By LIBBY MIDDLEBROOK
A battle between the Government and Waikato University over money could cost the university's students hundreds of dollars more in tuition fees next year.
Vice-Chancellor Bryan Gould is recommending that the university's council reject a financial deal from the Government in exchange for another tuition fee freeze next
year.
If the council takes up his recommendation at its meeting tomorrow, students could face a $700 increase in average tuition fees of $4200.
Professor Gould said the university could not afford to stabilise tuition fees next year unless it got more Government money.
Last year tertiary institutions accepted a 2.3 per cent Government increase in exchange for stabilising fees this year. But the deal is estimated to have cost them millions because of the fall in the dollar and high inflation.
The Government, which wants to give students a second break from tuition fee rises next year, has offered tertiary institutions 2.8 per cent more money than they received this year.
That will give them slightly more than this year's $31 million.
Professor Gould is the first of the country's eight university vice-chancellors to publicly reject the deal, announced in the Budget on May 24. They have until August 31 to respond.
Most universities are expected to reject the deal, says the Association of University Staff.
Waikato University Students' Association president Mecina Stanbury said the funding proposal was inadequate, but students could not cope with another fee rise.
Auckland University's deputy vice-chancellor academic, Raewyn Dalziel, called on the Government to reconsider.
