Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access dissertations, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.
Dissertations that have an embargo placed on them will not be available to anyone until the embargo expires.
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4138-9844
AccessType
Open Access Dissertation
Document Type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Education
Year Degree Awarded
2021
Month Degree Awarded
September
First Advisor
David R. Evans
Second Advisor
Joseph B. Berger
Third Advisor
Jane E. Fountain
Fourth Advisor
Sharon F. Rallis
Subject Categories
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Leadership | Education Economics | Higher Education | Higher Education Administration | International and Comparative Education
Abstract
Adequate financing is key to achieving the priority goals of higher education – access, quality, and relevance. In Afghanistan, the demand for higher education has increased remarkably while public higher education institutions still rely heavily on inadequate government funding. In addition, the constitutional provision guaranteeing free higher education up to the bachelor’s level in public institutions, the overall weak economy of the country, and the lack of institutional autonomy, contribute to financial austerity in public higher education institutions. This study explored alternative funding sources and options for financing public universities in Afghanistan. An integrated theoretical framework guided this study as it explored alternative options and the implementation of policies, practices, and procedures for revenue diversification. This study used a qualitative research design based on Wolcott’s (1994) three dimensions: description, analysis, and interpretation. The main data collection methods were document review and semi-structured interviews with 40 key informants. The research participants represented higher education institutions including leaders and administrators from public universities, faculty, students and alumni, as well as officials from the Ministry of Higher Education. Other participants included representatives of the private sector and international donors and organizations. The findings suggest several potential supplemental funding sources for Afghan public higher education. The major additional sources include entrepreneurial activities, user charges, a dual-track tuition system, donations, and tuition fees. The study discovered that public universities could also generate substantial additional income through partnerships with private and public sectoral ministries and institutions. The findings also reveal several barriers to revenue diversification in Afghanistan higher education. The key economic factors include lack of financial capability of cost-sharing partners — families, students, businesses, and employers — limited employment opportunity for students, and nonfunctional financial autonomy. The organizational barriers comprised lack of proper institutional structure and capacity, accountability mechanisms, and an appropriate legal framework. Other major impediments are the centralized governing system, political pressures, and prevalent administrative corruption. The study concludes that revenue diversification is essential to achieve the goals of the higher education system. Therefore, the study recommends that the public universities utilize one or two of the most feasible alternative sources such as entrepreneurial activities, user charges, and donations. Other recommendations include improving institutional capacity, garnering stakeholder and political support, and creating the necessary policy and legal framework to make revenue diversification possible.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/24569000
Recommended Citation
Aslami, Hassan, "FINANCING PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION IN AFGHANISTAN: ALTERNATIVE SOURCES AND OPTIONS" (2021). Doctoral Dissertations. 2265.
https://doi.org/10.7275/24569000
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/2265
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Economics Commons, Higher Education Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, International and Comparative Education Commons