Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to identify a number of issues related to the funding of higher education institutions in developing countries.  The author discusses four basic policy questions that are prevalent in every higher education system, namely, How much higher education can a nation afford? How much should be spent per student, per graduate or per unit of knowledge? Who should pay and how should public funds for higher education be made available to institutions and students?  The issues that are presented here have been derived from a survey of the literature on higher education funding. The survey not only considered studies aimed at developing countries but also took into account publications on funding issues in so-called developed contexts. In many respects, the funding problems faced by universities and colleges in developing countries are certainly not unique. To some extent, higher education institutions in the industrialized world are facing similar problems, although they are of course less severe in relative terms.  The author claims that although it would be prefered to concentrate on financial issues only, we cannot ignore the famous 'trinity' of funding-quality-access in higher education. This trinity forces us to take account of the interrelationships between all three elements when discussing funding issues. The author also discusses the challenges facing higher education institutions in developing countries.

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Jongbloed, Ben (2000). The funding of higher education in developing countries. In Ben Jongbloed and Hanneke Teekens (eds) The Financing of Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa Utrecht, The Netherlands: Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS), 13-40