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)
Between 2000 and 2022, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education in Benin increased from 3.5% to 10.24%. During the period from 2000 to 2015, initial government funding per tertiary student declined from 148.15% to 57.10% of GDP per capita, while initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP fluctuated from 68.04% in 2006 to 78.90% in 2013.
Tuition-free status
Public tertiary education is tuition-free, following the 2009 government policy. However, students are still required to pay student registration and training fees, as The Article 49 of Decree No. 2021-379 of 14 July 2021 establishing the model statutes of public universities in the Republic of Benin still lists these fees as part of universities’ resources.
Governance
The financing and oversight of higher education in Benin are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS), which defines national higher-education policy and oversees the governance and budget management of all public universities. Under the Decree No. 2021-379 of 14 July 2021, MESRS exercises state supervision over public universities, approving their statutes, validating institutional budgets, and regulating their administrative and academic operations. MESRS is also responsible for defining funding allocations to public universities within the national education budget.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
There are no funding mechanisms that transfer resources from the central government to local governments for the provision of public higher education in Benin. As specified in Article 49 of Decree No. 2021-379, public universities receive state subsidies directly from the central government, and the legal framework does not assign any financing role to local governments.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
Private higher-education institutions do not receive public financing in Benin. Decree No. 2008-818 of 31 December 2008 on the general conditions for the creation and operation of private higher-education institutions establishes a strict authorisation and regulatory framework under the MESRS but assigns no financial responsibility to the state and provides no mechanism for subsidising private providers. However, private institutions remain subject to state oversight, including approval requirements, quality control, and sanctions for non-compliance.
Allocation and equity
No evidence was found of any equity-based or formula-driven mechanisms guiding government subsidy allocations to public higher education institutions.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
There are no specific admission criteria for vulnerable groups in Benin’s higher education institutions. Admission is based on standard academic requirements, most notably completion of the baccalauréat, and institutions apply a merit-based system without preferential pathways or quotas for disadvantaged students.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
Special Provisions for Students with Disabilities
Benin provides national scholarships and study assistance to eligible higher-education students with disabilities through measures defined by decree. These benefits are available to Beninese students with motor, sensory, or intellectual disabilities who hold the baccalauréat, are not employed in the public or private sector, and have a State-validated medical assessment confirming a permanent partial incapacity. Eligible students may receive study assistance in their first year and national scholarships for their second, third, and fourth years, subject to budget availability.
4. Support for students’ living costs
No evidence was found of any government-led schemes providing transportation, accommodation, or textbook support for tertiary students in Benin.
