EVOLUTION OF FUNDING AND FINANCING IN PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES FOR PORTUGAL AND OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Considering the expected increase in the participation in higher education costs by students and their families, this research aims to examine this phenomenon, taking into account the counterparts provided through governmental social aid, given to the neediest students, enabling universality of the access to higher education to the population (Trow, 1973, 2005). Johnstone (2004) provides a meaningful contribution for the discussion on new forms of financing the Public Higher Education (PHE). He argues the need for fundraising, which should involve the patronage-philanthropy, the investigation and research at the request of the companies, and other solutions as well, such as the sale of products from higher education organizations sources and also the rental of spaces. The main objective of this paper is to critically discuss the evolution of the financing of Portuguese higher education in public institutions (funding), within the European Union higher education framework, focusing on the most recent trends. More specific objectives include identifying existing sources of funding, together with the analysis of national and international trends in terms of cost sharing in higher education, through the distribution of impacts among different types of direct and indirect players of the higher education sector: government, taxpayers, students and families. This paper resumes a set of issues that not only are being inadequately tackled, but, worst, are becoming a chronic going on concern, jeopardizing the future and potential of the PHE organizations and periling the accessibility of the population to higher education, therefore curtailing a very significant universal right that modern society considered to be safely granted.