Council of States puts the brakes on education and research funding
Published: Thursday, Sep 12th 2024, 13:40
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The Council of States wants to make significantly less money available for education, research and innovation between 2025 and 2028 than the National Council. It supported the Federal Council's austerity measures when discussing payment frameworks for these areas.
In its Dispatch on the Promotion of Education, Research and Innovation (ERI Dispatch), the national government requested that Parliament release CHF 29.2 billion over the years in question. During its deliberations at the end of May, the National Council decided to increase this amount by CHF 152.2 million.
For example, the large chamber wants to give the so-called ETH Domain CHF 100 million more and increase the basic contributions for cantonal universities by CHF 32.4 million. However, the National Council also made cuts to the Federal Council's proposal here and there. Overall, it wants an increase in expenditure of 1.7 percent.
On Thursday, the Council of States rejected all increases during its discussion of the ERI Dispatch. However, it also spoke out against the cuts made by the National Council and generally followed the Federal Council's line. The latter wants expenditure to increase by 1.6 percent.
However, the Council of States made one point: it wants to phase out the "Viamia" vocational assessment and advice service for people over 40 launched by the federal government and cantons in 2019 at the end of 2024. Specifically, it cut a loan to finance vocational training by CHF 30 million.
1.3 billion more than at present
In March, the Federal Council announced that it intended to save CHF 0.5 billion with the ERI Dispatch in view of the federal government's tight financial situation. It had previously decided to increase the amount by 2% rather than 2.5%, as had been demanded due to inflation.
In March, the national government then reduced the cost growth to the aforementioned 1.6%. The federal government still wants to spend CHF 1.3 billion more than in the current 2021-2024 contribution period, emphasized Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, who also reiterated this in the Council of States on Thursday.
There were motions from the left to approve as much money as the Federal Council had originally wanted to do. Saving on education was wrong, according to their authors. But there were also motions to save even more - to achieve "zero growth", as it was called. They were rejected.
ETH becomes more expensive for foreigners
In May, the National Council also voted in favor of amending the Federal Act on the Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH) when discussing the ERI Dispatch. In future, it should state that higher tuition fees will be set for foreign students who live in Switzerland for their studies or do not have a place of residence in Switzerland.
These must be at least three times the tuition fees for Swiss or foreign students resident in Switzerland. The Council of States endorsed this provision on Thursday.
Up to now, the ETH Board has been able to raise the fees for foreigners if it wishes, by a maximum of three times. However, the ETH Board has already decided to triple the ETH fees for foreigners in fall 2025. It announced this in mid-July. Swiss and foreign students currently pay the same fees at ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne.
Large part goes back to the National Council
After the four-hour debate on the ERI Dispatch in the Council of States, parts of it are ready for the final vote in the Federal Assembly at the end of the session - such as the one on the adjustment of ETH student fees. The federal resolutions on the payment framework for the various education and research institutions, on the other hand, will go back to the National Council.
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