Regulatory Frameworks for Higher Education as a Predictor for the Decrease of Student Enrollments in Selected Private Tertiary Institutions in Rwanda
摘要
The study was set to investigate the influence of regulatory frameworks for higher education on the decrease of student enrollment in 6 selected private tertiary institutions in Rwanda. This study adopted the quantitative research design. The study involved a sample of 370 students selected from the 6 private universities. The study used structured questionnaire to collect data. The findings revealed that regulatory frameworks for higher education in Rwanda have no significant influence on the decrease of student enrollments in Rwandan tertiary institutions (β = − 0.368 and p value > 0.05). The findings revealed that Government policies on class attendance, examination rules and regulations, scholarship grants, conditions to open a private university, tuition and its payment modalities are not flexible for the students. The study found that the main issues in students’ enrollment at university are namely: decrease in number of new applicants into the universities; failure to launch some accredited programs; merging small classes into big ones and increase in the number of students who suspend their studies temporarily. The study recommended that the government of Rwanda should conduct a comprehensive review of existing higher education regulations to ensure they are conducive to student enrollments and institutional growth. Managers of private universities in Rwanda should ensure that university policies and procedures are in compliance with Government regulations while also addressing specific needs and challenges of their students.