UNIVERSITY FEES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 198, 23 May 1928, Page 11

UNIVERSITY FEES

Sir,—l would be very, thankful if you would grant me space to bring: before your readers and the Members of Parliament the hardships imposed on extern students by the University Council. Take by own case for example. lam a public servant earning a very moderate salary. -On account of my parents not being blessed with as much wealth as the parents of many of my schoolmates, I had to leave school after passing matriculation. iVnxious to improve myself, and incidentally benefit the country, I am studying for a University degree, and hope one day to see the magic letters, M.A., after my name. For the B.A. 1 must take more units of subjects. On account of the limited time at my disposal it will be impossible for me to take more than two subjects a year. If I have no failures, and 1 shall be very fortunate if I pass every vear, I shall qualify in five years. You will be astounded to. learn what I shall pay in fees. Kacli year I shall have to pay an extern students’ affiliation fee of three guineas. For this I receive absolutely nothing except exemption from lectures and the pleasure of telling he registrar of the Victoria University College that Wanganui is more than twelve miles from Wellington. My examination fee for each subject will be, after this year, one guinea.' Surely this ought to be quite sufficient to pay for the examination of two papers without any affiliation fee at all. So that affiliation and examination fees will amount at the least.to twenty-one guineas*. I; I tail in a subject any 'year I. shall have to pay an extra five guineas. In addition to this I shall hare to pay for correspondence tuition .three.guineas per subject, bringing the grand total to fortyeight guineas. The M.A. will cost me another twelve guineas at least. How much do. my wealthier schoolmates have to pay? Nothing, absolutely nothing, neither for affiliation,, for tuition, not for examination. I believe about half the students at the university arc free, and the other students have to pay for them. The tax on extern students has recently been raised from one to three guineas per year. Now, these free students do not wish to receive their education at the expense pf their poorer brethren, and it would be a graceful act of the Students’' Councils of the four university 1 ’ colleges to ask the ..Government to ask all students, to pay examination fees. This would enable the affiliation fees of extern- students to be reduced >to five shillings per year, which is quite sufficient. '■• ■ , -The Students’ Council of the Auckland University did itself honour by opposing • those who wished to endorse the degree pass of extern students, and no doubt will be glad of the suggestion here made for further relief. No doubt all who can -should be encouraged to -attend the* university, but there are many who are compelled by the necessity of procuring a livelihood to live away from university centres; and these should be treated the same as the others at least in the matter, of affiliation and examination, if not in tuition; fees.—l am, etc., Wanganui, May IS. ' ■