Funding
The funding arrangements for higher education vary according to the type of institution.
Universities
Annual "operating subsidies" are allocated to the Universities to cover their expenses for staff, operating costs of teaching, research and administration.
Each institution receives a share of a stabilized overall budget. The evolution of this budget is guaranteed according to the actual evolution of the health index (evolution between health index of June of years Y and Y-1).
The fixed component of the allowance represents 30%. It is distributed between universities on basis of fixed percentages. These correspond to the distribution of allowances during the previous period. This distribution was revised in 2016 and will remain valid for 10 years.
The variable component of the allowance represents 70%. The distribution of this part of the overall budget between Universities is made on basis of the number of students eligible for funding, in each of them, compared to the total number of students eligible for funding in all Universities. The average number of students eligible for funding in the four academic years preceding the budget year is taken into account.
The regular enrolment taken into account are stopped on December 1st of the academic year preceding the budget year.
Students are balanced according to coefficients :
• weighting factors that depend on the number of credits taken by students
• weighting factors that depend on the study group in which students are enrolled.
Universities manage the subsidies allocated to them. This is how they pay the salaries of their staff, in addition to their operating expenses. However, their staffing costs cannot exceed 80% of their income.
Funding for doctorate with thesis is granted to Universities on a budget for global specific subsidies distributed according to the number of students who obtained a doctoral degree during the academic year preceding the budget year. Doctor graduates are weighted according to the study group they belong to.
Social grants are awarded to Universities according to the number of students eligible for funding.
In terms of the maintenance of buildings for teaching, research and administration, each university receives a share of a global indexed envelope, determined on basis of shares determined at the time of the creation of this funding.
With respect to the financing of real estate investments in buildings for teaching, research and administration, each University receives a share of an indexed global envelope determined on basis of shares determined at the creation of this funding.
The Universities receive full compensation for the loss of income because of the reduction of registration fees awarded to students who do not pay registration fees (students with grants) and for students who pay reduced registration fees (lower income group), as well as for the freeze of the indexation of registration fees that has been running since 2011-2012.
Compensation is also granted to Universities for free course materials, depending on the number of students with grants.
Each university receives a share of an indexed budget for fostering student success, for the funding of didactic centers, the acquisition of methods and techniques of success, self-evaluation tools and student council, innovative didactic methods targeted at 1st generation students and lessons in small groups.
The mechanisms of calculation of the various means mentioned above are identical for every University : organized by the French Community and grant-aided institutions recognized by the legislator.
Hautes Ecoles
The budget for the annual "overall subsidies" of the Hautes Ecoles is stabilized in a global budget. Its amount is adjusted each year according to the rate of fluctuation of the health index of the previous year. It also takes into account the evolution of the cost of the scales’ drift (resulting from the evolution of the seniority of the staff) of the year Y-2.
The subsidies are allocated to the Hautes Ecoles to cover their expenses for teaching, research, administration and services to the community.
The subsidies of each Haute Ecole consists of 2 parts :
1) A historical component corresponding to 13,5% of the envelope and regrouping a series of elements which were part of the previous method of calculation (historic part + lump sum + solidarity fund)
The basic amounts mentioned above are adapted to the evolution of the health index since 1999.
2) A variable component : The variable components of all Hautes Ecoles account for 86.5% of the total budget. The part set for the variable components in that way is distributed among the Hautes Ecoles on basis of the number of students eligible for funding in each of them compared to the total number of students eligible for funding in the 19 Hautes Ecoles.
It takes into account the average of the students eligible for funding during the 3 academic years preceding the budget year. Students eligible for funding are balanced according to coefficients that differ across study categories :
• weighting factors that depend on the number of credits taken by students
• weighting factors that depend on the categories of study in which students are enrolled.
Regular enrolment is stopped on February 1st of the academic year preceding the budget year.
The subsidies allocated to the Hautes Ecoles are used to cover their staffing and operating costs. However, unlike universities, the Hautes Ecoles do not pay the salaries of their staff themselves. This operation is carried out by the Ministry of the French Community. For this reason, the Haute Ecole only gets the share of the allowance to which the Haute Ecole is entitled, which is intended to cover its operating costs. The part which is intended to cover its staffing costs is paid by the Ministry. The share of the allowance intended to cover its staffing costs is calculated on basis of average staffing costs estimated by the Ministry.
The registration fees are deducted from the allocations of the Hautes Ecoles.
Various elements are not payable by the subsidies of the Hautes Ecoles, for example the people who do not work within the Hautes Ecoles because of lay-offs or missions, the staff members on maternity leave.
Social subsidies are awarded to the Hautes Ecoles according to the number of students eligible for funding.
The Hautes Ecoles receive compensation for the loss of income because of the reduction of registration fees awarded to students who do not pay registration fees (students with grants) and for students who pay reduced registration fees (lower income group), as well as for the freeze of the indexation of registration fees that has been running since 2011-2012.
Compensation is also granted to the Hautes Ecoles for free course materials, depending on the number of students with grants.
Each Haute Ecoles receives a share of an indexed budget for fostering student success, for the funding of didactic centers, the acquisition of methods and techniques of success, self-evaluation tools and student council, innovative didactic methods targeted at 1st generation students and lessons in small groups. These resources are mostly allocated to them at the same time as their overall subsidies. A smaller part of these resources is allocated to them by project grants.
Each Haute Ecole receives a share of an indexed budget in support of the democratisation of Higher Education which compensated for the gradual and now total disappearance of additional enrollment fees in Hautes Ecoles.
The mechanisms of calculation of the various means mentioned above are identical for every Haute Ecole : organized by the French Community, government-aided public institutions (organized by the Provinces and the Communes) and government-aided private institutions recognized by the legislator.
Arts Colleges
The Arts Colleges are financed with regard to their staff and their functioning:
- on the one hand for their staff according to a legal framework for staffing calculated every 5 years for the next 5 years, according to the student population of the 5 years preceding the calculation. Coefficients differ according to the field of study and their types (short or long) and vary by student group; according to a legal framework for administrative staff calculated each year according to the student population of the 3 years preceding the calculation. This student population generates points allowing each Arts College to have an administrative framework. The administrative staff represent a growing number of points on the quota according to their level. The mechanisms of calculation of staffing costs mentioned above are identical for every Arts Colleges : organized by the French Community, government-aided public institutions (organized by the Provinces and the Communes) and government-aided private institutions recognized by the legislator.
- on the other hand, for their running, the Arts Colleges organized by the French Community receive annually indexed operating subsidies, set by the Government per Arts College : the Arts Colleges organized by the French Community, government-aided public institutions (organized by the Provinces and the Communes) and government-aided private institutions recognized by the legislator receive operating grants.
The means for operating of the Arts Colleges take into account the deduction of registration fees.
Social subsidies are awarded to the Arts Colleges according to the number of students eligible for funding.
The Arts Colleges receive compensation for the loss of income because of the reduction of registration fees awarded to students who do not pay registration fees (students with grants) and for students who pay reduced registration fees (lower income group), as well as for the freeze of the indexation of registration fees that has been running since 2011-2012.
Compensation is also granted to the Arts Colleges for free course materials, depending on the number of students with grants.
Each Arts College receives a share of an indexed budget in support of the democratisation of Higher Education.
The mechanisms of calculation of the various means mentioned above are identical for every Arts College : organized by the French Community, government-aided public institutions (organized by the Provinces and the Communes) and government-aided private institutions recognized by the legislator.
Financial autonomy and control
Each establishment of higher education is fully responsible for its own management, within the framework of the budget allocated to it every year.
In the university institutions, the government commissioner or delegate ensures that the board of governors and the bodies to which powers are delegated by the board, by the law or by decree do not take any decisions which contravene the laws and decrees, or with orders and regulations issued in accordance with the said laws or decrees, or which might compromise the institution’s finances. Supervision of the academies is entrusted jointly to the commissioners and delegates appointed at the academy’s member institutions. The task is then in turn delegated to each person by order of decreasing seniority in their mandate, for a two-year period. The same mechanism operates for the delegates to these institutions who act as government-accredited financial inspectors, as regards decisions with budgetary or financial implications. The government commissioner or delegate appeals to the government against any decision judged to be contrary to the relevant laws and decrees, or contrary to the orders and regulations adopted under the terms of these laws or decrees.
Commissioners to the higher education institutions ensure that the decisions taken by the controlling authorities or the authorities of the higher education institution acting by delegation are in accordance with the laws and decrees and with the orders and regulations introduced in accordance with those laws and decrees. The government determines the list of inspection tasks for the commissioners to the higher education institutions (e.g. checking the number of regularly enrolled students taken into account for funding). These commissioners also represent the government in the arts colleges and perform the same roles there.
Fees within public higher education
In principle, students in higher education are required to pay a tuition fee. A decree on free and democratic higher education (19 July 2010) abolished registration fees (tuition and other fees) for students receiving study grants (grant-holders), and reduced the tuition fee for students on low incomes (those whose income or whose family’s income only slightly exceeds the authorised level) to the amount of the current tuition fee of grant-holding students. The registration fee of low-income students is reduced to €374.
For other students, the tuition fee may no longer be index-linked, and remains fixed at a maximum of €835. Those institutions which were not subject to the ceiling, such as the arts colleges, will not be able to exceed the amount of the registration fees.
An additional registration fee is charged for stateless students or students who are nationals of non-EU countries.
Financial support for learners’ families
A series of benefits are granted to families by the federal authorities. Families with children up to the age of 25 in education receive free medical insurance and a family allowance for each child who is studying. Parents also receive tax relief for each dependent child who is studying, without any age limit.
Financial support for learners
From the moment that a child follows studies successfully, the family has the right to receive material and financial assistance from the community if the parents cannot ensure that the studies will continue normally because of insufficient income. This assistance is provided by the Ministry of the French Community.
Social subsidies
Establishments of higher education receive social subsidies. These are paid into a fund which is used, among other things, to provide assistance to pupils in financial difficulty. The subsidy amounts are adapted every year on the basis of the consumer price index (health index). A Fund for the Opening Up of Access to Higher Education exists, the purpose of which is to increase the social subsidies received by each institution per student enrolled, in order to introduce initiatives that will ensure access for disadvantaged students.
Study grants
All students enrolled as regular pupils in full-time higher education can benefit from a study grant under the following conditions :
- conditions of funding : no allowance is granted to a student, who is not eligible for funding ;
- age requirements : the student must not have reached the age of 35 on 31 December of the current year ;
- financial conditions : the choice of the person (s) who contributes to the student's financial support will determine the consideration of the income ;
- educational conditions : the student must attend a full-time educational institution. Other specific conditions also enter into account ;
- nationality requirements : Belgian students, EU nationals and some foreign students can benefit from these measures, under certain conditions.
Study loans
The study loan system provides financial support for families. Study loans are allocated according to criteria very similar to those for study grants (see above). The amount of the loan varies according to the level of studies, the needs of the borrowers and their ability to repay the loan amount and interest.
Compulsory course materials
Higher education establishments must provide students, with all materials for compulsory courses, in electronic form at least. They must also print out, free of charge, materials for compulsory courses if a grant-holding student so requests.
Other benefits
These forms of assistance are supplemented with other benefits, such as low-cost meals, discounted public transport season tickets, etc.
Private education
Subject to compliance with general legislation, the authorities responsible for higher education which is neither organised nor grant-aided by the French Community are free to organise it however they choose.
It will be recalled that grant-aided independent education is not part of private education. It is subject to rules very similar to those relating to grant-aided public education, and is covered by the common description.