Further Education colleges in Belfast have been forced to reduce planned student enrolments by more than 2,500 places following a significant reduction in available funding.
The total number of students enrolled has fallen from approximately 19,100 to around 16,500 as institutions face severe financial constraints.
According to Belfast Met, the executive has failed to reach an agreement on a budget and has subsequently requested additional financial support from the government.
This deadlock has resulted in a £33m reduction in funding for Further Education colleges compared to previous periods.
Belfast Metropolitan College alone has experienced a cut of £6.8m when measured against the 2025/26 financial year figures.
The impact has been particularly acute on adult learning, evening classes and leisure courses offered by the sector.
Specific programmes have been withdrawn or scaled back to manage the deficit, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) instruction designed to assist newcomers in the region.
GCSE qualifications in French and Spanish have been removed from the curriculum alongside reductions in GCSE English provision.
Evening A-Level classes targeting adult learners have also seen their capacity diminished as part of these necessary adjustments.