Fee regime riles tertiary students

By ALAN PERROTT, education reporter

Student leaders are furious and disgusted at a new tertiary fee regime that could push some course fees up by more than 70 per cent.

While Finance Minister Michael Cullen yesterday talked of the Government's "fee maxima" scheme ensuring that tertiary education remains affordable, student associations were warning of hard times. Fee maxima is to become an annual Budget announcement and will set the maximum fees that tertiary institutions can charge for particular courses. It will not cover postgraduate courses.

Student Association co-president Fleur Fitzsimons said big fee rises were "almost inevitable".

The maxima were higher than average current fee levels for degree students by up to $833, she said.

Some industry estimates show the new regime allows course-fee rises in 2004 of between 23 per cent and 74 per cent at the Auckland University of Technology, up to 19 per cent at Auckland University, and between 25 per cent and 42 per cent at Massey University.

Clare Ryan had hoped to complete a management studies degree at Waikato University without needing a student loan.

With her classmates, she may face a 17 per cent fee increase in 2004.

The 27-year-old is sitting only four papers this year, but said if the fees rose to the permitted level she might have to forget going full-time and stretch her degree over eight years.

Ms Fitzsimons said the Government had broken its promise to keep course costs affordable.

Tertiary administrators also offered little support.

Dr John Hood from the Vice-Chancellors Committee said the extra revenue from fee rises would not cover staff salary expectations or new equipment costs.