Massey students to be stung with 10% hike in costs to study next year

Students at Massey University will be hit hard with the maximum possible tuition fee increase in 2011, as well as increased student services levies, a new scholarship levy, and increased enrolment fees.

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Massey recently approved a 4 percent increase in tuition fees for graduate and undergraduate students. It also approved a 47.5 percent average increase in the student services levy; this follows the 100 percent increase in 2010. The announced increases, including the October GST increase, mean that on average full-time students will pay 10 percent extra to study at Massey next year.

Student services levies for full time internal students will range from $150.00 to a maximum of $325.00 as the per-paper levy will be $25.00 on top of a $150 base rate. Extramural students will face up to a 300 percent increase in the levy, as the base fee will be the current $60.00 levy plus $15.00 per paper taken. This adjustment is to pay for more projects around supporting students, as funding is now linked to success and completion.

The scholarship levy, at $2.50 per 15 credit paper, will also have students involved in the way the funds are distributed. This levy will amount to about $350,000 annually.

Enrolment fees will nearly double - from $40.00 to $75.00 and will be non-refundable. These increases will hit students hard. These increases appear to be due to government policies allowing universities to use student levies as a way of increasing fees beyond the fees course costs maxima.

Finally, a new withdrawal fee of $75.00 has been introduced for domestic students who withdraw from all papers following confirmation of enrolment but prior to completing 10 per cent of the first paper in which they enrolled. Previously a non-refundable enrolment fee was charged.

Canterbury University is also increasing fees as high as it can, after a 627% increase in the student service levy this year.