Från automatisk uppräkning till automatiska avdrag

Finansieringsmodeller för högre utbildning 1958–2021

Abstract

From automatic enumeration to automatic deduction. Financial models for higher education 1958–2021

The purpose of the article is to examine financial models for higher education. The economic governance of universities during different time periods is an underexplored area. Three models have been tested in Sweden: “universitetsautomatiken” (1958–1976), “sektorsanslag” (1977–1992) and “grundbulten” (1993–). The models are described, compared and related to overarching savings models for central government administration. During the first financial model, which was particularly generous, there were no such savings models. However, the less generous funding models implemented after the structural crisis in the mid-1970s interacted with increasingly severer saving models that makes annual deduction of appropriations: “tvåprocentaren” (1978–1992) and “produktivitetsavdraget” (1993–). A mechanism for resource erosion has been built into the financing system since 1977 according to the main result of the study.