Barnard, D.Saayman, Herman2023-09-292023-09-292020http://hdl.handle.net/11660/12270Dissertation (MBA (Business Administration))--University of the Free State, 2020In the current economic climate, public higher education institutions cannot afford to carry on doing business as usual. This is not only due to increased costs and decreased government funding, but also because the world is increasingly digitalised. Digitisation in the higher education arena has been intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic where staff and students very quickly had to adapt to the so-called “new normal” of working and studying from home, and this trend is likely to continue. Online learning indeed offers a unique opportunity for public higher education institutions to expand their programme offerings, and thus also increase their income. Online programme delivery comes with its own cost, and these must be considered when decisions are taken about this mode of delivery. The main purpose of this study is thus to compare the current financial model used at the distance education campus of one institution with models used by other online universities around the world to improve its ability to inform decision-making with regard to future fully online structured programmes accurately. In addition, the researcher aimed to review knowledge on current financial models available in the literature and described the importance of current financial model variables incorporating the view of other higher education institutions worldwide. A mixed-method approach was used in the study: the qualitative data was collected through interviews and the quantitative data by means of an online survey. Findings suggest that the model used by the institution compares well with other models. All financial model variables included were also included by the other institutions from which respondents hailed. Some important insights were the suggestion to include a market analysis, to ensure higher accuracy with the estimation of student numbers along with the finding regarding the importance of the experience and knowledge of the person capturing the data in the financial model. In conclusion, the study highlighted that the current South Campus business Generator financial model used by the University of the Free State are useful in providing information with regard to future online structured qualifications, especially in the absence of any replacement model. Future developments should include making it more user friendly and establishing an accountability culture where section heads will take responsibility for the information submitted.enFinancial modelsonline programme offeringdistance educationhigher educationfinancial administrationeducation cost modelseducation income modelsDissertationUniversity of the Free State