Andalusian public universities call for closing their 44 million deficit in 2026
Topics Universidad de Almería
The rectors and the rector of the nine public on-campus universities of Andalusia have asked the Andalusian Government for a definitive response to their lack of funding. The technical commission created in April will deliver its conclusions between the end of this week and the start of the next.
The public universities of Andalusia have called on the Andalusian Government to give a definitive response to the money problems they carry. The request was conveyed by the rectors and the rector of the nine public on-campus universities at a meeting held on Wednesday, October 21 in Seville with the Regional Minister of University, Industry, Energy and Innovation, Jorge Paraleda.
A deficit of 44 million
The 2025 academic year closed with a combined negative result of 44 million euros at these nine universities. The main cause, according to the university system, is that the real staff and Social Security costs are not covered, what is known as Chapter 1.
To tackle the problem, the Regional Ministry and the universities created a technical working commission in April. That group is finishing its analyses and will present its conclusions between the end of this week and the start of the next. Its spokesperson, Paco Oliva, has stated that this study "will be decisive" for setting the extraordinary funding that the universities need immediately in 2026.
What is being asked
The demand of the representatives of the university system is that the current funding model be fully complied with and that resources be secured to maintain the quality and sustainability of the public university. Oliva has explained that the commission has compared the income they receive for staff costs with the real needs of the centres, and has added that the results must serve as a starting point for the regional budgets.
The universities ask for prudence until the final report is known, but they maintain that objective as non-negotiable.
Industry and knowledge transfer
At the same meeting, the Regional Ministry presented the general lines of its industrial development and knowledge transfer project. The rectors have shown their willingness to work jointly and have pointed to coincidences in the calendar of research calls, the strengthening of degree programmes and the attraction of talent. However, they have made the good development of these proposals conditional on the prior resolution of the public university's structural funding shortfall.