Financing for equity in higher education

1. Education resources to subnational governments

Introduction

Key financing indicators (UIS Data)

No information is available regarding the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education for both sexes, 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

Tertiary education is entirely tuition-free. Students attending the Dominica State College (DSC) have not been required to pay tuition fees since 2019, with all outstanding fees waived. However, students are required to participate in mandatory voluntary community service.

Governance

The financing of education in Dominica remains centralised, under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence. The Ministry oversees and finances public universities.

1. Education resources to subnational governments

There are no specific funding mechanisms for transferring resources from the central government to local governments for public higher education in Dominica. Local governments have no assigned responsibilities in higher education.

2. Education resources to institutions

Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions

No funding for private universities when no public university is available has been identified.

Allocation and equity

Public higher education is primarily financed through budgetary allocations from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence (MEN), which subsequently distributes subsidies to public institutions. No funds targeting equity have been identified.

3. Education resources to students

Admission for vulnerable groups

No specific admission criteria for vulnerable groups have been identified.

Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups

The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing studies abroad. No additional scholarship opportunities have been identified.

The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence appears to offer loans to students. In 2017, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) approved a line of credit to the Dominica Agricultural Industrial and Development Bank (DAIDB) to enhance socioeconomic development in the Commonwealth of Dominica. This loan, guaranteed by the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, was made to help finance student loans and affordable housing for low- and lower-middle-income families.

Additionally, the Dominica Social Security (DSS) has a student loan programme accredited by the Ministry of Education that may cover tuition and fees, living expenses related to school, computer purchases, and book purchases. This programme is directed at applicants who are 18 years or older; however, if the application is made by a family member, the student can be as young as 16.