Exploring Funding in Higher Education to Eliminate Poverty in South Africa

Abstract

Since South Africa’s transition from apartheid to a democratic government in 1994, the country has been struggling to bridge the inequalities between the rich and the poor and youth unemployment has reached alarmingly high levels. However indicators demonstrate that youth unemployment and poverty are as a result of limited access to higher education amongst the previously disadvantaged groups. It is also observable that a massive number of students drop-out of higher education due to exorbitant study costs. Therefore it is relevant to explore the funding model and need for free tertiary education as articulated by various scholars and academics to enable the country to deal with the socio-economic challenges stifling its growth.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2014.v3n1p353