International fees at University of Otago have been given a modest increase as the institution looks to stay competitive against other universities.
The Otago University council voted unanimously this week for the increases, which were between 2% and 4% for most courses, and some increased by 5%.
In a report tabled at the meeting, Prof Helen Nicholson said the university compared fees, a course’s international standing and demand with institutions across New Zealand and Australia when setting the fees.
The university also considered the expected increase in domestic fees, which was likely to be limited to 2% by the Government again this year.
While most courses received modest fee increases, there were some exceptions.
This included fees for short-term "study abroad" enrolments — popular with students from the United States — which were kept the same.
This was because study abroad fees at Otago University were higher than all other universities in New Zealand.