Fee-free to aid 80,000 students

An estimated 80,000 Kiwis will be eligible for free tertiary education for their first year.

The Government has confirmed its 100-day promise to deliver the first year of fees-free post-school training and education, which includes industry training, from January 1 next year.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government had taken its first major steps to break down financial barriers to postschool training and education.

The Government expected about 2000 extra fulltime students, a 3 per cent increase, to take advantage of the first year fees-free policy next year.

‘‘We expect the policy to halt, and over time reverse the current trend of fewer people going into post-school training and education,’’ Hipkins said.

If all 80,000 students eligible to receive free study took it up then the Government estimated about 50,000 would train or study at a polytechnic, as industry trainees, at a wa¯nanga or a private training establishment. The remaining 30,000 were expected to take up university study.

The policy has been budgeted at $380 million in the current financial year across the fees-free policy and the $50 increases to student loans and allowances.

Labour’s pre-election costings, which were verified by BERL (Business and Economic Research Limited), put the cost of the policy at $340m per year, along with $270m per year for the boosts to student support.

Post-election preliminary costings put the $50 a week allowance and loan boost policy at $200m a year, which was lower than what was signalled before the election.

The announcement of the details relating to the Government’s flagship policy comes after the promise to lift student allowances and student loan living cost limits by $50 a week.

Hipkins said the policies were a major investment in New Zealanders, and the economy.

‘‘It’s great news for young people who are finishing school and adults who have in the past been put off because of the cost, and it provides a genuine incentive to keep learning.

‘‘This Government is passionate about life-long learning.’’

New Zealanders who were due to finish school in 2017, or would be finishing school in 2018, would qualify for a year of free providerbased tertiary education or industry training in 2018.

Those who were not recent school leavers, and had done less than half a full-time year of education or training, also qualified.

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) would be responsible for implementing the feesfree policy, Hipkins said.

The TEC and Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) were working together to ensure effective implementation of the policy, he said.

It was also being supported by the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education and Inland Revenue.

Hipkins said he understood some enrolled and prospective learners have had to wait for the details of the fees-free policy, ‘‘however, I’m sure learners will be happy with the result’’.