New Zealand’s universities, including Otago, have agreed to subsidise 50% of the cost of MIQ for returning international students.
The New Zealand International Students’ Association (NZISA) announced the subsidy in a Facebook post on Friday 12 March. “NZISA applauds the universities' decision for stepping up and supporting returning international students especially after the recent announcement on increased MIQ costs,” they posted.
The announcement of the subsidy followed the news that MIQ costs would increase for temporary visa holders, including international students, on 25 March. The students would have had to pay $5520. With the subsidy, they only have to pay $2760 for their two-week stay.
Jason Cushen, Director of Otago’s International office, said that Otago decided to subsidise MIQ because “MIQ costs represent an additional cost to those international students returning to the country to complete their studies.” He said that fewer than 100 students would be returning to Otago, although a further 1358 are studying online at the University of Otago.
OUSA’s International Representative, Geraldi Ryan said: “It surprised me that even the International Office was not consulted about the sudden rise of cost in MIQ. The agenda items to support returning international students were passed easily and the subsidy is sufficient, it financially helps the students to return to New Zealand to complete their Studies.”
“I understand that there is a limit to the financial support that the University can offer, which is why it is great to see the University creating initiatives to financially support those students — considering that it’s financially risky, but it’s for the students,” he said. His role in pushing for the subsidy was “describing the concerns about the sudden MIQ cost and then pushing it through for action.”
Afiqah Ramizi, President of NZISA, said the 50% subsidy was a “win-win situation” that “really shows the importance of finding initiatives to ease the burden of returning international students.”
“Both the government and the universities have the responsibility to develop initiatives to bring back international students and to recover the international education sector,” she said. “It is frustrating to see a disconnect between the universities' goals/perspectives, and the government's, despite the creation of the International Education Recovery Plan last year.”
Jason Cushens said that the reduced number of international students this year “impacts the diversity of opinion and outlook within tutorials and other academic settings. The University is also very aware of the impact on the remaining international student community that the border closure has had, and is undertaking a number of initiatives to support this Group.”