University staff warned of 'difficult decisions' ahead over finances

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The university had a deficit of around £12.5m in the last financial yearByEducation and arts correspondent, BBC News NIStaff at Queen's University of Belfast (QUB) have been warned of "difficult decisions" ahead due to the university's finances.Pay deals with staff, and childcare and gym fees for staff and students are under review while staff car-parking charges are going up.The details came in an message to staff from the university's vice-chancellor Prof Sir Ian Greer.His message came after the grant paid by the Northern Ireland Executive to universities had a "significant" cut in 2025/26.What is the state of Queen's University's finances?According to Greer, the university had a deficit of about £12.5m in the last financial year.While the university hoped to reduce that, he said that a combination of cuts in funding from Stormont and a fall in student fee income meant the university had to "control costs".There have been tougher visa requirements for international students coming to UK universities in recent years.According to the university's annual accounts, the income QUB received from international student fees recently fell by around £5m - from more than £60m in 2024 to around £55m in 2025.Greer also said that student recruitment income was expected to be around £7m "below target" in the current year.He said that the university still hoped to deliver agreed pay deals to staff."However, given the Department for the Economy's position, we have no choice but to keep the position under review," he said.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Ian Greer (left) with former US president Bill ClintonSome other charges, including for staff car-parking on campus are going up.Costs for university services that staff and students use, like childcare and membership of the university Physical Education Centre (PEC) are also under review and may rise.However, plans for a new university heritage and visitor centre, external, to be built in the Quad on the site of the current administration building, are going ahead.But there may be more savings measures to come."The University Management Board has agreed to identify approximately £10m of savings this year and, depending on the final position with public funding, further difficult choices may have to follow this academic year," Greer said.How are students affected?Greer said that due to a cap on student numbers, QUB had turned away "around 500 students who had the grades to attend Queen's".The number of local students both QUB and Ulster University (UU) can admit is decided by Stormont's Department for the Economy and depends on available funding.Current QUB students who use university childcare or the PEC may also face higher fees for the services.But Greer said that "the student experience must remain central to our decisions".What has the university said?In a further statement to BBC News NI, a QUB spokesperson said that the university was "facing increasing financial pressures arising from reduced public funding, lower student recruitment income and rising costs"."Our planned approach is centred on both stability and growth, to secure the university's long-term future while supporting our students and staff," it said."Strategic investment in projects such as the Public Engagement and Discovery Centre are part of a commercial growth strategy to help generate income while providing teaching and research space to further enhance the student experience."More on this story