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)
According to the 2022 UIS database, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education for both sexes is 48.5%. According to the 2014 UIS database, the initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita is 30.3. No information is available regarding the initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita.
Tuition-free status
Since 2019, the government has launched a Free Education Scheme for Degree Students. Under this, tuition for first-degree (bachelor’s) courses at the main publicly funded universities is waived. The policy also extends to a broad set of private colleges that meet government criteria, where the state covers a substantial or full share of degree-level tuition. Although the scheme removes financial barriers for most first-degree students, it includes administrative conditions: for example, students who discontinue studies without an acceptable justification may be required to reimburse the state.
Governance
Governance and financing responsibilities for higher education are primarily concentrated within the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development. This ministry was recently restructured / re-established (as per 2023) to take explicit charge of higher education. Financial allocations for the higher-education sector, including funding for public universities and tuition subsidies, are handled through national budgeting processes managed by the Ministry of Finance and Planning.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
Subnational funding mechanisms
While there is a formal decentralisation framework under the 2010 Decentralisation Act (amended 2019) that includes fiscal transfers from central government to local councils (island, atoll, city) - via block grants and, in principle, the possibility of local revenue-raising or borrowing - this framework does not extend to public higher education. Funding for tertiary institutions remains a central government responsibility.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
There is no dedicated funding mechanism that provides institutional subsidies to private universities or colleges when no public higher-education institution is available. The government’s Free Education Scheme for Degree Students does not finance private institutions directly; rather, it supports students by covering their tuition fees for approved first-degree programmes, regardless of whether they study at public or eligible private colleges.
Allocation and equity
Government subsidies for public higher-education institutions are allocated centrally through the national budget. However, the allocation model does not include equity-based targeting: there are no special funds or differentiated transfers that direct additional resources to institutions serving disadvantaged groups, remote atolls, or underrepresented populations.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
No information was found.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
The Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development offers several scholarship programmes, including the President’s Award Scholarship and the High Achievers Scholarship. However, these schemes are primarily merit-based and are intended for high-performing students. They do not specifically target or prioritise vulnerable groups in higher education.
Furthermore, the government recently directed the relevant ministries to provide loans to all 806 eligible applicants under the Higher Education Loan Programme, expanding access to financial support for studies domestically and abroad. However, there is no publicly available information on how this loan programme is targeted or which specific groups ultimately benefit from it.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation
No information was found.
Accommodation
No information was found.
Textbooks
No information was found.
