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Widening participation in higher education: a social justice analysis of student loans in Tanzania

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Abstract

Financing of higher education (HE) through provision of student loans has become the most popular strategy globally for funding undergraduate degrees; hence, widening participation in HE depends crucially on socially just distribution of loans. Tanzanian financial assistance policy aims to support students from low-socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds. This study explores the extent to which the loan scheme in Tanzania enables HE participation of students from the low-SES backgrounds. The study is guided by Critical Theory philosophical perspectives and applies Nancy Fraser’s theory of social justice. Through Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis, issues of redistribution and recognition in the distribution of student loans are investigated with regard to opportunities for students from the low SES to access them. Findings of this study show discrepancy between the purposes of the financial assistance policy and the loan scheme on the one hand and the design of the loan scheme on the other hand. This study recommends that the Higher Education Student Loans Board revise its criteria for issuing of loans and the means-testing formula in order to create more opportunities for HE participation for students from low-SES backgrounds.

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Notes

  1. According to HESLB’s Guidelines and Criteria for issuance of loans a needy applicant is “a poor orphan who has lost both parents; a poor applicant with disability or applicant whose parents have disability; a poor applicant who has lost one parent; an applicant from poor family” (HESLB 2014, p. 2).

  2. Westphalian refers to a treaty of 1648 which ended 30 years war in Europe. It established the international legal order which holds that, each nation has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs. The Keynesian frame advocates the theories of John Maynard Keynes particularly of his belief that governments must use fiscal regulation to increase employment and stimulate business activity. Keynesian–Westphalian is a socio-economic system in a welfare state with which disputes relating to power relations and injustices were debated within the national states. The practice lasted from 1945 through the 1970s.

  3. From the 1980s, challenges of globalization demanded to a rethinking of the Keynesian–Westphalian model and the adoption of a new system, Post-Westphalian. In this new system, state sovereignty changes radically to adapt new socio-economic and political order of sharing power, and fragmentation of social groups and identities. An explanation of these phenomena is given by Fraser (2005, 2008), Fraser and Honneth (2003), and is also available at http://www.law.yale.edu/documents/pdf/Fraser_ReframingJustice.pdf.

  4. It is a document formed by the Ministry of finance in Tanzania. The document provides directives on the issues of financing of HE in the country. It gives clarification of issues regarding to application and granting of student loans.

  5. This document is prepared by policy-makers in HESLB, and is used as a point of reference for provision of loans and grants in Tanzania.

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  1. The Institute of Finance Management, P.O. Box 3918, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

    Faustina M. Msigwa

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Msigwa, F.M. Widening participation in higher education: a social justice analysis of student loans in Tanzania. High Educ 72, 541–556 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0037-5

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