Brussels, 24/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - The question of how best to fund higher education has risen on the political agenda in many EU member states in recent years, as growing student numbers and a need to invest in quality have placed pressure on traditional funding models. The sustainable financing of higher education has therefore become one of the most important questions in recent years for European education policy.
In Vilnius on 23 and 24 September, the Lithuanian Presidency organised a conference on the financing of higher education, attended by high-ranking civil servants with responsibly for education, which discussed national financing systems for higher education and the pros and cons of the various models. They exchanged best practices with a view to identifying the most efficient financing models to ensure quality doesn't suffer with increasing student numbers. The conference also examined accessibility and aid schemes to prevent students from dropping out due to financial concerns and thus be able to finish their studies on time.
There are a range of different financing models in the member states when it comes to higher education. According to data published by Eurostat in 2010, an average of 17.3% of the income of higher education institutions in the EU came from private sources, with the share of public funding ranging from around 25% in the UK to over 95% in Denmark and Finland. The figures show that investment in higher education has at least kept pace with student numbers in nearly all EU countries over the last decade. At the same time it shows considerable variation in investment levels with the highest levels of spending seen in Sweden and Denmark and the lowest in Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania. In 2011, the Commission launched a Modernisation of Higher Education Agenda to help address the growth and jobs targets, and the Competitiveness Council of February 2013 urged the member states to draw up a list of priority action for investment in higher education. (IL/transl.fl)