Financing for equity in higher education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students
4. Support for students' living costs
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In 2020, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education across both genders was 10.85%. In 2014, the government’s initial funding per tertiary student amounted to 41.51% of the GDP per capita.
Tuition-free status
The 2008 Education Law explicitly provides that preschool, basic, secondary, technical–vocational, and higher education in public institutions are tuition-free.
Governance
The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) is the main government body responsible for higher education. It oversees policy development, institutional management, quality assurance, accreditation, and the allocation of budgets to public universities. The MoHE operates under a centralised system, managing most administrative and financial aspects of public universities through its Directorate of Finance and Administration.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Resources for tertiary education are allocated from the central government via the national budget, primarily to the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), which then distributes funds to universities nationwide. There are no established subnational transfer mechanisms - such as provincial-level education budgets or formula-based allocations - dedicated to higher education.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
While Afghanistan recognises the importance of private sector participation in higher education expansion, there is no direct funding to private institutions regardless of whether public alternatives exist.
Allocation and equity
Government subsidies for Afghanistan’s public higher education institutions are centrally administered by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) and the Ministry of Finance, with funds allocated based on standardised administrative indicators rather than specific equity goals. In 2020, the MoHE Leadership Council approved a standardised budget allocation mechanism designed to enhance fairness, transparency, and accountability. Under this system, funding for universities and higher education institutes is determined by measurable factors such as student enrolment (by field of study), number of staff, institutional quality and performance, number of academic departments, and other standardised criteria.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
Admission criteria are generally merit-based through the Kankor entrance examination process, which is uniform across applicants.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
The Ministry of Higher Education formally oversees scholarship programmes announced on its website, which include bilateral scholarships offered through foreign governments and partner organisations. These scholarships are not exclusively for vulnerable groups, but many target “meritorious and disadvantaged” students, particularly women, when permitted by host governments.
Afghanistan does not currently operate a centralised national grant or student loan system under any legally enacted higher education financing framework.
4. Support for students’ living costs
There is no national government programme that directly offers or subsidises transportation, accommodation, or textbooks for students in higher education.
