Relevance of Cost Sharing in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Ghana and the Opportunity Cost

International Journal of Economics and Management Studies

© 2019 by SSRG - IJEMS Journal

Volume 6 Issue 2

Year of Publication : 2019

Authors : George Obeng

10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V6I2P109

How to Cite?

George Obeng, "Relevance of Cost Sharing in Tertiary Educational Institutions in Ghana and the Opportunity Cost," SSRG International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, vol. 6,  no. 2, pp. 85-93, 2019. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V6I2P109

Abstract:

Education has a cost to be paid by the person who so desire to consume the service. However, there is a dilemma as to who consume the service, the individual or society and who pays. Generally education is seen as a public good and it is in order if the state takes up the responsibility of finance, possibly absorbing greater percentage of the cost. Government inability to absorb and control the cost of education has given managers of educational institutions undue powers to cost the service discretionary to the detriment of society. The study seeks to unravel any implicit or opportunity cost to be incurred by Government and other stakeholders where mangers have final authority to charge fees in the absence of policy and control dimensions. Policy documents and literature is reviewed on revenues, cost and Government contribution to establish any cost gabs and how finance. It is becoming clear that the policy of cost sharing to determine a cost structure and the elements therein is none existence. Tertiary institutions are devising their own means of generating revenues to finance whatever cost incurred.

Keywords:

Cost sharing, Opportunity cost, Higher education

References:

[1] Adu Kingsley and Francois Orivel, Tertiary Education Funding Strategy in Ghana; Report to National Council of Tertiary Education, Accra, Ghana, 2006
[2] Appia Kubi, Funding Tertiary Education in Ghana | Opinions 2005-03-20https://www.ghanaweb.com/.../Funding-Tertiary-Education-In-Ghana-77639, 2005
[3] Atuahene, F., The challenge of financing higher education and the role of student loan scheme: An analysis of the Student Loan Trust Fund in Ghana, Higher Education 56, 407 – 421, 2008
[4] Atuahene, F., Owusu-Ansah, A., A Descriptive Assessment of Higher Education Access, Participation, Equity, and Disparity in Ghana. DOI: 10.1177/2158244013497725, 2013
[5] Bimpong, O., SNNT call for repayment of students‟ loans in United States, General News; Retrieved from http://www.ghanaweb.com. Ghana Home Page/News Archive, August 2004
[6] Dadzie, D. S., Cost sharing and equity in higher education: Experiences of selected Ghanaian students https://etd.ohiolink.edu/pg_10?0::NO:10:P10_ETD_SUBID:61124, 2009
[7] Effah, P., “A Ghanaian response to the study on Widening Participation in Higher Education in Ghana and Tanzania: developing an equity scorecard” Research in Comparative and International Education, 6 (4), 374 b- 382, 2011
[8] George Obeng, Financing education in Ghana; how fair is the determination and sharing of cost? Social Science and Humanities Journal; Vol 2 issue-12, 2018 pp 741–749; 2018, http://sshj.in/index.php/sshj
[9] Obeng Boampong, B. J, Higher education quality assurance in Ghana; how NAB is coping with the balance between improvement and accountability, 2009
[10] [10] Government of Ghana; Education Strategic Plan 2003 To 2015
[11] Johnstone, D. B. (2004). Higher education finance and accessibility: tuition fees and student loans in Sub-Saharan Africa HEA/RESA Vol. 2, No. 2, 2004, pp.11–36
[12] Johnstone, B., Higher education finance and assessibility: Tuition fees and student loans in Sub-Saharan Africa, http://siteresources.worldbank.org.INTAFREG TOPTEIA/Resources/bruce-Johnstone, 2004
[13] Morley, L. and Lussier, K., “Intersecting poverty and participation in higher education in Ghana and Tanzania”, International Study in Sociology of Education, 2009, 19(2), 71 – 81
[14] National Council for Tertiary Education website
[15] Twene, P., Sources of funding for higher education in Ghana https://www.duo.uio.no/bitstream/handle/.../Twene-Pius-Thesis.pdf%3Fsequence%3D, 2014
[16] The World Education Forum, held in Dakar from 26 to 28. April 2000, unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121117e.pdf
[17] World Bank, Improving equity, efficiency and accountability of education service delivery, Washington; DC: The World Bank, 2011