Abstract:

Currently, finding an efficient model of public university funding is the topic of many discussions (not only) in Europe. On one hand, it is a necessity to increase public investments in education and vocational training as they represent a pathway to increasing productivity and economic growth, but on the other hand, special attention must be paid to using the existing or potential resources effectively. Therefore, in many countries, including the Slovak Republic, a need for a reform in the field of funding tertiary education arises.

In the proposed paper, a detailed analysis of the currently applied model of funding tertiary education in the Slovak Republic in a European context with emphasis placed on funding public universities is offered. The authors aim to reveal the shortcomings of the system and to propose several alternative public and private resources of university funding, as well as measures to be taken in order to increase the effectiveness of their use.

The findings show that - despite long-term efforts - the currently applied system of public university funding in the Slovak Republic is still focused more on quantitative factors than qualitative indicators, which means that Slovakia has not achieved its goals yet and further legislative changes are needed.

Keywords:

Tertiary education, funding, reform, Slovak Republic.