The value of tuition fees in higher education in Portugal should be based on socioeconomic criteria, recommends the OECD
Portugal should adopt a differentiated system of tuition fees in which the amount paid by higher education students would be defined based on socioeconomic criteria, recommends the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The OECD recommendation is contained in the report “Resources for Higher Education in Portugal”, released and presented today, on the funding model for higher education.
The study was requested by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, which intends to review the funding model, and among more than 30 suggestions, experts refer to tuition fees, advocating changes to the current model.
Currently, the maximum value of tuition fees for the 1st cycle of higher education is set at 697 euros and all students pay the same. Instead, the report proposes a differentiated system, where the level of fees is linked to socio-economic criteria.
In that case, scholarship students would pay a lower amount, while students with low income levels, but not eligible for a scholarship, pay an average level, setting a higher value for the rest.
In addition to tuition fees, experts also suggest strengthening support for students with greater needs and a review of the eligibility criteria currently in force for receiving scholarships.
The aim of this review would be to assess the flexibility of the system to support an increasingly fun student population and address the need for changes or the introduction of other tools for older students.
As for student accommodation, the report states that public investments should be directed to territories where demand exceeds supply and planned based on the prospective demand for higher education.
With regard to higher education funding, the report recalls that the calculation formula provided for in the law has not been applied since 2009 and suggests that the Government design a new targeted formula “by principles of transparency, equal treatment and efficiency🇧🇷
Although the cost factors predicted in the current calculation formula are in line with those of other OECD countries, experts admit that some, associated with lower costs, may “not be fully justified🇧🇷
For this reason, the relationship between the number of students and teachers must be the main factor and the model must foresee the attribution of a fixed component, between 15% and 25% of the base allocations, and stable over time, also defining , the purpose and objectives of core grants.
Considering that there are conditions for them to be completed in time for them to be included in the State Budget for 2024, experts point to the need for a transition period, so that universities and polytechnics can adapt to the new system.
On the other hand, they recommend complementary and autonomous financing options and political regulation aimed at institutions located in regions that are more protected by population decline.
The report is presented today at a session taking place at the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, which will be attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, and the Secretary of State for Higher Education, Pedro Teixeira.