University fees to increase maximum 1.7%

The University of Otago will hike student fees by the maximum allowed for 2022.

OUSA president Michaela Waite-Harvey
OUSA president Michaela Waite-Harvey
The University Council yesterday voted in favour of increasing domestic fees by 1.7%, the maximum allowed by the Government.

In a report prepared for the council, chief financial officer Sharon van Turnhout said while the university was negotiating the immediate financial challenges associated with Covid-19 well, the outlook for 2022 and the years immediately beyond was far from ideal.

International full-fee enrolments were forecast to reach their lowest point in more than two decades in 2022, which meant revenue from those fees also dropped.

‘‘At the same time, while domestic enrolments are rising, the per-student funding associated with those enrolments is not increasing at anywhere near the rate of inflation,’’ she wrote.

Universities had asked the Government for a 3.3% increase cap, but the Government confirmed 1.7%.

Otago University Students’ Association president Michaela Waite-Harvey was the only vote against the increase, saying as the student representative, she could not support it.

The council also voted to increase the compulsory student services fee for next year by 3%, to $906.

Part of the reasoning for the rise was to pay for increasing student support, particularly in the health area.

daisy.hudson@odt.co.nz

Comments

Something else that is "not increasing at anywhere near the rate of inflation’’ are staff wages.
If the University thinks asking for 3.3% increase is okay, well....................

 

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