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 2017, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education in the Comoros increased from 1.60% to 18.82%. Initial government funding per tertiary student fluctuated from 30.76% in 2011 to 23.26% in 2014, while data on initial household funding were not available.
Tuition-free status
Public tertiary education in the Comoros is not tuition-free, as public institutions retain the authority to charge students fees. For example, the University of Comoros, the country’s main public university, requires students to pay registration and tuition fees as part of its annual enrolment process.
Governance
The financing of higher education is centrally managed by the Ministry of National Education, which is responsible for allocating and overseeing budgets across the entire formal education system. The ministry sets national priorities, manages sector resources, and coordinates development aid in line with the country’s broader education strategy.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
There is no evidence that higher education resources are transferred to subnational authorities or channelled through them to higher institutions, and available documentation indicates that planning and budgeting for the sector remain centralised under the national Ministry of Education. Based on the Loi organique N°05-003/AU du 1er mars 2005, which places authority for education policy, curricula, national qualifications, and all higher education and research infrastructure under the Union government.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
No evidence was found of any public funding mechanisms that support private universities in contexts where no public institution is available in the Comoros. However, private higher education institutions do benefit from state-regulated accreditation and quality assurance, as the Ministry of Education retains exclusive authority over diploma accreditation under Decree No. 14-138/PR and oversees institutional compliance through the Inspection Générale de l'Éducation Nationale.
Allocation and equity
Higher education institutions are financed primarily through a lump-sum transfer from the state budget, classified as a transfer to autonomous institutions under the Ministry of Education. However, there is no evidence of any earmarked or equity-targeted transfers directed to higher education institutions for specific disadvantaged groups.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
No evidence was found of any special admission criteria or financial support mechanisms for vulnerable groups in higher education in the Comoros.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
No evidence was found of any government-run scholarship, grant or loan scheme targeted at higher-education students in the Comoros or any specific disadvantaged groups.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation, accommodation and textbooks
No evidence was found for any support for transportation services, housing, or textbook provision in the Comoros. Overall, welfare structures for students remain largely non-functional, with limited facilities and no established system of university social services.
