Students are no longer the only ones noticing the high tuition fees demanded by New Zealand universities.
A new OECD report has placed New Zealand tuition fees seventh highest amongst the 42 countries examined.
In top position is the United States with average fees over $7000. Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom closely following.
With fees averaging $3600, New Zealand came in just under Australia and Canada.
Law student Caleb McConnell has written a report on the subject. He comments; “it highlights what we already know, New Zealand tuition fees are high.”
Tertiary Education Union president, Dr Sandra Grey says “this is the trade-off between how much we feel students should contribute to their education and how much we’re prepared as taxpayers and as a Government to put into those institutions.”
Each year Victoria, along with universities across New Zealand has put fees up 4 per cent on average—the maximum allowed under the current Government regulated Fee Maxima policy.
Mr McConnell writes in his report that “it hardly gives New Zealand’s white collar workforce the perceived head start that a degree is supposed to bring.”
However Dr Grey commented to the Herald “we’ve had a big push in New Zealand for what is loosely called a mass tertiary market model which is the right of open entry so people do, if they want, have the opportunity to study.”
The OECD report also places New Zealand fourth on the balance between tuition fees, Government subsidies and scholarships, with the United States, Japan and Australia making up the top three.