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 2022, the gross enrolment ratio for tertiary education in Benin was 10.24%. In 2015, initial government funding per tertiary student declined was 57.10% of GDP per capita, while initial household funding per tertiary student as a percentage of GDP was 78.90% in 2013.
Tuition-free status
Public tertiary education is tuition-free, following the 2009 government policy. However, students are still required to pay student registration and training fees, as Article 49 of Decree No. 2021-379 (2021) still lists these fees as part of universities’ resources.
Governance
The financing and oversight of higher education in Benin are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MESRS), which defines national higher-education policy and oversees the governance and budget management of all public universities. Under the Decree No. 2021-379 (2021), MESRS exercises state supervision over public universities, approving their statutes, validating institutional budgets, and regulating their administrative and academic operations. MESRS is also responsible for defining funding allocations to public universities within the national education budget.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
As specified in Article 49 of Decree No. 2021-379, public universities receive funding directly from local governments in addition to the central government, however, no budgetary transfer system from state to local authorities for higher education was identified.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funding for private universities in the absence of public institutions
Private higher-education institutions do not receive public financing in Benin. Decree No. 2008-818 of 31 December 2008 on the general conditions for the creation and operation of private higher-education institutions establishes a strict authorisation and regulatory framework under the MESRS but assigns no financial responsibility to the state and provides no mechanism for subsidising private providers. However, private institutions remain subject to state oversight, including approval requirements, quality control, and sanctions for non-compliance.
Allocation and equity
No evidence was found of any equity-based or formula-driven mechanisms guiding government subsidy allocations to public higher education institutions.
3. Education resources to students
Admission for vulnerable groups
There are no specific admission criteria for vulnerable groups in Benin’s higher education institutions. Admission is based on standard academic requirements, most notably completion of the baccalauréat, and institutions apply a merit-based system without preferential pathways or quotas for disadvantaged students.
Scholarships, grants and loans for vulnerable groups
Special Provisions for Students with Disabilities
Benin provides national scholarships and study assistance to eligible higher-education students with disabilities through measures defined by decree. These benefits are available to Beninese students with motor, sensory, or intellectual disabilities who hold the baccalauréat, are not employed in the public or private sector, and have a state-validated medical assessment confirming a permanent partial incapacity. Eligible students may receive study assistance in their first year and national scholarships for their second, third, and fourth years, subject to budget availability.
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 Benin.
