- Southern Institute of Technology’s zero-fees scheme extended for 2025.
- Initiative helps attract students to Invercargill since 2001.
- SIT’s zero-fees scheme covers base tuition fees only.
The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) in Invercargill has confirmed the continuation of its zero-fees scheme for next year. This initiative, a significant attraction for students considering studying in Southland, was established in 2001.
The zero-fees scheme, driven by the Invercargill City Council, aimed to address dwindling student numbers by attracting non-Southlanders to the polytechnic. The programme became a reality with a $7.25 million contribution from various Southland entities, including local authorities, the ILT, and local businesses.
While the zero-fees scheme covers the base tuition fees for each programme, other costs such as uniforms, textbooks, tools, activities, and NZQA charges are not included.
Continuing the zero-fees scheme through 2025 required a collaborative effort between SIT and Te Pūkenga. Darly Haggerty, SIT operations lead, stated, “We are part of Te Pūkenga and work as a team to secure the best possible outcomes for students. Being able to remove barriers and provide opportunities for the community is very pleasing.”
The scheme’s status is of significant interest to learners, community members, industry, and stakeholders. Currently, SIT has 3,041 full-time-equivalent students across its South Island campuses.
Enrollment trends at SIT have been influenced by several factors, particularly the strength of the labour market. “There has been a pleasing trend towards increased engagement with on-campus learning and a return of international learners reported nationally,” Mr. Haggerty said. He also mentioned that SIT is reviewing its course offerings to better align with demand and opportunities.
In August 2022, SIT announced the planned phasing out of its zero-fees programme as part of its merger into the new overarching polytechnic entity in January last year. Despite this, SIT maintained the zero-fees scheme for the 2023 academic year, even though previous Te Pūkenga acting chief executive Peter Winder suggested a shift to a “unified fees approach” might be on the horizon. The zero-fees programme is reviewed annually to determine its viability.