Ticino State Council approves education funding cuts and tuition hikes

The Ticino State Council has approved subsidy cuts for higher education institutions, specifically targeting the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) and the SUPSI. USI faces a reduction of 6.5 million francs, approximately 5% of its 130 million franc budget, while SUPSI will see a reduction of 1.3 million francs.

In response to these cuts, tuition fees are set to increase. At SUPSI, fees will rise to 1,000 francs per semester for residents and 2,000 francs for non-residents. At USI, the standard fee for new enrollments will increase to 5,000 francs per semester, with a reduced rate of 2,000 francs for Swiss or resident students.

The VPOD union launched a petition titled ‘No ai tagli su USI e SUPSI: per il lavoro, il diritto allo studio e la ricerca pubblica’, which garnered approximately 1,900 signatures. These cuts align with broader federal ‘sgravi 27’ programs involving significant reductions in funding for research, universities, and vocational training across Switzerland.