Affordability of private tertiary education: a Malaysian study

Samuel Jebaraj Benjamin, M. Srikamaladevi Marathamuthu, Saravanan Muthaiyah and Murali Raman

International Journal of Social Economics, 2011, vol. 38, issue 4, 382-406

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the affordability of private tertiary education for households in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach - The relevant literature is reviewed to provide an overview of the affordability of private tertiary education. Data are obtained randomly from a private university in Malaysia and the results are analyzed using the one‐samplet‐test and one‐way ANOVA. Findings - The proxy of affordability, which is the average household income, reveals the per capita average is more than three times the national average, which points out the non‐affordability of students from low and average earning households to afford private tertiary education in Malaysia. Financial assistance of students at the tertiary level is insufficient and may warrant further policy and administrative improvements to reach deserving students. There is also difference in income and hence affordability between urban‐rural households, a perspective that demands changes in the current income distribution policies. In order to address the issues highlighted in this study, salient suggestions have been proposed. Originality/value - This paper reinforces the need to address the issue of affordability of tertiary education and its significant importance, especially to developing countries.

Keywords: Malaysia; Tertiary education; Private education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.110 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijsepp:v:38:y:2011:i:4:p:382-406

DOI: 10.1108/03068291111112068

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Social Economics is currently edited by Professor Terence Garrett

More articles in International Journal of Social Economics from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().