Chancellor Neil Paviour-Smith said the decision was made after consultation with the University community. An information session for students was also held, hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford and the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association (VUWSA).
“Council members are mindful of the impact that tuition fees have on many students. However, we are also mindful of our responsibility to ensure that students studying with us receive the high quality education they deserve and that we can continue to invest in initiatives that will further enhance the excellent student experience we offer,” says Mr Paviour-Smith.
“These decisions are always challenging and I would like to thank the students who took part in discussions with Council throughout the process.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford says while the additional income from the two percent fee increase in 2019 is important, it will not bridge the gap between the University’s costs and its revenue.
In 2019, the amount that student fee revenues will contribute to total costs will decline by about one percent as staff and depreciation costs are rising faster than income from fees.
Professor Guilford says the University must continuously invest in its high quality academic offering, its outstanding staff and its infrastructure to enhance the value of the University’s qualifications for current, future and past students and to meet the goal of providing an outstanding student experience.
Mr Paviour-Smith said Victoria University of Wellington’s fees for most subjects were comparable with other universities. “The exception is the humanities and social sciences, where fees at Victoria are around nine to ten percent lower than at most other New Zealand universities.
“Students studying arts and humanities at our University have the added advantage of knowing they are receiving a world-class experience at one of the leading programmes in Australasia in these disciplines.”
Victoria University of Wellington’s Council also voted to increase the Student Services Levy in 2019 by approximately 4.5 percent. The levy helps meets the extensive range of services available to students at the University, including careers guidance, pastoral care, financial support and advice and sport, recreation and cultural activities. This increase in the Levy reflects a recommendation from a committee jointly run by Victoria University of Wellington staff and students.
The Victoria University Council had previously voted to increase full tuition fees by a maximum of two percent for all programmes except undergraduate Education courses, for which fees will rise by four percent in 2019. International students pay full tuition fees while domestic student fees are fully subsidised or, in some cases, covered by a Government grant.
How fees are set
Tuition fees: The Vice-Chancellor of Victoria University, with advice from a number of sources including the University’s finance staff and Senior Leadership Team, makes a recommendation regarding University fees for the coming academic year. This recommendation is considered by the University’s Finance Committee, which includes a student member. The Finance Committee then submits its recommendation to the University Council, which makes the final decision.
Student Services Levy: A committee jointly chaired by a member from Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) and from the University reviews the Student Services Levy in consultation with the wider student body. That committee then makes a recommendation to University management about any Levy increase.