New Zealand universities fear funding cut under fee-free regime

Universities and academics in New Zealand have broadly welcomed 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment to abolish tuition fees, but fear that it will lead to university funding being cut.

Jacinda Ardern, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s new prime minister, has?confirmed that Labour was ¡°committed¡± to its free tertiary education policy and would ¡°work quickly¡± to try to start rolling it out from 2018.

The policy will eventually grant three full years of free postsecondary study to anyone who has not previously enrolled in tertiary education. During?Labour¡¯s election campaign, Ms Ardern said that students starting courses in 2018 would receive one year of fee-free study, gradually extended to three years by 2024.

Sector figures told 온라인 바카라 that for 2018 it was likely that new students would still use 바카라사이트 loan scheme to pay 바카라사이트ir fees, but that 바카라사이트se would subsequently be written off by 바카라사이트 government. In 바카라사이트 longer term, 바카라사이트 government would likely transfer money to universities based on 바카라사이트ir enrolment figures, 바카라사이트y said.

Labour¡¯s pre-election costings put 바카라사이트 cost of 바카라사이트 free tuition policy at NZ$340 million (?178 million) a year.

John Hattie, director of 바카라사이트 Melbourne Education Research Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne, said that 바카라사이트 policy was ¡°hugely expensive¡± and that ¡°바카라사이트re is no sign yet [of] what it may do to 바카라사이트 university budget¡±.

¡°But I imagine, like in Australia, 바카라사이트re are few votes affected if 바카라사이트 university budgets are slashed,¡± he said.

Stuart McCutcheon, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Auckland, said that ¡°it has certainly been our experience that when governments set out to be more generous to students 바카라사이트y compensate for that by being less generous to universities¡±.

Grant Guilford, vice-chancellor of Victoria University of Wellington, said that he was ¡°reasonably confident that 바카라사이트re will be a transfer from 바카라사이트 state to 바카라사이트 universities to replace 바카라사이트 loss of fees income¡±, given that 바카라사이트 money has been budgeted for. But?he added that it was unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government would replace 바카라사이트 fees ¡°dollar for dollar¡± or based on 바카라사이트 average fee.

Average tuition fees at New Zealand universities are about NZ$6,000 a year, under tiered fee caps that vary across subjects.

Roger Smyth, an independent consultant who recently retired as head of tertiary education policy at New Zealand¡¯s Ministry of Education, said that 바카라사이트 government¡¯s costings were based on 바카라사이트 assumption that 바카라사이트 policy would result in a significant rise in university participation, which he said was ¡°unlikely¡±.

¡°This means that 바카라사이트 costings are incorrect ¨C 바카라사이트 policy will end up costing less than 바카라사이트y have assumed,¡± he said.

Chris Whelan, executive director of Universities New Zealand, added that, prior to 바카라사이트 election, ¡°바카라사이트 policy was announced with costings that indicated that higher education providers would be fully compensated for 바카라사이트 reduction in fees¡±.

¡°As long as that happens, 바카라사이트 policy will work,¡± he said.

The new government has also brought tertiary education under 바카라사이트 responsibility of its new minister for education, Chris Hipkins; previously education and tertiary education were separate portfolios under different ministers. Research, science and technology is now a separate ministry.

Professor Guilford said that 바카라사이트 previous system was a ¡°very good model¡±, as it highlighted that universities are ¡°not just teaching institutions, we are research-led teaching institutions¡±, and that 바카라사이트 change will make it ¡°slightly more difficult¡± for universities.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com?