International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences
2026, Vol. 15(3), pp. 48 – 73.
e-ISSN 2304 – 1366
https://www.ijmess.com
DOI: 10.32327/IJMESS/15.3.2026.3

Disability Funding in Greek Higher Education: Evidence from a Performance-Based Funding System

Pavlos Petsavas¹
Marilou Ioakimidis^2
1Dept. of Educational Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
²Dept. of Business Administration, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

This study examines how disability criteria are integrated into the performance-based funding (PBF) system for Greek higher education institutions (HEIs) from 2022 to 2026. It assesses the extent to which the quality-based funding model of the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) includes disability-related indicators, institutional participation in the relevant funding section, and performance trends over time. The research uses a mixed-methods approach, combining policy document analysis with longitudinal administrative data from all 23 Greek HEIs. Results indicate that disability-related indicators represented less than 1.5 percent of total funding weight, were solely input-oriented, and did not consider the operation of Disability Support Units (DSUs). Institutional participation stayed below 44 percent during the period, with no consistent improvement across indicators. The largest HEIs did not participate in the disability-related funding section in any year. The study concludes that, while the Greek PBF system formally acknowledges inclusion as a policy goal, it does not offer sufficient incentives for sustained institutional change. The paper discusses policy implications for better aligning funding systems with disability inclusion.

Keywords: Performance-based funding, disability inclusion, higher education, equity, Greece
JEL: H52, I23, I24

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