Government Allows Reckless Massey Fee Hike

11 December 2006

Government Allows Reckless Massey Fee Hike

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) denounced the Tertiary Education Commission’s approval of 10% undergrad fee increases and up to 100% postgraduate fee increases at Massey University for 2007.

“This approval shows that the current fees maxima policy is not working.” said Joey Randall, Co-President of NZUSA. “Clearly a fee increase of $1500 in one year is not achieving the Government’s goal of affordable tertiary education.”

Massey students will be facing fee increases of hundreds of dollars next year with research post graduate students facing up to $1500 increases.

“Allowing such massive fee increases such as these are removing the benefits of interest free loans in addressing the impact of debt”, stated Randall.

“Government under funding has once again been forced onto students instead of attacking the problem at its root cause,” said Randall. “It’s no wonder that the OECD recently highlighted New Zealand’s high fee levels and relatively low Government investment.”

“We call upon the Government to immediately address ever increasing student fees and the burden that they place on students and their families,” concluded Randall.

ENDS

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