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Colleges cut 8,000 enrollments for 2026/27 amid shortfall

By Drooid · Sep 24, 2026, 8:09 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Colleges will cut almost 8,000 student enrolments for 2026/27, nearly double the planned 4,000.
Stormont’s budget deadlock left further-education colleges with a £6.8 million shortfall and funding at 94% of last year.
Belfast Metropolitan College will lose 2,681 enrolments, dropping ESOL, GCSE French/Spanish, English and evening A-level classes.
Councillor Brian Smyth warned the cuts will hit women, working-class youth and adult retrainers hardest.

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Story summary

Colleges will cut almost 8,000 student enrolments for 2026/27, nearly double the planned 4,000.
Stormont’s budget deadlock left further-education colleges with a £6.8 million shortfall and funding at 94% of last year.
Belfast Metropolitan College will lose 2,681 enrolments, dropping ESOL, GCSE French/Spanish, English and evening A-level classes.
Councillor Brian Smyth warned the cuts will hit women, working-class youth and adult retrainers hardest.