Students applaud Tai Poutini’s zero fee scheme

Students applaud Tai Poutini’s zero fee scheme and call for no fees for all students

Students are applauding the zero-fees initiative of Tai Poutini Polytechnic that means students there will pay zero fees from 2005, and call on the government to scrap tuition fees at all public tertiary institutions.

“With more and more tertiary institutions choosing the no fees path, it calls into question why huge fees are necessary for any students,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Co-President of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA).

“With total student debt now over $7 billion, fee cuts for all students at public tertiary institutions are well overdue,” said Fitzsimons. “It this can be achieved on the West Coast and in Southland, it can be done in our richer, big cities.”

“The Government surplus is huge, student debt is higher than ever before and young people are leaving the country in droves. The time is right for Government to tackled student debt by scrapping tuition fees.”

“When it comes to setting fees for 2005, all institutions should follow Tai Poutini’s lead, and seek to reduce student fees and reliance on the harsh student loan scheme,” said Fitzsimons. “When fees drop, student numbers grow and so do local economies.”

“Students are hopeful that the no-fees message will come further up the country and that decision-makers in Wellington will decide against more student debt and for a decent future for New Zealand students.”

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