The Board of Trustees of the Balmes University Foundation approves a budget of 52 million Euros, 7.5% more than the budget for the previous academic year

At its meeting on Tuesday afternoon, the Board of Trustees of the Balmes University Foundation approved the clearance of the budget for the 2021-2022 academic year, and gave the green light to the budget for 2022-2023. This year's budget includes a volume of revenue of 52 million Euros, a figure that is an increase of 7.5% compared to the previous year, which with 48.5 million Euros was balanced at the close of the year. The meeting of the Board of Trustees took place for the first time in the Paranymph of the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), in the former church of the Hospital de la Santa Creu in Vic. The plenary session, which was chaired by the president of the Balmes University Foundation and mayor of Vic Anna Erra, took place in a hybrid format, with some of the patrons present in the Paranymph and others attending online.

Income from enrolments and expenditure due to energy costs are increasing

The figure of 52 million Euros in this year's budget and the increase compared to the previous year are largely due to the increase in income from enrolments on bachelor's degree courses, amounting to 25 million Euros. There are now more than 5,000 students enrolled on bachelor's degree courses at the UVic-UCC Campus Vic (Balmes University Foundation) for the first time, and this has had a positive impact on the budget. On the other hand, a significant increase in the cost of energy (electricity and gas) estimated at around one million Euros is anticipated in the expenditure column, due to the new rates that will apply from January onwards.

The budget also consolidates the public contribution made by the Government of Catalonia, which stands at 21% in the 2021-2022 academic year. This contribution is complemented by an additional one million Euros, which will be used to reinforce the grants policy that is being implemented within UVic-UCC as a whole.

Investments in infrastructure in Granollers, Manlleu and Vic

The investment plan this financial year will amount to one million Euros, and it will include major projects for the teaching infrastructures at the university's facilities in Granollers and Manlleu, as well as the new space in the Plaça de la Noguera in the Vic Sud district, which will open its doors during the second semester of the academic year. The investments made last year totalled 1.1 million Euros, and they were mostly allocated to cybersecurity actions and measures, to improving classrooms (especially hybrid classrooms) and laboratories. The meeting of the Board of Trustees also discussed the investment amounts that come directly from the funding of research projects. The restoration works in the Paranymph and the Gothic Hall, which were inaugurated in October, were entirely funded by subsidies and donations.

The 2021-2022 academic year was closed to balance with an income of 48.5 million Euros, which also meant a surplus of 250,000 Euros, which will be applied in its entirety to a specific surplus for research.

One million Euros in student grants

One of the new provisions of this year's budget is that it includes an extraordinary allocation of one million Euros in student grants. These grants, which are directly related to the programme agreement with the Government of Catalonia, will make it possible to increase the endowments of the University's grants and cover more students at the Balmes University Foundation, the Bages University Foundation and the Foundation for Advanced Health Sciences Studies, the parent institution of the Faculty of Medicine.

The figures for the Calderó Modolell special fund were also presented during the meeting of the Board of Trustees. The fund awarded a total of 58,750 euros in grants last year, 64% more than in the previous year. The special fund allocates all its returns to grants.