Czech universities are bracing for potential enrollment reductions as early as 2027 due to insufficient funding. Representatives from Czech higher education institutions reached this consensus during a meeting of the Czech Conference of Rectors on Friday. While approximately 70,000 new students were admitted to public universities this year, the number could fall to around 59,000 by 2027. The government of Andrej Babiš (ANO) allocated 35.9 billion Czech crowns to universities in next year’s budget, a decrease of approximately 293 million Czech crowns compared to this year's allocation. University leaders foresee difficulties managing finances beyond 2027 and predict the necessity to decrease the number of accepted students. The funding shortfall poses a significant challenge to the future capacity of higher education in the Czech Republic.