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 Jordan, from 2002 to 2024, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education fluctuated between 32.28% and 35.92%. Over the years 2016 to 2022, the initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita declined from 13.95% to 6.97%, while data on the initial household funding is not available in the UIS system.
Tuition-free status
Under the Jordanian Universities Law of 2009 and its Amendments, public higher education in Jordan is not tuition-free. The law clearly establishes that universities rely on tuition as an official source of revenue. It also sets out a governance structure in which tuition levels are formally determined through internal decision-making processes. The University Council is mandated to recommend the fees to be charged to students, while the Board of Trustees holds the authority to approve and determine university fees across all majors based on this recommendation.
Governance
The responsibility for financing higher education in Jordan lies primarily with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which oversees public and private universities, manages sector-wide policy, and administers programs that channel public funds to students and institutions. Since its re-establishment in 2001, the Ministry has supervised the allocation of state resources to higher education institutions and coordinated national initiatives related to quality assurance, accreditation and strategic development. It exercises these functions through bodies operating under its authority, including the Higher Education Council, which sets general policy for the sector, the Scientific Research Support Fund, which finances research and provides grants for outstanding students, and the Higher Education Accreditation Commission, which is responsible for ensuring compliance with accreditation and quality criteria. Additional responsibilities for managing admissions and planning are carried out by the Unified Admission Coordination Unit and the Policy Analysis and Planning Unit, both created under the Universities Law No. 20 of 2009 and the Higher Education Law No. 23 of 2009.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
There is no funding mechanism for transferring higher education funds from the central government to subnational authorities, as public universities are financed directly by the state rather than through local governments. Instead, government allocations are issued centrally and coordinated by the Council of Higher Education under the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, which is responsible for distributing public funding to universities in accordance with the Higher Education Law.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
Private higher education institutions do not receive financial support from the state, the Universities Law No. 20 of 2009 establishes them as fully self-financing and financially independent entities. The law requires each private university to prepare its own independent budget, manage all revenues through a dedicated bank account separate from that of the owner, and rely exclusively on income sources such as tuition fees, returns from university assets, revenues from educational and research activities, and approved foreign grants or donations, whereas allocations from the State’s general budget are provided only as additional resources to public universities. Although private universities do not receive public funding, they remain subject to state oversight, including requirements related to establishment approval, quality assurance, and accreditation, carried out through the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and its affiliated bodies
Allocation and equity
No evidence was found regarding funding mechanisms that target equity for specific groups. The government has imposed a special levy known as the university tax, which is collected by relevant governmental departments on certain public services and transferred to universities through the Ministry of Finance. The Board of Higher Education is responsible for distributing this tax revenue among public universities, although there are no formal guidelines governing the process and allocation practices vary from year to year. In general, considerations such as the number of students enrolled in different faculties and the scale of planned or ongoing infrastructure projects influence the distribution.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
Starting from the 2024–2025 school year, Jordan’s higher education admission system includes a specific quota for students with disabilities, as confirmed by a reform led by the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Under this policy, applicants who hold the official disability identification card issued by the Council may compete for seats specifically designated for students with disabilities within both the bachelor’s degree and bridging programmes. In addition, a quota for women has been established, which includes the provision of 200 seats in Jordanian government universities for Jordanian women’s children through the Unified Admission Coordination Unit, with eligibility determined during the same admission coordination process.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
A Student Support Fund was established in 2004 to provide financial assistance to students in need as well as those who demonstrate strong academic performance. The directives governing the Fund outline the rules and standards used to allocate grants and loans through a points-based system that considers a range of factors, including possession of a high school certificate, enrolment in a regular bachelor’s or community college diploma programme, the family’s ability to pay fees based on monthly income, the number of siblings simultaneously enrolled in higher education, place of residence and the student’s cumulative academic average. The system also includes provisions to support families with multiple students in higher education, granting eligibility when at least three siblings are not already benefiting from the Fund. In addition, the Fund’s instructions assign favourable scoring to applicants with certified disability ratios, which enhances their chances within the overall points-based selection process. The ministry further stipulates that students may be nominated to benefit from the Fund’s scholarships, grants and loans only once and on a final basis, following the completion of score calculation and review procedures.
4. Support for students’ living costs
No evidence was found of any government-led schemes providing transportation, accommodation, or textbook support for tertiary students in Jordan.
