Research On Multiple Sources Of Regular Higher Education Funding In Henan Province

Higher education, as the summit of the education system, is responsible for training senior professionals, developing science, technology and culture, and promoting the socialist modernization. It provides an important intellectual support for the scientific development of economic society. The development level of Regular higher education is particularly important, which is the backbone and main force of higher education. After the reform and opening up, China established and gradually perfected a diversified financing system of regular higher education funding, making it clear and delimiting it by law. However, Henan province is the populous one and economically underdeveloped province, but is the largest one for regular higher education. Its anticipated goal of the diversified financing system of regular higher education funding has not been realized. There is a trend of dualization that education appropriation within budget decreases while tuition and fees increase. To some extent, it restricts the development of higher education in Henan Province. Therefore, it is extremely urgent to develop the relevant research on diversification of education financing sources of regular higher education in Henan Province.This study deeply discusses the diversification of education funding sources of regular higher education in Henan Province from many aspects, such as the total income of regular higher education funding, income from other sources etc., on the basis of understanding the evolution process of education funding system of regular higher education in China, and through comparative analysis of the relevant data from 1999 to 2008. Through comparative analysis of mass data, the study finds that the total income of regular higher education appropriations is not enough; among the various funding sources, tuition and fees and education appropriations within budget are the main ones, which presents an obvious the trend of dualization; tuition and fees have exceeded education appropriations within budget and become the first source; and funds from other sources are seriously insufficient. Through a further study, it is found that the low economic development of Henan province, the insufficient attention paid to the investment on regular higher education, the overburden of educatees, the financing incompetence of regular institutions of higher education, the imperfection of relevant policy and regulations system are main causes of these problems. On this basis, some suggestions on perfecting the structure of education funding sources of regular higher education in Henan Province are put forward. Firstly, the position of government as the main source should be strengthened. Henan government should increase the investment; central authorities should increase financial transfer and perfect legal policy system to further restrain the government. Secondly, the charging system of higher education should be perfected. A proper charging standard should be established, and subsidy system for poor students should be further completed. Thirdly, private higher education is encouraged to develop. Supports should be given to the development of private higher education both from policy and capital. Fourthly, the initiative of regular institutions of higher education is made full use of. The institution of higher learning should combine the study, production and research in a high level and serve the society more so as to finance from the market. Last but not least, the education financing channels should be extended. Effort should be done to encourage the society to donate, issue education lottery, and recruit overseas students so as to broaden the education financing channels.