Financing for equity in higher education

1. Education resources to subnational governments

Introduction

Key financing indicators (UIS Data)

The gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education for both sexes was 15.86 in 2015, the most recent year for which UIS data was available. Data on 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 are not available.

Tuition-free status

Public higher education in Sudan is not tuition-free under national laws and policies. Article 62 of the 2019 Transitional Constitutional Document guarantees free education only at the general level. Existing legal frameworks grant tuition-free status to targeted groups, as outlined in Section 3 of this profile.

Governance

There are five types of higher education institutions operating in Sudan: public universities, public technical colleges, private universities, philanthropic universities and private colleges.

The Federal Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research (FMOHESR), operating under the Higher Education Act of 1990, is responsible for policy development, service delivery, and the regulation of both government and private higher education institutions. This federal jurisdiction is shared with the National Council for Higher Education and Scientific Research, which is mandated to formulate policies, plans, and funding, as well as set scientific research priorities and grant licenses for the establishment of new institutions.

The Federal Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning manages the budget of the Federal Ministry of Higher Education and is responsible for allocating direct transfers of grants to higher education institutions.

1. Education resources to subnational governments

Subnational funding mechanisms

While there have been decentralization efforts at the basic education level, there are no subnational funding mechanisms for higher education in Sudan. The Federal Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning makes direct grants to higher education institutions and manages the budget of the Federal Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research.

2. Education resources to institutions

Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions

No information was found on targeted funding for private universities in the absence of an available public university.

Allocation and equity

The federal government provides financial support to higher education institutions through annual grants made directly to universities. However, there is no dedicated allocation for higher education in the federal budget. The specified transfers to higher education institutions are treated as off-budget support. Funding is not tied directly to need or institutional performance.

No information was found on the allocation of funds targeting equity for specific groups.

3. Education resources to students

Admission for vulnerable groups

General admission to higher education is handled through a centralized electronic system managed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Students who have passed the Sudan School Certificate, or an equivalent secondary qualification, can apply online during a national application window, ranking their preferred programmes and institutions. The General Administration for Admission then allocates places based mainly on secondary school exam percentages and programme cutoff scores.school exam percentages and off scores.

Sudan's higher education admissions framework includes affirmative-action measures to advance equity for students from historically marginalized and conflict-affected regions. Since the 1970s, the government has operated "special admission" and "state admission" channels that operate alongside the standard centralized admission system based on Sudan School Certificate results, allowing qualified candidates from specified regions, notably Darfur and other areas affected by conflict, to gain entry with lower academic cut-off scores than those required for mainstream admission. This policy framework was explicitly strengthened by Article 14 of the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement, which mandates “flexibility in application of the eligibility criteria for admission into 18 Universities and other educational institutions of higher learning in the Sudan” and by the 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, which called for the allocation of 50% of admissible seats in public universities in Darfur to Darfurians.

Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups

No information was found on a comprehensive national scholarship scheme or student loan programme. However, existing national legislation and peace agreements include commitments to expand access to education by reducing or removing school fees for targeted groups. The 2017 Persons with Disabilities National Act states that "the Government shall bear all tuition fees of public education and at university levels for persons with disabilities and their children in case of financial hardship." Article 14 of the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement and Article 14 of the 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur mandate an exemption from school fees for new students of Darfurian origin at all levels for a period of five years. While the Darfur Peace Agreement and the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur remain formally valid, the fee exemption was withdrawn in 2016 with the publication of a government circular. The 2020 Juba Peace Agreement does not include provisions for tuition-free education. Universities retain discretion to operationalize legal commitments through their own scholarship and exemption schemes.