The Board of Governors of the University of Bologna has approved the University’s Unified Budget Plan for the 2026-2028 period.
The 2026-2028 period is characterised by the stabilisation of revenues and contributions compared to 2025, particularly the Ordinary Funding Fund (FFO), which shows a slight increase amid broadly stable national allocations, alongside rising costs.
In this context, the proposed 2026-2028 budget reflects an overall approach based on continuity with previous planning, while also accommodating and supporting strategic measures and increases to ensure the maintenance of service levels.
Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO) and student contributions
The University's main sources of revenue are the Ordinary Financing Fund (FFO) and student contributions.
The allocation of the Ordinary Financing Fund is estimated at a total of €480.89 million in 2026, an increase of €3.6 million compared with the 2025 forecast of €477.25 million.
Revenues from student contributions, which represent the second most significant source of income, are estimated at €127.9 million for 2026, in line with the previous budget forecast. This estimate is based on largely unchanged data, including an estimated 1% decrease in fee exemptions and stable enrolment figures for students in ISEE brackets above €27,000, with no changes to the student support measures that the University has proudly adopted.
Overall, the right to education continues to be, with increasing determination, one of the University’s main commitments, with the ratio of student contributions to FFO standing at 17.58%, well below the maximum threshold of 20% set by national regulations.
Budget and investments
Looking at the forecast budget as a whole, resources allocated for annual operations in 2026 amount to approximately €956.7 million, to which a further €102.49 million for investments is added, bringing the total to €1,059.2 million.
Over the 2026-2028 three-year period, the University plans total multi-year investments of approximately €216.7 million, a slight decrease of €12.7 million compared with the previous 2025-2027 planning cycle, as construction projects launched during the current 2021-2027 mandate are being completed.
Personnel costs and the right to education
Among expenditure items, the main component relates to personnel costs. In 2026, total personnel costs amount to €499.9 million, a decrease of approximately €14.15 million compared with the 2025 budget. Forecast expenditure for lecturers and researchers amounts to €357.53 million, while costs for managerial and professional staff are estimated at €142.38 million. In addition, allocations for new staff recruitment over the 2026–2028 period amount to approximately €84.57 million, representing a significant planning effort in the current resource context.
Funds for student support amount to €106.35 million. Lower costs are forecast for medical specialist training contracts (estimated at €55.89 million in 2026), while expenditure for PhD scholarships remains unchanged (estimated at €36.37 million in 2026).
Forecast expenditure for other measures supporting students and grant holders in 2026 amounts to €7.26 million, broadly in line with the 2025 budget allocations. Funding for the right to education, as well as scholarships and awards managed directly through the University budget, amounts to €26.15 million in the 2026 budget.
Energy and infrastructure
The forecast budget provides coverage for utility costs related to electricity, water, gas and district heating, totalling €19.3 million, a decrease of €1.4 million compared with the 2025 forecast, thanks to measures implemented under the University Energy Plan, which has already delivered tangible savings since its early years of implementation.
The new multi-year University budget also defines the overall framework of resources to support building-related financial needs, amounting to €202.8 million over the 2026–2028 period. This figure reflects the New Three-Year Public Works Programme (as provided for by Legislative Decree 36/2023, the “Public Procurement Code”), as well as extraordinary maintenance and other building interventions.
As for rental costs, the downward trend observed in previous years has stabilised, with a 2026 forecast of €2.03 million, also thanks to the acquisition of Palazzo Ruffi-Briolini in Rimini.
Annual and three-year planning
The University’s annual 2026 and three-year 2026–2028 planning has been defined within a framework of economic and financial sustainability that highlights the need to draw on net equity at a level requiring careful assessment in view of future planning cycles.
Negative variances are confirmed across all years of the 2026–2028 period, with a growing trend compared with the negative results already recorded for the 2025–2027 period.
Net equity available to balance the University’s budget amounts to €174.36 million, against a 2026–2028 plan that requires the use of €133.49 million. For this reason, planning for the coming years calls for caution and attention.
