The fee freeze is on!

The University of Otago today created a precedent that will be hard act not to follow when it agreed to freeze its 2001 fees.

The New Zealand University Students Associations (NZUSA) tonight commended the decision of Otago to take the 2.3% funding increase and called on other Universities to quickly follow suit.

"Otago are to be congratulated for accepting the government's offer of additional resources in return for a fee freeze for 2001. This will come as a welcome relief for students whose fees rose drastically in the 1990s," said Sam Huggard, NZUSA Co President.

"The average annual growth in University fees in the period from 1990 to 1998 was 13.4%. Fees need to come down, but this is a step in the right direction."

"We believe that other Universities are in a position to do the same and have a moral obligation to cut the suspense and inform students of their intentions for 2001 fee levels,"

"In the meantime, we are taking a Telethon approach - Otago has led the way, and we challenge all other institution to do the same!" said Sam Huggard

For further comment:

Sam Huggard,

NZUSA Co President

025 86 86 73

04 498 2500

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