lewes District Council commented:
“Thousands of students starting university in Brighton and Sussex in September will be hoping for the chance to take part in this scheme.
“Young people overwhelmingly voted remain in the EU, it would be wrong to deprive them of this once in a lifetime opportunity to study or train abroad.
“That is why the Liberal Democrats are calling on the government and EU leaders to confirm that they will be to access the Erasmus scheme whatever happens next."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. The Liberal Democrats petition to Save Erasmus can be found here:
http://change.libdems.org.uk/save_erasmus_programme?recruiter_id=1103570
The campaign can be found on Twitter under #SaveErasmus
2. There are several schemes under the Erasmus+ for vocational education and training (VET)
https://www.erasmusplus.org.uk/vocational-education-and-training-funding
3. Erasmus students by South East University, 2007 - 2014 (Erasmus Plus, link)
|
|
2014 |
2007 - 2014 |
2020 prediction* |
|
Institution Name |
Total |
Total |
Total |
|
University of Chichester |
2 |
58 |
77 |
|
University of Sussex |
139 |
819 |
1089 |
|
University of Brighton |
62 |
369 |
491 |
|
Buckinghamshire New University |
18 |
103 |
137 |
|
University of Kent |
333 |
1595 |
2121 |
|
Canterbury Christ Church University |
5 |
104 |
138 |
|
University of Surrey |
139 |
790 |
1051 |
|
University for the Creative Arts |
18 |
125 |
166 |
|
University of Oxford |
309 |
1594 |
2120 |
|
Oxford Brookes University |
67 |
433 |
576 |
|
University of Portsmouth |
228 |
1305 |
1736 |
|
University of Reading |
130 |
732 |
974 |
|
Rose Bruford College |
301 |
47 |
63 |
|
University of Southampton |
252 |
1165 |
1549 |
|
Southampton Solent University |
36 |
228 |
303 |
|
University of Winchester |
10 |
25 |
33 |
|
Total |
2049 |
9492 |
12624 |
*Prediction is based on national estimate of another 120,000 students from UK universities going on Erasmus by 2020 (Mirror, 5 July 2015, link)
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