Bay students opting to study close to home

By Anna Bowden
Almost half of Western Bay school leavers who started tertiary education last year opted to study in the Bay.
Tauranga's biggest tertiary provider, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, has recorded a leap in enrolments from 317 to 463 in just three years, while the total number of university enrolments dropped by 26 students over that same time.
A careers expert has said young people's decisions are being influenced by the growing cost of living and the fact a broader range of qualifications available are also encouraging more to stay here.
The latest Education Ministry figures reveal 41.5 per cent of local students who embarked on tertiary study last year did so at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.
Another 30 per cent went on to the country's eight universities, with the most popular being Waikato, Otago and Victoria.
But while enrolments rose locally, figures suggest many students are opting for part-time courses because the rate of equivalent full-time students has remained static.
Polytechnic communications manager John Miles said this indicated more students were enrolling in single-semester, apprenticeship or part-time courses. He said the figures did not account for students who enrolled in courses offered in conjunction with other institutions - such as the three degree programmes run with Waikato University. More than 200 students were pursuing that option.
Michelle Anderson was one of the 463 Western Bay school leavers who chose to study at Tauranga's Bay of Plenty Polytechnic last year.
``Leaving Tauranga really didn't look that great,'' she says.
Even though she was accepted into university degree courses in Wellington and Auckland, she decided to stay home in the Bay and complete the one-year national certificate in graphic design.
``I didn't want to start a big three or four-year degree, most of my friends have ended up changing what they are doing anyway,'' the 19-year-old said, ``and I didn't want a huge loan.''
The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic recently published details of the cost to study in a different city _ and concluded students should add at least an extra $24,000-$33,000 to the total cost of a three year degree, just for living in a different city.
The estimates explored basic living costs for Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Christchurch _ and excluded entertainment, alcohol, clothing, petrol, tuition, stationery, internet costs, airfares, trips home, furniture, and medical bills.
Ms Anderson, who now works full-time at Cuttriss Dye Advertising, said there was a variety of reasons why she chose to stay at home - bargain rent with her parents being one of them.
Mr Miles was pleased with the local share but was still aware that millions of dollars of economic income for the Bay was being lost out of town.
"It still comes back to having the right programme offerings in Tauranga, that's the big thing," he said.
Mike O'Neill, an independent careers counsellor in the Bay, said money was a primary issue for school leavers when deciding where to study. Many were opting to stay home.
"The cost of accommodation and travel associated with studying outside the region is huge," he said.
As well as cut-price rent living at home, Mr O'Neill said the retention rate was also due to more courses being offered.
"I think the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic is doing a good job in Tauranga by providing better than it ever has socially and academically. Tauranga has moved leaps and bounds in the past five years.
"We've also got far more students today taking more serious career advice throughout their final year. They want to ensure the study they choose is necessary for where they want to end up."
The institution has introduced many new courses - including degree programmes - which are linked to other providers around the country within the past four years.
Tauranga Boys' College careers adviser Hans Meys said tertiary destinations fluctuated wildly year to year making trends difficult to ascertain.
He said Victoria and Otago universities were the most popular tertiary destinations at Tauranga Boys'. It was often a big factor in the decision.
"There are still a lot of students who want to live away from home.
"They don't realise until they get down there how poor they are. I think they are kind of naive ... they really don't comprehend that kind of money at all so it's not an issue to stay locally."
Mr Meys said students were increasingly realising the deficit between what living costs would be and what loan they are entitled to. He encouraged Year 13 students to start thinking at the beginning of the year about how they would save a $5000 buffer for their first year of tertiary study.