Lincoln first New Zealand university to commit to a set price, provided student completes the whole program in the minimum time

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In a move that will provide more financial certainty for domestic students, Lincoln University is dramatically changing its approach to fee-setting, says Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Business Development Jeremy Baker.

As of next year, Lincoln will become the first New Zealand university to offer domestic students a set price for its programmes.

“As long as they make good academic progress, students will pay the same set tuition fee for the degree programme they enrol in, with the fee remaining the same each year for the minimum time it takes to complete the qualification,” Mr Baker says.

The changes come after the University began altering its approach to fee-setting in 2014, when it introduced a set price for international students.

“Since the concept was well-received by the international community, our international students will continue to receive this guarantee and we have decided our domestic students should benefit from it as well,” Mr Baker says. 

Continuing students can take advantage of the set price, with the guarantee offered for the remainder of the minimum duration of their programme.

Other changes for next year involve the University offering a $300 rebate for those who enrol early and for the entire year, and keeping international fees at the same price as for this year.

The University is also offering package fees for key programmes, making it more cost-effective to enrol in a full course of study than paying for individual courses.   

“This is designed to encourage domestic students to enrol in full-year programmes, rather than on a semester-by-semester basis,” Mr Baker says.

“We also want to set the fees as early as possible so a clear signal can be provided to prospective students about the price and value of Lincoln’s programmes. Then they can budget for their tertiary education accordingly, with no surprises.

“Both international and domestic fees have been set at the same time, so everyone can know the overall costs for their programmes well in advance.”

Lincoln University Students’ Association President Kahlia Fryer says she welcomes the new approach to fee-setting. 

“The proposals for these changes were strongly received by students and we are pleased with any approach that stretches the student dollar further and provides greater financial certainty for students.”