Overview
- Higher education minister Philippe Baptiste announced multi-month assizes beginning in January to deliver a shared, uncontestable picture of university funding, charges, resources, and management constraints.
- The talks will be co-chaired by two yet-unnamed experts with recognized financial and higher education expertise.
- University presidents report severe 2026 forecasts, with the University of Lille projecting a €44.9 million deficit and the University of Pau and the Adour region €4.9 million, prompting hiring non-replacements and cuts to overtime and investments.
- Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne approved higher tuition for some non‑EU students to raise revenue after more than €13.5 million in 2025 savings, as its president described the sector as "down to the bone."
- Leaders and unions point to compulsory costs—CAS pension contributions, Guérini pay revaluations, and new complementary social protection (PSC)—as key pressures, while union officials question whether the assizes will produce concrete solutions.