Financing female Higher Education: Lessons from the Experiences of Female Post-Graduate Students, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Financing female Higher Education: Lessons from the Experiences of Female Post-Graduate Students, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Alabi Oluwatobi
Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences,
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
&
Durowaiye Babatunde
Department of Sociology, College of Business and Social Sciences,
Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria
Email: babtee2@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Higher education is undoubtedly an advanced and enhanced platform of knowledge acquisition that should be accessible by all that so desires but considering the disproportionate ration of gender composition in most postgraduate programs it becomes very important to identify and address the factors barricading women from accessing and finishing postgraduate programs. This study collates the experiences of female postgraduate students of the University of KwaZulu-Natal through an in-depth interview and discovered that sacrosanct amongst factors limiting women’s progressing into higher education is finance. It’s discovered that female students sponsor their education through avenues such as family support, bursaries and scholarships, loan and on-campus job opportunities. It advances that avenues engaging students in productive labour be increased in most institutions as these platforms are viable sources of financial assistant and could be explored by other students if available
Keyword: Bursary; Feminism; Finance; Higher Education; Women
