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The government's proposal for the 2025 state budget allocates NOK 1.9 billion to UiA. When adjusted for inflation, this means a reduction of 0.67 per cent from 2024.
"The big national picture is that higher education and research are not being prioritised, so it's disappointing," says University Director Seunn Smith-Tønnessen.
Cuts despite strong results
UiA scores well on some of the indicators used to determine its budget allocation. The relatively high completion rates for students and doctoral fellows at UiA have helped to reduce the cut.
The fact that UiA has been successful in previous years in attracting funds for flexible and decentralised education from the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills also means that UiA is doing well now that these funds are being given directly to universities and university colleges.
"These funds have been changed from being application-based grants to becoming part of the framework budget, and are in that sense not a new initiative," says Smith-Tønnessen.
When it comes to the government’s budget cuts to finance other priorities, UiA is among those facing the biggest cuts.
The budget cuts are meant to be shared equally among institutions but are positively adjusted for universities that have high application rates, receive grants from the EU and the Research Council, and have many student places in health, teacher education, and STEM fields.
"Since the Ministry of Education doesn’t share specifics on how they arrive at these figures, we are just as surprised as we were last year as to why UiA is facing such sizable cuts," says Smith-Tønnessen.
Facilitating exam resit fees
The government proposal allows universities to impose fees on students who wish to retake exams to enhance their grades.
UiA’s budget has been reduced by one and a half million kroner for the opportunity to collect these fees, which is more than many other institutions are facing.
New student places
The proposal includes the allocation of new student places at UiA.
10 new student places at the bachelor’s level in the field of ICT will be allocated by the University Board.
UiA will also receive funds to convert student places in kindergarten teacher education. The university will be granted funds to convert 20 on-campus student places into 20 workplace-based student places.
Contacts at UiA
- seunn.smith-tonnessen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 11 12
- oivind.eskedal@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 18 62