Balancing budgets and futures: financial challenges and opportunities in public universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The ultimate goal of this paper is to examine the financial problems faced by KP public universities and find ways of improving the efficiency and diversifying the revenues of the institutes. In the study, a quantitative research design is applied to support the data with financial data on university budgets (2015-2025), government expenditures reports, and Higher Education Commission (HEC) allocations. The use of descriptive and inferential statistics, such as regression analysis and trend modeling, is used to discuss the expenditure patterns, financing gaps, and relationships between the budgetary structures and institutional performance indicators. The results indicate that a gap in balancing between the expenses of running and inflows of funding is increasing, and the research output and student support are the least influenced areas. Nevertheless, emerging opportunities in public-private collaboration, digital education programs, and streamlined management of resources can also be identified in the results. It is concluded by the study that the long-term fiscal resilience and educational outcomes in the public universities in KP can be advanced with the help of strategic planning of finances and the use of evidence-based budget features.