Relatively Inexpensive Cost Of Students

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31381, 29 May 1967, Page 8

Relatively Inexpensive Cost Of Students

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 28. New Zealand Universities were relatively inexpensive in terms of cost a student, Professor H. Parton told members of the Wellington branch of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Professor Parton is

professor of chemistry at Otago University, and a member of the University Grants

Committee. He said that the present cost a student was about £350, of which the taxpayer paid between two-thirds and threequarters.

Education was a form of national investment, and was vital to national development. New Zealand was investing in university and higher education, but it had been late in starting and particularly late in providing the necessary buildings. Only comparatively recently had there been a Government grant for recurring expenditure in universities, said Professor Parton. More than 1100 students were at Otago in 1927 and the income for that year was £70,500. One-third of this was from the Government; another third from fees, and the remaining amount was income from other sources. The cost a student was £66. In 1937 the university roll had increased to 1376. Although this was during the depression, income increased to £104,000, which returned a cost a student of £75. Ten years later in 1947, 2400 students were at Otago. The income was £298,000, and the cost a student £123, he said. Government grants had

grown to cover about half the I university’s income. i In 1965, 3750 students were i at Otago, but the income had i risen to £1,390,000, and the 1 cost a student was about £375. Comparative studies of uni- i versities in the United King- J dom in the year 1963-64 : showed that from 30 universi- I

ties (excluding Oxford and Cambridge) the cost a student ranged from £440 to £B9O, of which the taxpayers paid between 71 and 92 per cent. The range in New Zealand was from £2lO at Victoria to £320 at Otago University, on 1964 figures, said Professor Parton.