Structural models for provincial nursing colleges

Abstract

The public Nursing Colleges are interested in becoming Higher Education Institutions in order to be able to offer the new qualifications gazetted by the SANC. If they become part of the subsidy system of the Department of Higher Education and Training, it is important to understand what the implications are for their funding. The aim of this article is to explore the impact on College finances if they become registered Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and move to the subsidy system. A survey was done of four colleges representing three provinces to establish their current funding and student group. It was then calculated what their subsidy would have been in the same year if they were in the higher education system. It was found that some of the colleges would have done better and some worse in a new system. This variation exists even between the two colleges from the same province. It is recommended that nursing colleges become part of the HEMIS system and that a norms-based funding system be developed and implemented. It is also recommended that a more appropriate fee structure be developed for nursing students at Nursing Colleges.