Enduring the impacts of COVID-19: experiences of the private higher education sector in Ethiopia

This study was conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the private higher education (PHE) sector in Ethiopia. The study employed a mixed-methods design and used diary and survey questionnaires as key data generation tools. The results of the study revealed that the pandemic has severely affected the academic and business operations of PHE institutions by dwindling their sources of income, reducing the productivity of their employees, and constraining institutional capacity to cover key costs such as salary and rent. As all higher education institutions prepare for reopening, private institutions expect meaningful assistance in areas such as tax exemptions, long-term loans, rent waiver/reduction, direct financial support, assistance with online platforms, reduced internet costs, student access to cheaper computers, etc. It is anticipated that unless a substantial intervention is made in time the sector which boasts the largest number of students in Africa will be significantly weakened. © 2020 Society for Research into Higher Education.