Student numbers swell

Waikato's tertiary institutes are teeming with students as enrolment numbers at Waikato University, Wintec and the wananga continue to increase.

By March 5, 10,686 students were enrolled at Waikato University – 9244 of them domestic students.

Wintec so far has 9700 enrolled students, 850 more than last year – a 22 per cent increase.

Although job shortages and uncertain economic times have created the student bulge, the study resurgence is good news for Hamilton's economy – Waikato University students alone spend about $167 million a year, figures for 2008 show.

An international student living in a hostel spends, on average, $10,700 a year on goods and services, excluding hostel and tuition fees. Those who flat spend about $17,000.

However, Waikato University is close to it's government-funding cap and may have to impose a cut-off.

Vice Chancellor Professor Roy Crawford flew to Wellington today to discuss the issue with the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

The university is already at 94 per cent of the funding target it set with TEC. Last year the university exceeded its enrolment target by six per cent.

Funding can be taken away if institutions exceed, or fall short of predicted student numbers by more than three per cent.

Prof Crawford said the university had monitored numbers closely.

"I will indicate to the TEC our numbers and what might be needed."

He would also discuss the numbers of students able to be accepted for Semester B enrolments. Places were being kept aside for postgraduate students.

The university has tightened up on accepting underperforming students, last month denying 126 who appealed their ineligibility for re-enrolment.

"We have not changed our criteria for re-entry at all, but we can't afford to be as generous as we have perhaps been in the past with allowing people back in."

A Wintec spokesperson did not expect additional students to affect its funding cap, having budgeted for growth of about 400 full-time student places. TEC gave Wintec funding for an extra 200 places late last year.

International enrolments are up 4 per cent – about 20 extra students.

Enrolments at Te Wananga o Aotearoa Waikato's campuses were ahead of the same time last year, a spokesman said. It was too early to give exact numbers.

- © Fairfax NZ News