Skip to main content
Log in

Financing Higher Education in Ethiopia: Analysis of Cost-Sharing Policy and its Implementation

  • Article
  • Published:
Higher Education Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This article was retracted on 11 June 2013

Abstract

Cost-sharing as a policy in Ethiopian higher education institutions (HEIs) has been adopted since 2003 to achieve a set of objectives such as supplementing revenue as an alternative non-governmental source, maintaining and enhancing access to higher education, addressing equity in terms of opportunity in higher education and making students ‘customer-like’. This article tries to identify some of the basic challenges the government is facing in achieving the objectives of cost-sharing in general. These challenges are lack of policy awareness, limited (or lack of) immediate non-governmental revenue, difficulty in implementing the concept of students-as-customers, the huge amount of government subsidy, inefficient/weak collection capacity, high default rate, and there is no direct flow of money to HEIs from cost-sharing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abate, S. and Waweru, M.K. (2008) ‘Higher education financing in Ethiopia: revenue diversification strategies’, Bahri Dar University, Unpublished.

  • African Development Bank and OECD. (2003) African Economic Outlook 2003, Paris: OCED Publishing.

  • Chapman, B. (1999) Reform of Ethiopian Higher Education Financing: Conceptual and Policy Issues, Washington DC: Economics of Education Thematic Group, The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). (2003a) Higher Education Proclamation No 351/2003, Addis Ababa: Negarit Gazeta.

  • Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE). (2003b) Council of Ministers Higher Education Cost-sharing, Regulation No. 91/2003, Addis Ababa: Negarit Gazeta.

  • Ishengoma, M.J. (2004) ‘Cost-sharing in higher education in Tanzania: Fact or fiction?’ Journal of Higher Education in Africa/RESA 2 (2): 101–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone, D.B. (2004) ‘The economics and politics of cost sharing in higher education: Comparative perspectives’, Economics of Education Review 20 (4): 403–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnstone, D.B. (2006) Financing Higher Education: Cost Sharing in International Perspective, Boston: Boston College Center for International Higher Education, ICHEFAP and Sense.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education. (1994) Education and Training Policy of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa: Educational Materials Production and Distributions Agency (EMPDA).

  • Ministry of Education. (2002) Education Sector Development Program II (ESDP II) 2002/03-2004/5 Program Action Plan, Addis Ababa: MOE.

  • Ministry of Education. (2005) Education Sector Development Program III (ESDP III) 2005/6-2010/11 Program Action Plan Final Draft, Addis Ababa: MOE.

  • Teixeira, P.N., Johnstone, D.B., Rosa, M.J. and Vossensteyn, H. (eds.) (2006) Cost-Sharing and Accessibility in Higher Education: A Fairer Deal? Higher Education Dynamics, Vol. 14, Dordrecht: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Wagaw, T.G. (1990) The Development of Higher Education and Social Change: An Ethiopian Experience, East Lansing, MI: Michigan University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodhall, M. (ed.) (1989) Financial Support for Students: Grants, Loans or Graduate Tax? London: Kogan Page, in Association with the Institute of Education, University of London.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. (2003) Higher Education Development for Ethiopia: Pursuing the Vision, Washington DC: The World Bank.

  • World Bank. (2010) Financing Higher Education in Africa, Washington DC: The World Bank.

  • Yizengaw, T. (2004) ‘The status and challenges of Ethiopian higher education system and its contribution to development’, Ethiopian Journal of Higher Education 1 (1): 20–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yizengaw, T. (2007a) The Ethiopian Higher Education: Creating Space for Reform, Addis Ababa: St. Mary UC Printing Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yizengaw, T. (2007b) ‘Implementation of cost sharing in the Ethiopian higher education landscape: critical assessment and the way forward’, Higher Education Quarterly 61 (2): 171–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/hep.2013.15.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ayalew, S. Financing Higher Education in Ethiopia: Analysis of Cost-Sharing Policy and its Implementation. High Educ Policy 26, 109–126 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2012.21

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2012.21

Keywords

Navigation