Vice Chancellors should tell the truth
Student representatives are taking issue with the New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committees’ (NZVCC) mis-representation of
student support spending and urge them to come clean on the real figures which reveal universities receive huge funding
injections every year off the back of young New Zealanders going into debt simply to get an education.
“The misleading and malicious comments from the NZVCC regarding universal student allowances are inappropriate,
inaccurate and will do little to win them any public sympathy. Yes the entire sector is under-funded, however a policy
win for students should be applauded for what it is – a worthy principle and a step in the right direction. We look
forward to the rest of the sector in time getting the support they also deserve”, said Liz Hawes, Co-President of the
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA).
Ministry of Education documents clearly show that only 23% of New Zealand’s tertiary budget is spent on student support,
not 42% as NZVCC incorrectly asserts. The rest comes in the form of student loans paid directly to tertiary institutions
to pay for tuition fees. In reality this is basically a fee subsidy from government to the Vice Chancellors, which
individual students have to go into debt to fund. Once this is adjusted for, New Zealand is only just spending over the
OECD average of 18%.
“The Vice Chancellors would do better to encourage more government spending on tertiary education overall, rather than
initiating in-fighting in the sector and denigrating good policies that benefit their key stakeholders, students, and
that are being warmly welcomed across the country”, said Hawes.
A further Ministry of Education research report highlighted that receiving a student allowance has a direct positive
impact on academic performance.
“When students are adequately supported financially they can focus more on their studies and improve their achievement
and completion levels, spending less time out of the classroom in paid work trying to make ends meet. Lecturers have
long supported us on this point, and it’s about time the VC’s caught up,” said Hawes. “Improved academic performance
enhances the quality of an institution’s reputation and qualifications, so support for universal student allowances is
actually in the best interests of the universities themselves,” concluded Hawes.
ENDS