Soaring student numbers leave German universities short of cash

An increasing number of students entering university has left Germany’s higher education institutions with a €7-billion budget shortfall, the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) has warned.

The Hochschulpakt, a funding pot to help universities cope with increased student numbers, needs a significant top-up by 2015 to guarantee that all students entering university in the next three years receive high-quality degrees, government calculations show. German universities need more staff, more room and more teaching materials to cope with rising student numbers, the HRK said.