According to the Higher Education Act, 2003 (Act No. 26 of 2003), the National Council for Higher Education is mandated to advise the Minister responsible for higher education amongst others; on the allocation of funds to public Higher Education Institutions. Cabinet approved the Funding Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions in 2013 as a tool for systematic financing public higher education institutions and encouraging improvement in the performance of such institutions in pursuit of national development goals. Implementation of the Framework commenced with the financial year 2016/17.
The main objectives of the Funding Framework are:
- To present an important planning tool for the entire HE system;
- To impact predictability, equity and efficiency in the HEIs’ funding process;
- To subject Public HEIs budget submissions to systematic assessment; and
- To monitor the utilisation of resources by public higher education institutions.
The Funding Framework has three main components:
- A Funding Formula, which is a mechanism for determining operational funds and, when necessary and effective, performance and competitive funds
- An Investment Model, which addresses the need for additional facilities, given what exists and what enrolment in relevant programmes is expected, and
- A Tuition Fees Model, which addresses the principal issues surrounding tuition fees, i.e. the portion of of costs to be borne by students; the extent to which such costs should reflect differential programme costs, the student’s year of study, and his/her residential status; how such costs should be increased as other related costs increase; and the kinds of support that should be extended to students and/or their caregivers to meet such costs.
The Tuition Fees Portal allows the public to access information on tuition fees of any public or private HEIs. Prospective students will be able to compare Institutions and programmes to make informed choice.
