The public universities in Madrid face serious financial challenges, aggravated by cuts to their budgets and funding that is increasingly dependent on self-financing. The Complutense University is on a tightrope, unable to pay December salaries or the Christmas bonus without an urgent loan of 34.4 million euros from the regional government. Meanwhile, King Juan Carlos University also experiences significant economic difficulties. The Education Minister, Emilio Viciana, has announced that the new Law on Higher Education, Universities and Science will incorporate a merit-based funding system, where a €10 million fund would be distributed among the six public universities if they meet certain objectives. However, this amount proves insufficient to remove the institutions' critical financial state.
The analysis by the Knowledge and Development Foundation highlights that Madrid invests less per student than any other autonomous community in its university campuses. Transfers per student are notably lower than the national average, which complicates the situation of the faculties. The Complutense University, for example, has seen a significant reduction in its current transfers since 2010. The forthcoming law, still in draft, seems to tilt toward a greater requirement for self-financing, which directly affects the campuses, which already face difficulties in sustaining basic activities such as research. Moreover, the funding based on proposed objectives in the new draft law is presented as a controversial measure that puts universities at risk while awaiting debate on the provision and its approval in spring 2026. A more competitive and merit-based model is anticipated, which, although it seeks to elevate excellence, faces criticism for not adequately addressing the current structural and economic shortcomings of Madrid's universities.
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