The Reform to articles 86 and 87 of Law 30 of 1992that regulate the financing of public education institutions (IES) of the countrywas approved in second debate this Wednesday by the plenary of the Senate of the Republic.
Thus, this initiative, promoted by independent political sectors, but supported by the National Government, will continue with its legislative procedure in the House of Representatives, where it will have to go through two more debates, both in commission and in plenary.
It is, then, of a bill that seeks to adjust the calculation with which the resources allocated to official universities through the General Budget of the Nation are annually increased. It should be noted that this formula is currently done based on inflation data. What the reform seeks is that, on the other hand, the Higher education cost index (ICES) of the National Statistics Administrative Department (DANE).
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Plenary of the House of Representatives.
César Melgarejo / Portfolio
The scrutiny was given after an accidental commission was convened that specially analyzed the financial viability of the initiative, especially for the current fiscal situation that the country is going through. After several consensus and opposition propositions that were denied, The project fulfilled half of his adventure in the Capitolalso, the most difficult evidence, since the Senate has figured as the corporation that has put the most obstacles to the government initiatives, contrary to the House of Representatives.
“There are days that summarize years: today is one of those. The Senate plenary has just approved in 2nd debate our project to increase the financing of public universities and ITU progressively, adjusting arts. 86 and 87 (Law 30). We have 2 debates! This is from the students. Good job“He said in his social networks Jennifer Pedraza, representative to the Chamber for Bogotá and one of those responsible for the reform project.
Finance of IES, every year more deteriorated
According to calculations of the State University System (SUE)that brings together all the public universities of the country, historically the costs of these institutions increases on average 5.2 percentage points above the consumer price index every year and, in some cases, much more.
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For example, while the inflation of 2024 was 5.2%, the ICES showed a variation of 18.32% per year for the first semester of 2024 and 9.58% per year for the six months later.
The margin of difference between the annual increase in university costs and what is increased to the budget base of the universities led to a budget ballast that, according to Sue figures, currently reaches the 17 billion pesos.
National Pedagogical University
National Pedagogical University
Jairo Torres, rector of the University of Córdoba and president of Sue and the Colombian Association of Universities (ASCUN)explained for the newspaper El Tiempo the details of this deficit that has accumulated for three decades.
“We are talking about $ 17 billion pesos that emerge from what universities have stopped receiving because the budgetary increases in the nation increases year by year with the CPI (as established by articles 86 and 87 of Law 100 of 1992), that is, inflation. However, the costs of operating, priced by the DANE higher education cost index (ICES)“He explained.
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According to the university manager, this lag has led to public IES, which for the issuance of Law 30 were almost completely financed with resources from the Nation, in the present they must make ‘maromas’ to continue working.
“Today the Nation and territorial entities give 55.25% of the budget to universities, while around 44.75% are generated by the same institutions through the sale of services. That is the financial reality of universities. If a new financial model is not established, this definance tends to sharpen and many universities will not have resources to be able to sustain themselves”He emphasized.
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*With time information – education
