Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2017 Student Demographics and Perceptions of the Cost-Sharing Program for Financing Higher Education in Tanzania and Their Relationship to Perceived Likelihood of Student Loans Repayment Protas A. Makimu Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Makimu, Protas A., "Student Demographics and Perceptions of the Cost-Sharing Program for Financing Higher Education in Tanzania and Their Relationship to Perceived Likelihood of Student Loans Repayment" (2017). Dissertations. 1630. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/1630 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE COST-SHARING PROGRAM FOR FINANCING HIGHER EDUCATION IN TANZANIA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERCEIVED LIKELIHOOD OF STUDENT LOANS REPAYMENT by Protas A. Makimu Chair: Jay Brand ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University School of Education Title: STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE COST- SHARING PROGRAM FOR FINANCING HIGHER EDUCATION IN TANZANIA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERCEIVED LIKELIHOOD OF STUDENT LOANS REPAYMENT Name of researcher: Protas A. Makimu Name and degree of faculty chair: Jay Brand, Ph.D. Date completed May 2017 Problem and Purpose All over the world, the costs of higher education are becoming unaffordable for people of low and middle socio-economic status. The rising costs of colleges and universities are outpacing any growth in incomes and the price increases of other indispensable needs such as medical care, food, clothing and housing. Tanzania is facing the same problem. Because the country has very low gross enrollment rate (GER) even in comparison to other African countries, the government has established the cost-sharing program to increase students’ access to higher educational institutions and enrollment. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore the student perceptions of the cost- sharing program for financing higher education in Tanzania and whether selected demographics such as age, gender, socio-economic status, and high school academic achievement, as well as student perceptions of the cost-sharing program are statistically significant predictors of the likelihood of student loan repayment. Research Design A quantitative research method was used to survey students from five universities in Tanzania; namely: Muzumbe University, Saint Augustine University of Tanzania, the University of Arusha, the University of Dar es Salaam, and Zanzibar University. A sample of 500 students was chosen randomly from these universities, but only 495 students gave responses good enough for analysis. Quantitative research is useful for quantifying opinions, attitudes, and behaviors and thus can be used to explore how the entire population feels about a certain issue. Because the study was so deeply rooted in numbers and statistics, quantitative research was suitable due to its ability to be effective in translating data into easily quantified charts and graphs. Participants indicated their perceptions of the cost-sharing program for financing higher education in Tanzania. Descriptive analysis was used to determine frequencies, standard deviations, and means of variables. The categorical regression model was employed to determine the influence of the selected demographical variables on the perceived likelihood of student loan repayment. Finally, a multiple regression model was used to determine the influence of the selected student perceptions on the perceived likelihood of student loan repayment. Results Students’ awareness of student loans and eligibility criteria of the Higher Education Student Loans Board of Tanzania (HESLB) of student loan disbursement were statically significant predictors of the perceived likelihood of student loan repayment at 0.047 and 0.001, respectively. Implications One of the implications of this study is that if the HESLB works effectively according to its vision, mission, and core values, beneficiaries will honor its integrity and repay student loans. Conclusion Overall, this study suggests that higher education can be one of the essential key factors benefiting economic growth in Tanzania. The results of this study are in harmony with the idea of establishing public universities in Africa, which were regarded as ontologically embedded for developing countries in the continent. In addition, awareness of student loans and eligibility criteria of the HESLB for student loans disbursement are statistically significant predictors of the perceived likelihood of student loan repayment. There is a need for conducting further research employing mixed methods to provide a richer context for interpreting the feelings of students about the cost-sharing program for financing higher education in Tanzania and to improve the applications of the current research. Andrews University School of Education STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE COST-SHARING PROGRAM FOR FINANCING HIGHER EDUCATION IN TANZANIA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERCEIVED LIKELIHOOD OF STUDENT LOANS REPAYMENT A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Protas A. Makimu May 2017 © Copyright by Protas A. Makimu 2017 All Rights Reserved STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF THE COST-SHARING PROGRAM FOR FINANCING HIGHER EDUCATION IN TANZANIA AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO PERCEIVED LIKELIHOOD OF STUDENT LOANS REPAYMENT A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by Protas A. Makimu APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _______________________________ _________________________________ Chair: Jay Brand Dean, School of Education Robson Marinho _______________________________ Member: Jimmy Kijai _______________________________ Member: Sylvia Gonzalez _______________________________ _________________________________ External: Jerome Thayer Date approved DEDICATION To my two elder brothers, Gerald and Baston Makimu, who taught me how to read and write before I began formal education. Thank you very much for the precious gift you granted me. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................... x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................... xii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 Background and Overview of the Problem ................................................ 1 Rationale for the Study .............................................................................. 6 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................... 11 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................. 13 Research Questions .................................................................................... 13 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework .................................................... 14 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................ 14 Conceptual Framework ........................................................................ 30 Limitations ................................................................................................. 32 Methodology .............................................................................................. 34 Delimitations of the Study ......................................................................... 35 Definitions of Terms .................................................................................. 36 Organization of the Study .......................................................................... 42 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. 43 Introduction ................................................................................................ 43 Importance of Higher Education ................................................................ 44 Different Ways of Funding Higher Education ........................................... 48 Brief History of Higher Education in Tanzania ......................................... 53 Cost-Sharing Program in Higher Education in Tanzania .......................... 56 The Rationales of the Cost-Sharing Program for Higher Education in Tanzania.......................................................................... 59 Success and Challenges Facing Higher Education Student Loans Board (HESLB) in Tanzania ..................................................... 68 Background .......................................................................................... 68 Success of the HESLB ........................................................................