A nation's investment in the education of its citizens correlates to its prosperity, according to a Conference Board 2004 study. As tuition costs climb worldwide and economic constraints limit the availability of public allocations for higher education, concern rises for those without financial resources to acquire a college degree. The University of Buffalo's International Comparative Higher Education Finance and Accessibility Project (ICHEFAP), founded in 2000 by Dr. D. Bruce Johnstone, studies the "worldwide shift" from public-funded to student-paid higher education.
Tuition
The ICHEFAP has analyzed the differences in student responsibility for tuition payment in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa and compared these to the U.S. education system. The prevalence of public-sponsored institutions in these regions, combined with a growing student population and lack of the philanthropic support characteristic of American higher education, has taxed government ability to maintain traditional funding levels. A global trend of "cost-sharing" has emerged.
National Systems
One of the issues examined by the ICHEFAP includes the dilemma faced by countries that have historically guaranteed free college education. Cultural aversion to income and asset reporting necessary to determine student need obstructs financial aid programs. Resistance to change and private-funding of scholarships exacerbate the efforts of these governments to introduce cost-sharing.
Access
The relationship between affordability and access lies at the heart of ICHEFAP research. According to ICHEFAP, the U.S. education system extended $143 billion in need-based student aid and loans in the 2007-2008 scholastic year. In contrast, writes Dr. Johnstone, countries without formal assistance programs or a means to assess financial need confront the long-term possibility of an educated citizenry based on "family financial status."
Research
The International Comparative Higher Education Finance and Accessibility Project has shared its findings through publications; conference sponsorship in Tanzania, Kenya, Russia, Czech Republic and China; and fellowships for visiting professors and graduate students from across the globe. The ICHEFAP keeps current higher education financing profiles on 45 countries. It completed a comprehensive, worldwide comparison of student loans in 2009.
Support
Grants from the Ford Foundation funded the ICHEFAP from 2000 to 2008. Since then, consultant work by program staff and the University of Buffalo's Graduate School of Education have provided ongoing support. Project manager Pamela Marcucci maintains the project's research library housed in the university's Center for Comparative and Global Studies in Education as well as its website. Recent "clients" include the World Bank, Romania and the United Arab Emirates.
