Hessian universities in danger: million dollar deficit due to cuts!

Hessian universities in danger: million dollar deficit due to cuts!

Hessian universities are facing serious financial challenges. Loud uni-marburg.de The institutions fear a deficit of around one billion euros in the next six years. This results from the state government's plans for the new university pact for the years 2026 to 2031.

Science Minister Timon Gremmels presented concrete figures on the university budget. From 2026, personnel costs will increase by more than 60 million euros annually, while the budget for 2026 and 2027 is expected to fall below the 2025 level. An annual deficit of around 167 million euros, which corresponds to around ten percent of the personnel budget, is expected. Such developments could lead to a permanent reduction of ten percent of the workforce in science, art and administration.

Structural financing gaps

The universities are raising the question of whether the planned annual increases of just 2.12 percent from 2028 will be enough to cover the rising costs. Critics, including Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss and other speakers point out the negative long-term effects that could result from these cuts. The structure of the current university pact is not sufficient to ensure the functionality and competitiveness of the Hessian university system.

In the 2025 budget year, the universities have already mobilized 475 million euros in construction reserves to achieve savings. In order to counteract the threatened reduction in research and teaching areas, the universities are calling for substantial improvements in the planning of the university pact.

The university pact in detail

The Hessian University Pact, which has been negotiated every five years since 2002 between the Ministry of Science and 14 universities, regulates the goals and financing of the universities. A central element is the basic budget, which is based on the number of students. There is also a success budget that is based on parameters such as the number of graduates, research quality and other factors, as well as funds that are specifically earmarked for increasing the quality of studies and teaching.

• Grundbudget: Basierend auf der Studierendenanzahl
• Erfolgsbudget: Verteilung erfolgt nach Leistungsparametern
• Qualität von Studium und Lehre (QSL-Mittel): rund 520 Millionen Euro
• Innovations- und Strukturentwicklungsbudget: 83 Millionen Euro

The new base budget, which brings together the basic budget, QSL funds and state funds from the future contract, provides for an annual increase of four percent.

The universities are concerned that the planned structural cuts will endanger university operations and will not be able to cover necessary expenses. A key points paper with suggestions for improvement has already been handed over to the Ministry of Science.

Future vision of higher education

Overall, the financing of universities in Germany remains an urgent problem. The Federal Statistical Office points out that high student numbers are predicted in Germany by 2025, which will further exacerbate the financial challenges for universities science.hessen.de reported. The University Rectors' Conference (HRK) emphasizes that the problems of university financing have existed since the 1970s and that the development of expenditure as well as fundamental changes in university policy and organization must be urgently addressed in order to ensure the future competitiveness of German universities.