Higher Education Tuition Fee Systems In The Oecd Framework And The Comparative Analysis Of Key Economic Trends
Research purpose. This study identifies analyses four key higher education policy models on the basis of OECD and EU data base with background discussion. The study provides information and knowledge how higher education policies and some key economic indicators can be combined? Study provides comparative trend analyses, which are policy-relevant and give insights to decision-makers. Design / Methodology / Approach. Since the well-known Mincer-Earnings-Equation in the early 1970s, there has emerged an extensive literature concerning the monetary returns on higher education. Tuition fees in higher education can be considered as private investment in higher personal incomes. Free educa-tion has been opposed on the basis of its unfairness: At the same time as the proportion of public expendi-ture on tertiary educational institutions is an average of near 70 percent of total expenditure in all OECD countries, less educated tax-payers support higher futures incomes of privileged students. In this paper we focus on key trends of economies with their higher education systems. Findings. At present, only few countries, in addition to the Nordic Countries, have adopted tuition-free higher education system. There are growing financial and political pressures to adopt tuition also in these countries. Thus, it is of the greatest importance to acquire research knowledge in this matter. First, we briefly review the relevant theoretical and empirical economic literature. Next, we discuss the potential economic benefits of tuition-free higher education system in terms of dynamic macro efficiency. We suggest an eclectic approach, where aspects of endogenous growth theory and dynamic public economics are em-phasized. Criterion for national success is the balanced growth path with social welfare maximization. We argue that there are plausible links between national success indicators, like competitiveness and welfare, and free higher education. In this paper, we present some empirical comparative analyses which are rele-vant for the assessment of higher education systems in the global OECD study context. The study contrib-utes to (1) the global analysis of higher education systems, (2) to the policy of higher education finance, ,(3) the education and inequality discussion, (4) to the discussion about returns of higher education and (5) to the discussion about education and development. Originality / Value / Practical implications. This study helps decision-makers in the field of higher edu-cation policy to create a big picture of on-going trends of higher education systems. The applies OECD´s analyses as a analytical framework. OECD classifies in its "Education at a Glance" report (2014, 2020) four alternative models of tuition fees and student support systems. Model 1: Countries with no or low tuition fees and generous student support system (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). Model 2: Countries with high tuition fees and well-developed student support systems (Australia, Canada, New Zea-land, the United Kingdom and US). Model 3: Countries with high tuition fees and less-developed student support systems (Chile, Japan and South-Korea); and Model 4: Countries with low tuition fees and less-developed student support systems (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain). The study executes an empirical analysis of the higher education systems in these countries. A data pool covers higher education data, economic growth data and key welfare indicators. The study executes an empirical analysis of the higher education systems in these countries. A data pool covers higher education data, economic growth data and key welfare indicators.
