Tertiary Education Funding Rates Announced

  • Max Bradford
Tertiary Education

Tertiary Education Minister Max Bradford today announced the Tertiary Tuition Allowance Subsidy Rates for 2000.

"Changes to tuition subsidies will reduce compliance and administrative costs for tertiary education providers and allow more freedom to innovate.

"This is consistent with the objectives outlined by the Government in the Bright Future Package announced last week.

"Bright Future signalled the Government's intention to remove barriers to innovation, to encourage lifelong learning and to support excellence in research, science and technology," Mr Bradford said.

The changes will benefit:

* Institutions which offer science and engineering courses, and research-based post-graduate programmes

* Tertiary institutions with extra-mural students

* Institutions whose students are on average more mature

* Private training establishments, which will be funded on the same basis as public ones.

Mr Bradford said the changes to funding for distance education would enable tertiary education providers to embrace innovative modes of delivery and better contribute to the development of New Zealand's knowledge economy.

"The degree top-ups proposed in the White Paper have been realigned to signal the importance of science and technology courses and research-based postgraduate study.

"They are now differentiated according to the level of study and subject category, which results in increased funding for science and research-based postgraduate courses," Mr Bradford said.

Mr Bradford said the Government had approved $5 million additional funding for tertiary education to account for further roll growth.

"The $5 million increase in funding reflects Government's intention to fund the actual numbers of students undertaking tertiary education, without reducing average per student subsidies.

"Private Training Establishments will be funded as outlined in the White Paper and the Study Right differential is being phased out in 2000 (for removal in 2001), as indicated in the White Paper," Mr Bradford said.

* To find out further information check out the Ministry of Education's website at: http://www.minedu.govt.nz or phone Jane von Dadelszen on 04 471 6078