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Cuts for RWTH and FH Aachen: SPD warns of educational collapse!
RWTH and FH Aachen will receive less money from NRW in 2026, despite increasing funding. SPD criticizes the draft budget and calls for changes.
Cuts for RWTH and FH Aachen: SPD warns of educational collapse!
There are currently some uncertainties in the University Financing Council in North Rhine-Westphalia. How BRF reports, the RWTH Aachen and the FH Aachen will face reduced budget allocations in 2026, which is causing uncertainty for many of those affected. The technical universities have to prepare for declines of around 15 million euros for the RWTH and over 3 million euros for the FH Aachen.
However, there is hope: Despite these cuts, both institutions will receive more money compared to the previous year. The RWTH will receive around 25 million euros and the FH Aachen around 3.5 million euros more from the 2026 state budget. The SPD, however, has sharply criticized the state government's current plans and fears lasting damage to the development of the Aachen city region. In your opinion, savings are being made on education, which is even more serious in the current times.
criticism and defense
The Ministry of Science is also trying to provide clarity around this debate. In a statement, reference is made to the tense budget situation, and the falling number of students and the universities' significant reserves amounting to billions are also problems that cannot be ignored. The Council on University Financing is therefore still in full swing.
By signing the “North Rhine-Westphalia University Agreement 2026”, the ministries are sending an additional signal. As in the report by NRW financial administration explains, over 20 billion euros will be made available to universities over the next five years - including an additional sum of 330 million euros for digitalization and investments. The financing horizon is therefore stable, albeit with the aforementioned reductions in the individual amounts.
Financing structure under pressure
A look at the general situation of university financing shows that the federal states are the sponsors of the universities and largely finance them. Almost 90 percent of the funds come from public sources, around 75 percent of which come from the states, such as the University Rectors' Conference HRK clarified. There is increasing pressure to use the available resources as sensibly as possible, while at the same time the fund resources for basic financing are constantly declining.
In addition, the federal government is playing an increasingly important role, particularly due to the growing demand for higher education studies. Various programs and projects that address higher education needs also demonstrate the complexity of financing and the need to further improve the framework for the coming generation of students.
The discussions about university financing are more relevant than ever, and it remains to be hoped that the exchange between universities and political decision-makers will lead to a fair and sustainable financing model. It will be exciting to see how the situation develops in the coming years.