The Popular Group in the Cabildo de La Palma is set to present a motion aimed at enhancing public university options on the island and improving access to student accommodation for those needing to move to Tenerife or Gran Canaria for their studies.
The group believes it’s essential to address two main areas: expanding local study opportunities and easing the financial burden on families when their children must travel to other islands.
To this end, they propose developing an Island Development Plan for Higher Education, which would be created in collaboration with the Canary Islands Government, public universities, and local councils. This plan would outline the degree programmes, necessary infrastructure, potential locations, funding, and a timeline for implementation.
The motion seeks to reinforce existing courses and evaluate new ones, particularly a degree in Physiotherapy, alongside specialisation and research programmes in health, astrophysics, volcanology, and marine sciences.
The Popular Group pointed out that numerous initiatives for a university campus have been announced over the years and argues that such development should be viewed as an island-wide project, driven by academic, technical, and economic criteria without conflict between municipalities.
The proposal also highlights the limited availability of public accommodation and the high rental prices that hinder many students from La Palma from accessing higher education.
In this regard, they are calling on the Cabildo to urge the Canary Islands Government to create a Canarian University Accommodation Plan, in partnership with public universities and the councils of non-capital islands, to increase public and affordable housing options in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
This initiative references a unanimous institutional declaration approved by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura in July 2026 and suggests agreements between administrations to finance new accommodation places, as well as studying improvements in mobility and housing assistance.
The Popular Group emphasizes that both areas of action are complementary and require concrete commitments, funding, and monitoring. They assert that equal opportunities should not be dictated by one’s island of birth or the family’s financial means.
