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)
In Tunisia, between 2000 and 2023, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education rose steadily from 18.25% to 38.12%. From 2000 to 2015, the initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita declined from 72.84% to 52.63%, while data on the initial household funding are not available.
Tuition-free status
Under Law No. 2008-19 of 25 February 2008 on Higher Education, Article 7 establishes that public higher education in Tunisia is tuition-free. The law explicitly states that public tertiary education is provided free of charge, while allowing higher education and research institutions to collect registration fees from students under conditions defined by decree.
Governance
The financing of higher education is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MHESR), which oversees public universities and allocates budgetary resources to higher education institutions through the state budget. The Ministry is responsible for developing and implementing national policies for higher education and scientific research, supervising the activities of universities, higher education and research institutions, and research structures, and overseeing student life, including coordination of student welfare offices. The Ministry’s 2022 Annual Performance Plan (PAP MESRS) specifies budget transfers from the MHESR to universities under the higher education programme integrate multiple expenditure components within a single budget envelope, including staff remuneration, operating expenditures, interventions, and investments.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
There are no funding mechanisms for transferring resources from the central government to local or subnational governments for public higher education. Instead, public higher education is financed through direct state subsidies allocated to universities under the supervision of the central government. According to Article 35 of Law No. 2008-19 of 25 February 2008 on Higher Education, state funding is provided in the form of operating subsidies for management, teaching, and research, as well as capital subsidies for equipment and development projects.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
No government funding mechanism in Tunisia channels public resources to private universities when no public university is available. Private higher education is financed independently and operates without direct or indirect public funding.
Allocation and equity
No evidence was found of a formula-based funding mechanism in Tunisia that allocates government subsidies to public higher education institutions. However, of Law No. 2008-19 of 25 February 2008 on Higher Education provide a legal basis for a contract-programme approach, under which the State may conclude multi-year agreements with individual universities that set institutional objectives alongside associated financial commitments. In addition, a block grant mechanism is used whereby universities submit quality improvement proposals, such as initiatives for academic staff development, the introduction of new programmes, upgrades to educational equipment and ICT, or measures to reduce time to degree, which are then assessed by national and external experts, with funding allocated on a competitive basis to selected proposals.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
No evidence was found of specific admission criteria for vulnerable groups in public higher education in Tunisia. Admission to public universities is primarily merit-based and determined through performance in the national baccalaureate examination.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
University scholarships are provided as part of state-funded student support policies and are primarily administered by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research through the national system of student welfare offices. These scholarships are generally non-repayable and are targeted mainly at students from low-income households. Eligibility incorporates explicit equity considerations through income deductions that adjust household resources to students’ social and geographic circumstances. Under the Ministerial Order of 9 October 2012 on the allocation and renewal of national scholarships and student loans, parental income is assessed after deductions are applied for household size, disability, dependent non-student siblings, and distance between the family residence and the place of study, adjusting resources to reflect vulnerability and geographic remoteness and prioritising students from disadvantaged households within scholarship eligibility.
Student loans are distinct from university scholarships and are provided through the national social protection system. The scheme is administered by the Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale (CNSS) and allows affiliated contributors or pension beneficiaries to obtain repayable loans to finance the higher education of their children enrolled in public universities. These loans are subject to eligibility conditions related to social security affiliation, income thresholds, and the student’s enrolment status, and they carry a fixed annual interest rate. Student loans cannot be combined with national or international scholarships and are regulated by specific government decrees governing social security–based education financing.
Granting of Back-to-School and University Assistance
The Ministry of Social Affairs of Tunisia administers the national back-to-school and university assistance programme, which provides financial and material support to students from poor and low-income families registered under the Amen Social social protection programme. The assistance is intended to ease the financial burden of the school and university return period by offering annual along with in-kind support such as textbooks, schoolbags and supplies in coordination with regional social solidarity committees and partners like the National Pedagogical Center and Tunisian Customs. The aid is disbursed once a year prior to the start of the academic year to eligible pupils and students to help cover education-related expenses.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation
Support for student transportation is available in the form of subsidised public transport subscriptions. Reduced-fare transport passes are provided by the Ministry of Transport, operationalized through the national transport companies. These discounted subscriptions are available to pupils and university students enrolled in recognised institutions.
In addition, the Ministry has introduced a comprehensive student transport plan that goes beyond fare reductions and includes the direct allocation of transport infrastructure to support student mobility. For the 2025 academic year, this plan involved the deployment of 2,743 national buses, with approximately 65% dedicated to student transport, the operation of 750 buses by the Société des Transports de Tunis (TRANSTU) alongside a 20% increase in student services, and capacity adjustments by regional transport companies. Rail-based support also forms part of the plan, with 60 light metro units and 21 national rail trains allocated to student travel.
Accommodation
Student accommodation support is provided mainly through public university residences administered by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. University housing is generally allocated to newly enrolled students under the age of 26, with priority given to students with severe disabilities and those sponsored by the state, provided that the distance between their family residence and the university is at least 30 kilometres. According to announcements made in July 2025, the Ministry revised the rules governing university housing, extending the duration of residence rights from one to two years for male students and from two to three years for female students.
Textbooks
No evidence was found of a dedicated national programme that provides direct financial support for the purchase of textbooks for higher education students.
