Higher Education in Turkey: Subsidizing the Rich or the Poor?

Asena Caner and Cagla Okten ()
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Cagla Okten: Bilkent University

No 7011, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: We investigate how the benefits of publicly financed higher education in Turkey are distributed among students with different socioeconomic backgrounds. We use a unique dataset from a nationally representative sample of university entrance exam takers together with data on government subsidies to public universities. We compare the characteristics of students who succeed in the exam to those who do not and those who enter public universities to those who go to private ones. Our econometric analyses based on a three-stage selection model reveal that students from wealthier and more educated families are more likely to be successful at university entrance. Unlike the findings in other countries, students who enroll in private universities come from higher income and more educated families. However, among those who enter public universities, students from higher income and more educated families are more likely to go to universities that receive larger subsidies from the government.

Keywords: higher education; public finance of higher education; Turkey; education; government subsidies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H4 I22 I24 J1 O12 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 51 pages
Date: 2012-11
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara, nep-cwa, nep-edu and nep-lab
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Journal Article: Higher education in Turkey: Subsidizing the rich or the poor? (2013)
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