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 the Syrian Arab Republic, between 2002 and 2016, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education rose from 12.65% to 43.76%. Between 2002 and 2009, initial government funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita declined from 84.65% to 51.21%. Data on initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP per capita are not available.
Tuition-free status
Syrian nationals wishing to access higher education resident in Syria or abroad pay the same fees. Students who meet academic requirements can access higher education courses by paying only registration fees. Those who do not meet these academic requirements pay substantially higher parallel fees to attend the same courses. Policies in 2022 set the percentage of parallel places at 50%.
Governance
Higher education financing in the Syrian Arab Republic is centrally administered by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in accordance with Law No. 6 of 2006 on the Organization of Universities and its Executive Regulations. The ministry is responsible for setting national higher education policies, overseeing higher education institutions, accrediting universities and academic programmes, and allocating and supervising state budget resources for public universities. Within this framework, the Higher Education Council plays a coordinating role in approving strategic plans and major policy and resource-related decisions. Presidential Decree No. 36 of 2001 established the legal framework for private universities, which are expected to be self-financing.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
No evidence was found of funding mechanisms that transfer resources from the central government to local governments for public higher education in Syria. Public higher education institutions are state-controlled and centrally financed through the Ministry of Higher Education and the Higher Education Council.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
No evidence was found of a funding mechanism for private higher education institutions when public higher education institutions are not available. Private universities in Syria are exclusively for-profit institutions and are fully financed through student tuition fees. They do not receive government subsidy, however, they are subject to the ministry regulations.
Allocation and equity
No evidence was found of equity-targeted institutional funding mechanisms for public higher education.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
Admission to higher education in the Syrian Arab Republic is based on a centralised, merit-based placement system determined by national secondary-school examination results. In 2025 the government cancelled existing preferential admissions schemes.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
No evidence of equity-based grants or loans was found for students in higher education institutions.
4. Support for students’ living costs
Transportation & Textbooks
No evidence was found for any support for transportation services or textbooks provision in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Accommodation
Support for accommodation of students exists in the form of “university cities” which provide subsidised basic rooms for students. According to a 2022 decree, they are administratively independent and are to receive an annual subsidy allocated by the Council of Higher Education. These organisations can offer accommodation at subsidised rates to those with disabilities.
