Catalonia to cut master's degree fees by 40%

In the coming weeks, the Catalan government will cut fees for master's degrees in Catalonia by up to 40%.

The universities minister, Gemma Geis, told Catalunya Ràdio on Wednesday that the move has been approved by universities and that the €9.3m cost would be covered by the government.

She claimed that the reduction in price will have "a very large impact" on enrollment, enabling access to university for many students, but she also said that further progress can be made.

From the next academic year, a standard 60-credit master's course will cost €1,660, while undergraduate degrees will cost between €1,061 and €1,660 per year.

This is a result of the per-credit cost for master's degrees at public universities dropping by €18.44 to €27.67.

Geis also confirmed she is working to increase the budget for universities, a commitment contained in the coalition government agreement.

Language controversy

During the interview, the universities minister reiterated criticism of the Catalan High Court's ruling against the preferential use of the Catalan language in university entrance exams, saying that students were already guaranteed the right to take exams in their choice of Catalan, Spanish or Aragonese.

Geis was especially critical of the timing of the ruling, which came less than 24 hours before students sat their first tests, despite the procedures having been published on April 13.

She pointed out that, as a rule, the Catalan language is used by Catalan universities and lamented the fact that it's not possible to take bar exams in Catalan, in order to be admitted to the judiciary in Catalonia.

Covid-19

Regarding the impact of Covid-19 on the upcoming academic year, the universities minister confirmed that she has met with her counterpart at the health department, Josep Maria Argimon, and that they both hope all students will be able to attend classes in person from the first day of term.