Funding Mechanisms for Public Universities in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Light of Similar Universities in The United States

Abstract

In recent decades, the role of governments in supporting and financing higher education institutions worldwide has expanded due to the importance of these institutions in developing human resources and the prosperity of countries. Countries differ in methods, patterns, and methods of funding universities. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, public universities still depend almost entirely on government allocations in annual budgets, unlike public universities in developed countries such as the United States of America, which have a variety of funding sources. This research aims to identify the reality of funding public universities in Saudi Arabia and the United States of America and to discover their similarities and differences. The research also aims to provide suggestions for diversifying the sources of funding in public universities in Saudi Arabia in light of the experience of American public universities. The researcher used the comparative research method to suit the objectives and questions of the study. The study investigated the funding mechanisms at eight elite public universities in the United States of America. American private universities' funding mechanisms differ significantly from public universities' funding mechanisms. The study has found several similarities and differences between funding methods between public universities in the two countries. The study also presented recommendations for developing and diversifying funding sources for Saudi universities so that they are less dependent on funding from one source: government funds.