Students threaten legal action on medical fees

Students are threatening legal action over a decision that gives Auckland University the right to raise medical student fees by up to 10 per cent next year.

Fleur Fitzsimons, co-president of the University Students Association, said yesterday that legal action was the only option students had left in "opposing these unnecessary, short sighted fee increases".

The decision by Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) manager Max Kerr grants the university the right to raise medical student fees.

Ms Fitzsimons said: "This adds nearly $5000 to the cost of a $50,000 medical degree over five years. It's too much.

"We have given presentations, met with officials, pleaded with tertiary minister Steve Maharey, presented letters from health professionals and protested outside the TEC to oppose these fee hikes.

"This decision, coming only days after a commission decision to let Otago University, Christchurch College of Education and Dunedin College of Education raise their fees by 10 per cent, is proof that Labour's fee maxima policy has been a disastrous experiment at the expense of students."

It is understood that the commission initially refused to allow Auckland University to raise fees but backed down after intense lobbying from the university.

"We are hopeful that a judicial review of the decision will overturn the decision to raise student fees and prevent future fee increases," Ms Fitzsimons said.

The Medical Association has strongly criticised the decision.

"Coming on top of last week's decision to allow Otago to raise medical students' fees by 10 per cent, it makes a mockery of the Government's policy of maximum increases of 5 per cent," said the association's chairwoman, Dr Tricia Briscoe.

"Medical students already carry huge debt burdens and this decision will just add to their problems," she said. "The Government must work with the universities to address this crazy situation."

Auckland University had no comment on the threatened legal action, a spokesman said.

The commission's general manager, Ann Clark, said an exemption to increase fees by up to 10 per cent had been granted to the university for high cost science, medical and health science courses.

Current policy meant that fees for programmes previously offered by the Auckland College of Education - which has merged with Auckland University - could be increased to the level of comparable university programmes for new students enrolling next year, Ms Clark said.

- NZPA