The New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA) is calling on the government to refund those dentistry students
who paid unnecessarily high fees between 1995-1999 light of today’s High Court ruling in Otago University vs The Crown.
The High Court ruled today that it regards the decision of the former National government to slash funding to dentistry
as “so erroneous that it could only be categorised as irrational” and that the decision is invalid and of no effect.
“This government has shown its commitment to current Otago dentistry students by increasing the government grant and
halving students fees from 2000. They have shown by this policy change that they do not agree with the former National
government decision to cut funding, and therefore they should not try and defend that decision through the legal
system,” said NZUSA Co-President Andrew Campbell.
“Many of the students had to borrow huge amounts from the student loan scheme to cover the cost of their fees. It is
important to remember that interest was charged on loans daily even while studying during the period in question, so
they will also have huge amounts of compounded interest to repay. The government cannot wash its hands of the problem,”
said Campbell.
“The bottom line is that a group of students were unfairly treated by the government, got into huge amounts of debt as a
result, took the government to court and won. It seems only fair that the government now reimburse them,” said Campbell.
“Five years of dentistry students have been unfairly overcharged and it is the responsibility of this government to
front up and refund them,” said Campbell
ENDS