De Montfort University to Cut Jobs Amid Growing Financial Struggles

De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester is the latest UK institution feeling the financial pinch, with plans to cut 80 jobs as part of a broader effort to stabilise its finances.

The university has put 94 roles at risk, citing a drop in student numbers, stagnant tuition fees, and rising National Insurance costs as key reasons behind its growing deficit. DMU needs to reduce its spending by £22 million this year, with £5 million still to go.

A university spokesperson described the situation as part of a wider crisis affecting the UK’s higher education sector, calling the financial pressures “unprecedented.” They added, “We’re acting early and responsibly to secure DMU’s future and protect its important role in the local economy.”

Despite attempts to plug the gap—such as voluntary severance, pausing projects, and cutting back on non-essential spending—the university says these steps haven’t been enough.

The roles under threat include lecturers, senior lecturers, professors, and research staff. Vice Chancellor Katie Normington acknowledged the toll this is taking on staff in an email, saying she “deeply regrets” the situation and the impact it’s having on the university community.

Some of the financial strain has also been attributed to recent investments in new campuses in London and Dubai, which were intended to help diversify DMU’s income and reduce its reliance on domestic undergraduate fees.

As the higher education sector faces what many are calling a financial crisis, DMU’s story reflects the broader challenges UK universities are confronting: fewer students, tighter budgets, and a growing need to adapt fast.