Concerned University of Auckland students hold an open forum on the proposed review and potential cuts of courses across the university. Video / Sylvie Whinray
Student numbers are growing at New Zealand universities – but funding shortfalls are casting a shadow over the surge.
Newstalk ZB can reveal semester one enrolment numbers at seven of our eight universities are up on last year, with Auckland recording its biggest intake at 47,033 students – up 8%.
Fulltime numbers rose 9% to 33,395.
The University of Canterbury had the next-largest increase, with fulltime enrolments up 6.8% to 19,061, and international student numbers climbing 16.5%.
Victoria University recorded a 50% jump in fulltime international students, rising from 650 to 973, while posting its third consecutive year of semester one growth overall.
“Which in some ways is a bit unfortunate because it’s above where government projections had been and where government funding is,” he said.
He noted shifting demographics are part of the story. About half of all students are now mature-age, in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and many are studying longer.
“All universities are looking at growth in international student numbers, both as a factor of recovering after Covid… and we are sort of getting back to where we were pre-Covid, but also with a goal of some longer-term growth,” he said.
However, funding pressures are looming.
The Tertiary Education Commission has warned government funding may not cover all domestic enrolments in 2027.
That message has come in the commission’s guidance to institutions applying for government funding for next year.
Universities NZ chief executive Chris Whelan says growth in student numbers comes with challenges. Photo / Supplied
“Investment planning for 2027 is taking place in a very challenging fiscal environment. We expect demand to remain strong and available funding to be unlikely to match it,” the commission said.
Whelan said this creates concerns.
“We’re heading into a period where this will be the first time since probably the 1980s where actually all student places haven’t been funded.”
Highlighting the link between higher education and the job market, he said: “We’re in an environment where two-thirds of the jobs in the New Zealand economy require at least a couple of years of post-school educational training.”
With large numbers of unfunded students, universities may face hard choices about which places they can support.
“If there are large numbers of unfunded places, then we may need to go back to an environment where government is choosing what places it funds, and universities are having to make some hard choices around whether they can afford to take on all students,” Whelan said.
AUT has already capped enrolment in some courses to align with funding requirements.
Whelan said that despite positive growth, the environment remains challenging.
“The Government controls nearly 80% of overall university funding, either directly through grants or indirectly by setting, for example, the maximum amount that universities can charge.
“We have seen a very significant fall in funding in real terms… and that is forcing universities to make some pretty hard decisions.”
Jaime Cunningham is a Christchurch-based reporter with a focus on education, social issues and general news. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2023 after working as a sports reporter at the Christchurch Star.
