Last Wednesday, the parliament voted for Alliansen´s budget. This hits hard against the University investment for more admission places.
A new budget – new circumstances. When Stefan Löfven lost the budget vote on Wednesday, the planning made based on it also fell through. The budget estimated an addition of admission places which would grant Lund University 30 million SEK extra. Instead, it will have to make do with five million SEK.
“We will lose out on this,” states Tim Ekberg, planning director at Lund University.
Lund University suffers from an overproduction of students – many more want in, but the places are getting fewer. In the down-voted budget from the Social Democrats and the Green Party, a large addition of admission places in Swedish universities were planned. Such an addition will happen also with Alliansen´s budget – but not in a way that Lund University will benefit particularly much from.
“In the budget from the Social Democrats and the Greens, there was an investment for new admission places. 5,000 were estimated for 2015, a number that would turn into 14,000 for the following years. Now, this won´t happen. Instead, Alliansen will create 10,000 new places – of which 9,000 are connected to teacher education”, Tim Ekberg explains.
From 30 million to five
The teacher programme at Lund University is relatively small if looking at size, and the University will get an economic backlash with this new budget.
“We get fewer new admission places and therefore less money. We had planned for 30 million SEK in the form of new places. Instead, it will be closer to five million SEK,” Tim Ekberg believes.
The numbers are not yet entirely certain. The proposition for appropriation within the so called expense area 16 – which covers education and university research – will be discussed by parliament on 11 December. One thing is certain, however: the admission places will be fewer.
“Relocations can be made if the committee reach an agreement. The distribution is not yet finished, the only thing we know for certain is that we have a smaller framework to work with. This will most certainly mean that we get fewer places,” Tim Ekberg says.
How will Lund University deal with this?
“Right now, we can only tag along. We knew how uncertain the budget negotiations were and have worked with that in mind. The change won´t affect the faculties or the current organisation. But the University is entirely in the hands of the parliament – they decide about the money”, Tim Ekberg concludes.
Photo: Press/Cecilia Larsson Lantz.
Less money for the Swedish Institute
Not only are students-to-be hit by fewer admission places at the University. The appropriation to the Swedish Institute, SI, is also smaller in Alliansen´s budget. SI is responsible for increasing the interest for Sweden around the world, among other things through granting scholarships.
During 2014, close to 700 students came to Sweden on SI scholarships. What it will look like with the new budget is as of yet unclear.
“We have not had time to grasp at the consequences yet, but as of now, I don´t believe that the new budget will lead to any larger changes of the situation. Compared to the Government´s budget, however, we will receive half a billion SEK less,” says Kurt Bratteby, Head of the Department for international relations at the Swedish Institute.
Text: Casper Danielsson
Translation: Carl-William Ersgård
