Statement

We print excerpts from the statement presented by N.Z.U.S.A. to the Director of Stabilisation:—

The case of accountancy students deserves special mention. Candidates for registration as members of the New Zealand Society of Accountants are examined by the University of New Zealand, and are required to complete the Professional Examination in Accountancy, which involves nine subjects and fourteen papers. For these students the increase in fees is from 10/6 to 17/- a paper, or 62%. The number of students involved may be gauged from the fact that in 1943, 3,981 sat in all subjects, and as each candidate usually takes two or three subjects the number of candidates involved was about 1,500. Again, as each subject involves from one to three papers, the number of papers attempted was between 6,000 and 7,000. The increase from 10/6 to 17/- per paper, if these numbers are maintained this year (and there is no reason to suppose they will decrease) will mean an increase in revenue of between £2,000 and £2,400 for the University of New Zealand.

It will be noted that in some cases there have been decreases in fees for a course, but the courses in which there have been decreases are ones involving a relatively small number of students, for example, Engineering, Dentistry and Home Science. The overall effect of the new scale of fees will be that the income of the University of New Zealand from examination fees will be increased.

The comparative figures shown in the attached schedule have been calculated on the assumption that (a) the student completes the course, and (b) that he has no failures during the course. It is most important to note that a large number of students never complete a degree course, and drop out after having completed some subjects. For them the increase in fees is very noticeable as they do not stand to gain by the elimination of the Diploma fees. The same applies to students who may complete say a Science Degree and then take a number of Arts subjects for cultural purposes without completing the Arts Degree. For them the increase is one from 10/6 to 17/- per paper, or 62%. If a student fails in a subject, he pays the same examination fee when sitting again, so that the increase in fees for his course is greater than shown in the schedule.

The effects of these increases in fees will be felt by all students whether they are at the University for full-time, or only part-time. Most part-time students are on low salaries in Government Departments, or with private firms, and with the present high cost of board, and the increased cost of text-books, these increases in fees will be very noticeable. Full-time students are dependent on what they can earn during the College vacations, plus help from bursaries and their parents. This increase in fees has been made during a period when the incomes of students and their parents have been fixed by Stabilisation conditions. There have been no increases in bursaries to compensate for the increased cost of living since the beginning of the war. For full-time students also these increases in fees will be felt even more severely.