Higher Education in Perspective: the University, the Student and the Funding Model

This article aims to study the fundamental models of funding higher education. In the same include a scoping study, comparative, through which one looks at the Portuguese reality in parallel with the OECD and other European Union countries. In Portugal there are more than 150 institutions of higher education. According to the ENQA (2006) there are 14 public universities, a university non-integrated, 15 polytechnic institutes, polytechnic schools integrated in some universities, nine nursing schools, 4 military universities schools and 5 polytechnic military schools. In the private sector there is the Catholic University. The public universities and polytechnics are overseen by the Minister of Education and Science. In terms of autonomy, with the approval of university autonomy law - Law No. 108/88 of 24 September - saw these institutions strengthened their powers and autonomy. Recently was approved the Legal Regime of Higher Education Institutions (RJIES) by Law 62/2007, which determines changes in its governance model, both in number and in size. In terms of funding, universities are mainly financed by the State Budget, although this component will decrease in recent years. They are encouraged to use to produce their own revenue through the provision of specialized services, or by means of signing agreements. In this paper we develop funding mechanisms under which the government can finance higher education. In this exploratory study, in which recourse to data from the State Budget and OECD data available, indicate that Portugal in this respect is within the average of EU countries.