Victoria Council increases student fees

18 September 2006

Victoria Council increases student fees

The Victoria University of Wellington Council today voted to increase domestic undergraduate student fees for 2007 by five percent, the maximum allowed under the Government’s fees maxima regime.

It also voted to increase fees for domestic postgraduate students by $500, again the maximum the Government allows.

The Council also voted unanimously to support a motion from student representative Nick Kelly, the President of the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association, for it to lobby the Government to increase funding to universities so future fee increases would not be required.

University Chancellor, Emeritus Professor Tim Beaglehole, said the Council increased student fees with the greatest reluctance.

“Every year the University Council is caught in an intolerable position. It has little option but to increase fees if it is to continue to be a quality research-led university as required by its Charter. We are required to the longer term future of the University against an ever increasing demand for quality and a decline in the rate of growth in the number of students enrolling.

“Student fees are one of the few sources of revenue we are able to control. This decision was unavoidable because Government has failed to maintain its level of investment per student and is not keeping pace with inflation. This was a key reason why the Council voted unanimously to support the resolution to lobby Government.”

A further motion, to apply to the Tertiary Education Commission, for an exemption to increase fees for humanities and social sciences, education, architecture and law students by a further five percent, was deferred for consideration at a future meeting of Council.

ENDS