NEW ZEALAND

Students’ association joins call for free higher education

The Otago University Students’ Association is backing a national push to make attending university in New Zealand more affordable, writes Fiona Ellis for the Otago Daily Times.

The association is one of 27 signatories to an open letter to members of parliament, part of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations’ debt-free future campaign which launched last week. The campaign, which also includes a petition, aims at a future where everyone has access to free tertiary education.

Otago University Students’ Association President Melissa Lama said study and living cost loans could deter would-be students, while those who enrolled faced difficult conditions. “Dunedin students have had a tough year with rising living costs [and] COVID and then still needing to meet academic requirements,” she said. “Fees-free will allow less stress and more assurance that they are protected.”
Full report on the Otago Daily Times site