Andalusian public universities demand from the Regional Government the funding committed for 2026

Topics Universidad de Córdoba

The rectors and the rector of the nine public on-site universities of Andalusia have asked the Andalusian Government for a definitive response to their lack of funding, after closing 2025 with a joint deficit of 44 million euros.

Redacción · Published on October 21, 2026 at 23:17

Image for the story: Andalusian public universities demand from the Regional Government the funding committed for 2026 — Photo: Universidad de Córdoba · Gabinete de Comunicación

Andalusia's public on-campus universities closed the 2025 financial year with an overall negative result of 44 million euros. The cause, according to the universities' spokesperson, Paco Oliva, lies in the lack of coverage of the real staff and Social Security costs, included in chapter 1 of the budget. The figure affects the entire Andalusian public university system, made up of nine on-campus institutions, and translates into less margin to sustain staff and services while next year's regional budgets are being drawn up.

A technical committee about to conclude

To quantify how much money is missing, the Regional Ministry of University, Industry, Energy and Innovation and the universities set up a technical working committee in April. According to Oliva, that committee is in its final phase and will deliver its conclusions between the end of this week and the start of next. That report will serve to set the extraordinary funding that the universities consider necessary immediately in 2026 and to establish the basis for the next regional budgets. Oliva has stated that the study "will allow us to set the extraordinary funding that the universities need immediately in this year 2026".

Complying with the current model

The universities ask for caution until the ruling is known, but they maintain as a non-negotiable goal the full compliance with the current funding model and securing the resources to sustain the public system. The request was conveyed to the regional minister, Jorge Paraleda, at the meeting held this Wednesday in Sevilla. At the same meeting, the Regional Ministry presented the general lines of its industrial development and knowledge transfer project. The vice-chancellors have shown their willingness to collaborate and have noted coincidences in the calendar of research calls, the strengthening of degree programmes and the attraction of talent, although they make these advances conditional on the lack of structural funding being resolved.

What happens from now on

The next step is the delivery of the technical committee's ruling, scheduled for the end of this week or the start of next. Based on its conclusions, the extraordinary funding for 2026 will be determined and the basis for the regional budgets will be set.