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 58.54 in 2003, the most recent year for which UIS data is 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 from UIS.

Tuition-free status

Education is guaranteed as a free public service for Libyan citizens under Law No. 211 of 2011 on free education, the 1969 Constitutional Proclamation of Libya, and the subsequent 2016 Draft Constitution. Students enrolled in state universities and higher institutes do not pay tuition fees, although they may bear indirect costs related to transport, housing and learning materials.

Governance

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is the central authority responsible for planning, financing and regulating higher education and scientific research. Its mandate includes formulating strategies for higher education, preparing and executing the higher education budget, regulating public and non-state universities, and promoting international cooperation and scholarships.

1. Education resources to subnational governments

Subnational funding mechanisms

Libya’s higher education system is centrally governed, and most public funding for higher education is channelled directly from the central government budget to public universities, rather than through subnational governments. Public universities and higher institutes are national institutions whose operating budgets and staff salaries are financed through allocations approved at the central level by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Finance.

2. Education resources to institutions

Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions

No information was found on a systematic public subsidy scheme for non-state higher education institutions, even in areas without a public university. Non-state providers generally rely on tuition fees and private resources. 

Allocation and equity

Government subsidies to public higher education institutions are allocated through the national budget to cover staff salaries, operational costs and, in some cases, capital investments. Budget allocations are administered centrally. Detailed formulas are not publicly specified, the system recognises differences in institutional size, programme mix and regional distribution when establishing universities and faculties. 

No information was found on needs-based funding formulas explicitly linked to disadvantaged student groups.

3. Education resources to students

Admission for vulnerable groups

Libya’s legal framework, including the 2016 Draft Constitution, guarantees equal access to education and prohibits discrimination. However, no information was found on formal systems to support access to higher education for specific vulnerable groups such as low-income students, persons with disabilities or students from remote regions in higher education admissions.  Admission to public universities is based primarily on upper secondary examination results and programme-specific criteria. .

Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups

Scholarship, grant, and student loan systems in Libya remain limited, with the state relying primarily on tuition-free public higher education as its main mechanism for promoting access and equity. No information was found on targeted scholarships for disadvantaged groups or for students pursuing studies in specialized or private institutions. The government operates a merit-based scholarship programme that fully funds undergraduate and postgraduate study abroad.