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)
As of 2024, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education for both sexes is 4.96%. There is no information available about the initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita and the initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita.
Tuition-free status
Kiribati provides free education up to the end of Junior Secondary School (around age 15) as per national policy. However, there is no clear indication that public tertiary education is tuition-free under national laws or policies.
Governance
The Ministry of Education is primarily responsible for governance and oversight of early childhood, primary, and secondary education. For higher vocational and technical education (TVET at higher levels), governance falls under the Ministry of Employment and Human Resources, except for the Teachers College, which is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Subnational funding mechanisms
Public higher education funding is centralised.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
Kiribati does not have any private universities offering full higher-education degree programmes. All recognized tertiary education is provided through public or regional institutions such as the University of the South Pacific (USP) Kiribati Campus, Kiribati Teachers College, and the Kiribati Institute of Technology (KIT).
Allocation and equity
Public higher education funding is centralised.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
At public or regional institutions such as the University of the South Pacific (USP) Kiribati Campus, Kiribati Teachers College, and the Kiribati Institute of Technology (KIT), admission is mainly based on standard academic criteria, not on special rules for particular vulnerable groups.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
Kiribati’s pre-service and in-service scholarships, administered by the Public Service Office and the Ministry of Education, are the government’s main instruments for developing national human resources through tertiary education. Pre-service awards fund recent school leavers to pursue priority undergraduate or TVET programmes - typically degrees and diplomas aligned with national workforce needs - while in-service scholarships target current employees, supporting postgraduate or professional upskilling.
External government scholarships are advertised via the Public Service Office or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
However, these are not specifically targeted for vulnerable groups.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation
Support for student transportation in Kiribati is available only at the secondary school level, mainly through government and donor-funded programmes. There is no formal transport assistance provided for tertiary or higher education students.
Accommodation
There is no formal accommodation support at the tertiary level other than limited provisions through institutions like the University of the South Pacific (USP) Kiribati Campus or vocational training centres.
Textbooks
There is no formal textbook support at the tertiary level.
