The Erasmus+ programme you are applying under today runs through 2027. Discussions about what comes after it — the next Erasmus+ programme, covering 2028 to 2034 — are already underway, tied to the European Union’s next long-term budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The European Commission has put forward an initial proposal for both the next MFF and a new Erasmus+ regulation to run within it. That proposal is now being reviewed and responded to by stakeholders across the education sector — starting with organisations like the European University Association (EUA), which represents universities and rectors’ conferences across 48 European countries.
This post looks at what EUA’s response tells us about where the next programme currently stands: what appears settled, what is still being argued over, and — importantly — what none of this changes for anyone applying under the current programme right now.
📋 Key Takeaways
- Erasmus+ is confirmed to continue in 2028–2034 — the European Commission’s proposal keeps most current actions and activities, continued and enhanced
- The proposed budget size is contested — university and education stakeholders are pushing for a significantly larger budget than what has been proposed
- A sector-by-sector funding breakdown has not yet been published, so how funding will be split across different fields and Key Actions is still unknown
- A new “full degree scholarships of excellence” measure has been floated, but its design, eligibility and scale are undecided
- None of this affects applications under the current programme — 2026 and 2027 rounds proceed under existing rules
What’s actually being decided right now
Every seven years, the EU agrees a new long-term budget — the Multiannual Financial Framework — which sets overall EU spending, including how much goes to programmes like Erasmus+. The current MFF runs through 2027; the next one covers 2028–2034, and the European Commission has already published its opening proposal for both the overall budget and a new Erasmus+ regulation to sit within it.
What happens next is a lengthy negotiation between the Commission, the Council (representing member states) and the European Parliament. This process typically takes well over a year, and the final shape of the programme — budget size, priorities, structure — can shift considerably between an opening proposal and the version that is eventually adopted.
Alongside this, the Commission is consulting stakeholders directly. EUA’s response — the source for this post — is one such contribution, published in November 2025. It represents the position of Europe’s university sector specifically, built on its own survey of 500 higher education institutions. It is not a Commission decision, and it does not speak for schools, NGOs, VET providers or youth organisations, whose priorities may differ.
What’s confirmed so far
The one point that appears genuinely settled is continuation itself. The Commission’s proposal keeps Erasmus+ running into the next budget period, with most current actions and activities continued and, per the proposal, enhanced. For a programme this size and this widely used, that is not a small thing — a full redesign or replacement was always one of the possible outcomes of an MFF cycle, and that is not what is currently on the table.
Beyond that headline point, though, very little is locked in. EUA’s response spends most of its length asking the Commission for clarification, not welcoming settled decisions — which tells you how early-stage this process still is.
What’s still being fought over
Three things stand out as genuinely unresolved, based on EUA’s response.
The overall budget size
EUA argues the proposed budget is not sufficient to cover inflation, rising costs, and newly integrated actions — and is pushing for a substantially larger allocation. It is not alone in this: the European Parliament has separately called for the Erasmus+ budget to be tripled, and a widely cited report by Mario Draghi suggested quintupling it. EUA’s own position, detailed in a separate analysis, argues for a budget in the region of €60 billion for the full 2028–2034 period, with €20 billion of that earmarked specifically for higher education mobility and cooperation.
The numbers on the table
European Parliament: triple the current budget. Mario Draghi’s report to the Commission: quintuple it. EUA: roughly €60 billion for 2028–2034, including €20 billion for higher education specifically. These are all stakeholder positions and projections — not the Commission’s proposed figure, and not a final number. Nothing here is decided.
How funding will be split across sectors
Perhaps more relevant for most organisations than the topline number: the Commission has not yet published a breakdown of how the budget will be allocated across different education sectors and Key Actions. EUA is explicitly asking for this — arguing it is not possible to have an informed discussion about the next programme’s design without knowing the financial realities behind it. Until that breakdown appears, there is no way to say with confidence how funding for fields like youth work, school education, adult learning or VET will compare to funding for higher education specifically.
A new scholarships proposal, with no clear shape yet
The Commission’s proposal includes a new measure: full degree scholarships of excellence in strategic fields, potentially including joint study programmes. EUA’s response makes clear that almost everything about this measure is still open — whether it will be centrally managed, whether a mobility component will be required, how “strategic fields” and “excellence” will be defined, and how it relates to the existing Erasmus Mundus scholarship scheme. A small 2026 pilot has been floated, reportedly worth around €5 million across 4 grants covering at least 100 scholarships — implying a cost of roughly €50,000 per student, which EUA notes would make any meaningful scale-up a significant draw on the overall budget.
A warning worth noting: oversubscription
EUA specifically flags oversubscription — too many applicants chasing too little available budget — as a serious problem during the 2014–2021 programme, resulting in large numbers of well-prepared but unfunded applications. It is explicitly asking the Commission not to repeat this in the next cycle. If you have ever had a strong proposal scored well but still miss out due to budget limits rather than quality, this is the structural issue behind that experience — and it is not yet resolved for the next programme either.
What this means if you’re an NGO, school, or VET provider
Most of EUA’s response is written from a university sector perspective — European Universities alliances, joint degree programmes, higher education mobility targets. If your organisation works in youth, schools, adult education or VET, very little of that speaks to you directly. What does matter is the broader picture: continuation is reassuring, but it should not be read as “nothing changes.” Priorities, budget splits and even some Key Action structures could look different once the full proposal is finalised. The sector-by-sector breakdown, once published, will be the document worth watching — it is what will actually tell you whether funding in your field is growing, shrinking, or holding steady relative to higher-education-focused measures.
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What happens next
From here, expect a lengthy negotiation between the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament — this is normal for an MFF cycle and has historically taken well over a year. Along the way, expect further clarifications from the Commission (including, hopefully, the sector budget breakdown EUA and others are requesting), further stakeholder responses from organisations representing other parts of the education sector, and likely revisions to the current proposal before anything is finalised.
Nothing in this timeline is fixed yet, and we would treat any specific date for when the new programme “starts” as speculative until the regulation is formally adopted. What is very unlikely to happen is a sudden, unannounced change partway through — EU programme transitions of this kind are typically signalled well in advance.
Frequently asked questions
Does this affect a KA210 or KA220 application I’m submitting now?
No. Applications under the current programme are assessed under current programme rules, regardless of what happens in the 2028–2034 negotiations. Nothing discussed here applies retroactively or changes deadlines already published for 2026 or 2027.
Will there be a funding gap between the current programme and the next one?
Nothing in EUA’s response or the Commission’s proposal suggests a gap is planned — the proposal is explicitly framed as continuation. That said, the final adoption timeline is not yet confirmed, so we would not treat a seamless transition as guaranteed until the regulation is formally adopted.
Will KA210, KA220 or KA152-YOU still exist in the next programme?
The Commission’s proposal is understood to continue most current actions, but a confirmed, sector-by-sector breakdown covering specific Key Actions has not yet been published. We will update this post once that detail becomes available.
Should I wait for the next programme instead of applying now?
No — we would not recommend this. The next programme’s design, budget and timeline are all still unsettled, while the current programme’s rules, deadlines and funding are known and stable through 2027. Waiting on an unconfirmed future programme means giving up a certain opportunity for an uncertain one.
Where can I read EUA’s full response myself?
EUA’s response is published on its website at eua.eu, alongside its earlier detailed analysis and recommendations on Erasmus+. The European Commission’s MFF and Erasmus+ regulation proposals are published through the European Commission’s own channels.
Planning your Erasmus+ application under the current programme?
GrowthProjects.eu supports NGOs, schools and VET providers with Quality Assessment, Proposal Optimisation, Proposal Development and Funding Strategy — all built on the current, confirmed 2026 Programme Guide. Contact us for a free initial consultation.
This article is based on the European University Association’s (EUA) response to the European Commission’s public consultation on the EU’s next long-term budget (MFF), published November 2025. It reflects EUA’s position as one stakeholder among several and does not represent a decision by the European Commission, Council or European Parliament. The next Erasmus+ programme (2028–2034) remains subject to ongoing negotiation and may change substantially before adoption. GrowthProjects.eu is an independent consultancy and is not affiliated with the European Commission, EACEA, any National Agency, or EUA.