Equity in the Allocation of Subvention to the State Universities in Cameroon

The purpose of this study therefore was to determine whether the dwindling subvention (state budgetary allocation) is equitably distributed to the six state universities of Cameroon. It was hypothesized that the allocation is equitable. Assessment of equity was based on the “equal opportunity criterion” of Fields (1975). The subvention allocations as well as the student enrolment figures used in the study were based on nine consecutive academic years from 1993/1994 to 2001/2002. Furthermore, a questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 50 respondents occupying decision-making positions at different levels of each state university to seek their opinions about strategies that could be used to improve on equity in case the allocation of subvention to the universities was found to be unfairly done. The analysis was based on percentages. It was found that the distribution of state subvention was not equitably done. The strategies proposed that would lead to equity in the allocation of subvention were the use of student enrolment and staff (academic and non-academic) population as well as the number of programmes that may lead to self-employment upon graduation Keywords: Allocation, subvention, equity, State Universities, CameroonNigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 13 (1) 2008: pp. 210-21