Flemish colleges urge more funding for graduate programmes

The Flemish Higher Education Council (VLUHR) and the Social and Economic Council of Flanders (SERV), representing unions and employers, have raised concerns over what they call serious underfunding of graduate programmes.

Current funding covers only 73 per cent of actual costs, the councils say, forcing colleges to absorb the cost of educating some 7,000 students at the expense of reserves or other spending. Since graduate programmes were transferred to colleges in 2019, enrolment has more than doubled, and numbers are expected to keep rising.

According to SERV and VLUHR, pressure on the system is mounting. In a joint recommendation, they call on Flemish education minister Zuhal Demir of N-VA to provide adequate base funding, more support for workplace learning and faster approval procedures so programmes can better align with labour market needs.

“If the government does not adequately finance these courses, we are saddling not only our colleges but also the entire economy and society with a missed opportunity,” said Veerle Hendrickx, chair of the Flemish Colleges Council.

^{#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}

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