Don’t panic: Brexit won’t affect Soton students on foreign exchange

With Brexit looming on the 31st October, it is important to know how Soton students on a foreign exchange will be affected, particularly in the event of a no deal Brexit.

The Soton Tab contacted the University of Southampton and asked what plans the uni has in place for the day of Brexit:

Is there a plan in place? And how will it affect current and future exchanges?

According to a University spokesperson, the University is in touch with all of their Erasmus+ partners, and they "have confirmed our commitment to exchanging students regardless of the outcome of Brexit."

The University has 200 Erasmus agreements with partners in Europe.

Will students still receive funding?

"In the event of a ‘no deal’ situation, the UK Government Erasmus+ Underwrite would guarantee UK student funding for those who have commenced their period of exchange," a University spokesperson said.

So, if the UK leaves the EU with no deal and your exchange has already started then the EU will continue to fund it.

If the funding for your exchange has been approved but the programme has not commenced, it will be funded by the UK government.

It is not yet known whether students planning a future exchange to the EU will receive external funding.

How would a No Deal Brexit affect these students?

A university spokesperson said the university "would negotiate new bilateral agreements with our partners" should the UK leave the EU with no deal.

They said: "Our partners are supportive of this approach and understand that at present we are committed to the continued exchange of students within the same specifications as set out in our current agreement until the end of the current Erasmus+ programme in 2020."

They said the UK Government Erasmus+ Underwrite "would guarantee UK student funding for those who have commenced their period of exchange."

The university promised will be kept up to date with any developments, adding: "The central comms plan in place to keep our students updated. Students have been advised to continue planning as normal.

"Our No Deal Brexit Taskforce has an up-to-date risk register, which includes student mobility risks, and is taking appropriate steps to mitigate these risks."