Political optimism, but deficits are mounting in preparations for the UvA’s 2027 budget
With the publication of the 2027 Framework Letter, the UvA’s budget cycle has officially begun again. The letter, which serves as the basis for next year’s university budget, shows that several faculties are currently running significant deficits. They will therefore need to find additional funding to balance their budgets for next year.
Cautious optimism. Whereas dark clouds from The Hague still loomed over the UvA a year ago, the Executive Board (CvB) now sees reason for hope in the plans of the new minority cabinet. The board writes this in the 2027 Framework Letter, which serves as the basis for next year’s UvA budget. In particular, the announced investments in education and research, as well as the intention to remove the controversial Foreign-Language Education Assessment (TAO) from the Internationalisation in Balance Act (Wib), are viewed positively by the CvB.
The UvA Framework Letter is the document in which the Executive Board sets out the financial guidelines, ambitions, and priorities for the coming year.
It is the first official step in the university’s annual planning and control cycle and serves as the basis for the final budget.
The reason the Executive Board still appears cautious is mainly due to the considerable uncertainty that remains. It is still unclear what the cabinet’s measures and investments will look like in practice and – perhaps even more importantly – whether there will be sufficient support for them from opposition parties. In addition, the UvA board points to the tense geopolitical situation, growing rivalry between major powers and ongoing trade tensions, which are creating additional uncertainties for the university’s multi-year budget.
Declining student numbers
What is already clear, however, is that regardless of the exact implementation of the cabinet’s plans, the UvA expects to face declining student numbers. Current projections show the total number of students falling from 43,147 in 2026 to 40,920 in 2030, due both to national measures aimed at reducing the number of international students and to a declining influx of Dutch pre-university (VWO) students. Because a drop in student numbers also means reduced income for the university, the Executive Board expects that “many parts of the faculties, services and administrative staff will have to continue pulling out all the stops in the coming years to achieve a balanced budget”.
For several faculties, this means that additional funding already needs to be found for next year’s budget. The Faculty of Science (FNWI) appears to be facing the hardest blow in particular. Whereas an earlier projection for 2027 estimated a deficit of €2.8 million, the faculty is now confronted with a deep shortfall of no less than €4.8 million in the latest figures.
The outlook has also worsened for the Faculty of Law (FdR) and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG): both faculties will need to find around €1 million in order to meet their previously budgeted targets. Altogether, the UvA is now facing a projected deficit of €4 million; during the 2026–2029 budgeting process, that figure was still estimated at -€3.6 million.
More compact housing
To close the budget gaps, the UvA is strongly relying on the so-called ViDi action plan, which the university launched last year. Through this programme, the university aims to reduce operational costs structurally by at least €20 million. The biggest cuts are expected in housing and facilities: by using office buildings more efficiently, the UvA hopes to save €12 million. For staff, this could mean having to give up fixed desks more often in favour of flexible workspaces.
The cuts to office space are part of a broader and far-reaching real estate strategy. To free up funds and ensure that the remaining UvA campuses can become “Paris Proof”, the university is shrinking its property portfolio. The first step in this process – the sale of the former University Library building on the Singel – is expected to be completed around the turn of the year.
Consultation
The Framework Letter has now been submitted to the Joint Assembly (GV), which consists of the Central Student Council (CSR) and the Central Works Council (COR). Through the GV, the two representative bodies jointly hold approval rights over the annual Framework Letter and the “main outlines” of the budget.
At the same time, students and staff can also respond to the Framework Letter as part of the consultation process. This is possible until 2 June by sending an email to financienencontrol-bb@uva.nl.
