Critical Analysis of China’s Higher Education Cost-sharing Policy under the Background of Universal Higher Education

Abstract

China's higher education has entered the stage of universal higher education. This has significantly increased the demand for education funding in the higher education sector and has also brought new requirements for higher education cost-sharing systems. This paper analyzed the current situation of China's higher education cost-sharing system under the background of universalization and found that due to insufficient government investment in higher education intuitions, tuition fees have risen, and the cost of higher education shared by students and parents has increased significantly. However, the cost shared by higher education institutions and society remains low. Regarding the problem, this paper suggests that policymakers should consider increasing government spending, charging tuition fees according to family conditions, improving the student loan system, encouraging social donations and standardizing donation procedures, and improving higher education institutions’ ability to raise educational funds, so as to optimize the structure of cost-sharing and meet the needs of higher education expansion.