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Equal Opportunities in Education: Market Equilibrium and Public Policy

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  • De Fraja, Gianni

Abstract

This paper investigates whether individual decisions lead to equality of opportunity in education, defined in the specific sense of irrelevance of parental income for university attendance. We show that, even if households can borrow in the capital market, the laissez-faire equilibrium exhibits an income bias, in the sense that individuals from high income households are more likely to attend university. We then study the welfare maximising policy of a utilitarian government. Its features are opposite to the free market equilibrium: with plausible assumptions, at low income levels, the tuition fee should be designed in such a way so as to create a bias in favour of low income households.

Suggested Citation

  • De Fraja, Gianni, 1999. "Equal Opportunities in Education: Market Equilibrium and Public Policy," CEPR Discussion Papers 2090, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:2090
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    10. Léonard,Daniel & Long,Ngo van, 1992. "Optimal Control Theory and Static Optimization in Economics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521331586, January.
    11. Barr, Nicholas, 1993. "Alternative Funding Resources for Higher Education," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 103(418), pages 718-728, May.
    12. Kenneth J. Arrow, 1971. "A Utilitarian Approach to the Concept of Equality in Public Expenditures," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 85(3), pages 409-415.
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    14. Johnson, George E, 1984. "Subsidies for Higher Education," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 2(3), pages 303-318, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Giorgio Brunello & Massimo Giannini, 2004. "Stratified or Comprehensive? The Economic Efficiency of School Design," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 51(2), pages 173-193, May.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; student loans; University;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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