Impact of Institutional Grants On Students’ Enrolment in Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, Nigeria

This study examined the impact of institutional grants on student enrolment in Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu, Nigeria. The study was motivated by the increasing dependence of tertiary institutions on institutional grants to improve infrastructure, teaching and learning facilities, information and communication technology (ICT), staff development, research, and innovation, as well as the limited empirical evidence on whether such grant-supported interventions contribute to improved student enrolment in colleges of education. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 207 staff members, consisting of 126 academic staff and 81 senior administrative staff of Abia State College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu. The entire population was used for the study. Data were collected using a 29-item researcher-developed instrument titled Institutional Grants and Student Enrolment Questionnaire (IGSEQ). The instrument was validated by three experts, while a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.79 established its internal consistency. Data were collected through Google Forms and analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions. The findings revealed that infrastructure grants, teaching and learning facilities grants, ICT grants, staff development grants, and research and innovation grants were all perceived to have a positive impact on student enrolment in the College. The study concluded that institutional grants are an important mechanism for strengthening institutional capacity, improving educational quality, enhancing institutional attractiveness, and promoting student enrolment in colleges of education. It was therefore recommended, among others, that government, TETFund, institutional management, and other funding agencies should sustain and expand investments in infrastructure, teaching and learning facilities, ICT, staff development, and research and innovation, while ensuring effective implementation, monitoring, and maintenance of grant-supported projects to enhance institutional development and student enrolment.