Perceived Impacts of Higher Learning Institutions to the Local Community - Iringa Municipality-Tanzania

This study is an attempt to examine the perceived socio-economic impacts of higher learning institutions to the local community in Iringa municipality, Tanzania. A cross sectional research design with quantitative and qualitative methods was employed to 180 people aged 18 years and above. Interviews, focus group discussion, documentary review and field observation were used in data collection. Descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Results indicate that, there exist both positive and negative impacts of the existence of higher learning institutions to the local community. Among the positive impacts includes, high money circulation due to increase in population and mobility, increase in the stock of skilled human capital, increase in formal employment, consolidation and establishment of new investments and reduction in abject poverty. However, negatively, the Universities have triggered high costs of living in terms of commodity prices, high rental bills, family disintegration, increase in street children and high spread of HIV/AIDS. It is concluded that, higher learning institutions have greater contributions to the individual and community development. It is recommended that, education on the importance of these institutions and their effects to the indigenous needs to be provided. This has to go hand in hand with the provision of entrepreneurship skills and soft loans from the financial institutions to the local community to help establish and maintain their businesses