The planning of the state government to the 2026-2031 university pact would lead to a deficit of around one billion euros in the next six years at the Hessian universities and would result in a permanent reduction of ten percent of staff in science, art and administration. The Hessian universities are calling for targeted improvements.
As part of the negotiations on the Hessian university pact for 2026 to 2031, the Hessian Science Minister Timon Gremmels presented the university management for the first time in the past week. Although permanent increases in personnel costs of over 60 million euros per year to the 14 state universities in 2026, the budget for 2026 and 2027 should even decrease below the level of 2025. Views of 2.12 percent per year compared to 2025 over the entire pact term, which will be scheduled from 2028, do not compensate. Even if tariff degrees and inflation are moderate in the future, the universities are expecting a financing deficit of around one billion euros by the end of 2031. This corresponds to an annual deficit of around EUR 167 million or approx. Ten percent of the staff budget of universities. Since the cost increases will become effective immediately, but the funds from the country only increase from 2028, a temporal gap arises in partial budget equalization. These follow -up effects make it difficult for individual universities to secure their liquidity on their own.
College not adequately financed
The measures presented do not reflect the coalition agreement of the state government. There was talk of a "adequate and sustainable financing" of the Hessian university system. Education should have the first priority for the future of the country.
"Even if we enter the new pact phase without priority and simply assumes a continuously increasing budget, a medium increase of 2.12 percent per year does not compensate for the expected personnel and material increases and can only be regarded as a structural cutting," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss, spokesman for the Hessischer University President and makes it clear: "This cut has long -term effect: it threatens the functionality of universities in research, teaching and transfer well beyond 2031."
Universities fear uncontrolled reduction of research and teaching areas
"The structural reduction means that the services that are essential for Hesse are available," adds Prof. Dr. Karim Khakzar, spokesman for the Hessian universities for applied sciences and further explains: “The universities threaten to run into structural deficits even in the event of an immediate full job stop and thus in a completely random and uncontrolled consolidation process. Our goal of maintaining or increasing the performance of the Hessian university system must not be achieved under these circumstances. Research or apprenticeship areas have to be acted out and personnel reduction must be actively promoted. "
Prof. Elmar Fulma, spokesman for the Hessian art colleges, sums up: "Actually, the state government wants to start economically: But where should all the clever and creative minds come from that you need, if not from the Hessian universities? Humanities, cultural and social sciences to nature and engineering to life sciences and medicine.
As early as the 2025 financial year, the universities provided a third of the savings intended by the country by providing construction reserves of 475 million euros. The universities have proven responsibility for the country. They are still ready to search for good solutions with the state government, to overcome the economic dent without damaging the science system.
"The Hessian universities are calling for the long-term functionality and competitiveness of the Hessian university system and thus securing the strength of the Hesse science and creative locations," summarize the three speakers and make it clear: "The Hessian universities expect significant improvements in the university pact planning, both with a cost-neutral change in the sense of universities as well as with a view Targeted financial improvements. " For this purpose, the lines of the 14 Hessian universities are handed over to the Ministry of Science a key point paper.