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Want More Scientists? Cut Fees, Say Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Want More Scientists? Cut Fees, Say Students.
23 May 2014
Press Release: New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations
“While tinkering with the tuition subsidy on some courses is a welcome admission, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce has created a funding system which is producing the wrong outcomes, he needs to face the fact that high fees are a significant deterrent,” said NZUSA president Daniel Haines.
“Joyce announced an increased subsidy for science, agriculture and health science courses with the intention to make them more attractive for students. This follows an increase in the subsidy for engineering last year. Yet the real barrier to accessing these courses are high fees and restricted entry. If the subsidy does not address fees then it will make little difference to student choices.”
“Further, while these are his pet subjects there is much work still to be done. languages for example, are widely agreed to be around 20% under-funded compared with most countries and an increase in funding of 50% would be required to bring them to the same level of relative funding as in Australia.”
“As we saw with Engineering last year, increasing the course-cost funding makes no difference to the numbers of students wanting to study in these areas because they still cost too much. Institutions did not use funding increases to make Engineering courses more attractive through lowering fees. They are permitted to put fees up by 4% and that’s what they did – across the board.”
“If the Minister wants more Engineers, Agriculturalists, Scientists, and Pharmacists then we need to make the qualifications that give access to those professions affordable. This is one set of funding that should come with strings attached,” said Haines.
ENDS
NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations
We stand for opportunity, for all.
NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.
We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.
Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.
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