Higher education financing: Evaluation of alternative methods in terms of preferability

Financing of higher education; it come to the forefront with the increase in the demand for higher education, the individual and social benefits of higher education. The significance of higher education brings the application of alternative financing methods to the agenda in order for the system to be successful. The main purpose of this study is evaluation of alternative financing methods from the point of preferability. Within this purpose, a questionnaire study was performed with academic staff and members. According to the results obtained, it is seen that two groups which support separately the financing with tax financing and cost sharing methods, arise based on the participants preferences for the basic financing method. However, when a separate question is asked for cost sharing, 80% of the participants express that they support cost sharing method. When financing methods are evaulated within the frame of the criteria (such as justice, activity, economic development etc.), the financing with tax is preferred predominately. Addition to this, it was researched whether the scoring made by the participants in criterion questions were associated with their experience or not. In the independent samples t-tests, it was observed that as the experience of the social justice and communal acceptability criteria increased, the scores for tution fees increased accordingly.