Hessian universities warn of structural underfunding

Joint press release by the Hessian university presidents:

As part of the negotiations on the Hessian Higher Education Pact for the years 2026 to 2031, the Hessian Minister of Science Timon Gremmels presented the university leaders with concrete figures for the university budget for the first time last week. Although the 14 state universities will face permanent increases in personnel costs of over 60 million euros per year in 2026, the budget for 2026 and 2027 is even set to fall below the 2025 level in the transition to the new Higher Education Pact. Increases averaging 2.12 percent per year compared to 2025 over the entire term of the pact, which are planned to be phased in from 2028, will not achieve any compensation. Even if wage settlements and inflation are moderate in the future, the universities expect a funding deficit of around one billion euros over the term of the Higher Education Pact until the end of 2031. This corresponds to an annual deficit of around 167 million euros or around ten percent of the universities' personnel budget. As the cost increases will take effect immediately, but the funding from the state will not increase until 2028, there will be a time gap in the partial budget balancing. These delayed effects make it difficult for individual universities to secure their liquidity on their own.

Universities not adequately funded

The measures presented do not reflect the state government's coalition agreement. There was talk of "adequate and sustainable funding" for the Hessian university system. Education should be the top priority for the future of the state.

"Even if we were to enter the new pact phase without any prior burden and assume a continuously increasing budget, an average increase of 2.12 percent per year does not come close to compensating for the expected increases in personnel and material costs and can only be regarded as a structural cut," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Nauss, spokesperson for the Conference of Hessian University Presidents, making it clear: "This cut has a long-term effect: it threatens the functionality of the universities in research, teaching and transfer far beyond 2031."

Universities fear uncontrolled reduction in research and teaching areas

"The structural cuts mean that the services that are essential for Hessen are at risk," adds Prof. Dr. Karim Khakzar, spokesperson for the Hessian universities of applied sciences, and continues: "The universities are at risk of running into structural deficits even with an immediate complete job freeze and thus with a completely random and uncontrolled consolidation process. Our goal of maintaining or increasing the efficiency of the Hessian university system cannot be achieved under these circumstances. On the contrary, it is to be feared that individual research or teaching areas will have to be discontinued and staff reductions actively pursued."

Prof. Elmar Fulda, spokesperson for the Hessian universities of the arts, sums up: "The state government actually wants to take off economically: but where are all the clever and creative minds that are needed for this supposed to come from if not from the Hessian universities? The announced shrinking process will have direct consequences for science and the arts, for teacher training as well as for the entire range of disciplines from the humanities, cultural and social sciences to the natural and engineering sciences to life sciences and medicine. Securing skilled workers looks different."

In the 2025 financial year, the universities have already provided a third of the savings targeted by the state by making building reserves of 475 million euros available. The universities have thus demonstrated their responsibility to the state. They are still prepared to work with the state government to find good solutions to overcome the economic downturn without damaging the academic system.

"The universities in Hesse are calling for the long-term functionality and competitiveness of the Hessian higher education system to be maintained and thus to secure the strength of Hesse as a location for science and creativity," summarize the three spokespersons and clarify: "The universities in Hesse expect significant improvements in the higher education pact planning, both with regard to cost-neutral changes that can be implemented in the interests of the universities and with regard to targeted financial improvements." To this end, the heads of the 14 universities in Hesse will submit a key issues paper to the Ministry of Science.

Press contact:

For the Hessian universities

Dr. Gabriele Neumann
Press Officer
Philipps-Universität Marburg
Phone: 06421 28-23010
Mobile: 0160 97389440
Email: gabriele.neumann[at]uni-marburg[dot]de