Christchurch students who opt to temporarily move their studies to Victoria University following Feburary’s devastating earthquake will be able to do so free of charge.

Participants in the exchange program set up last week will not be required to pay tuition fees to Victoria, nor will they be charged a late enrolment fee according to Victoria’s Director of Student Academic Services Pam Thorburn.

The University has received fewer than 100 applications, but cannot confirm how many will be accepted before considering each one.
“We are accepting students on a case by case basis as some
of our programmes and courses have reached capacity,” Thorburn says.

The University of Canterbury says around 300 of its students have applied to spend their first trimester away from Christchurch. The University of Auckland, AUT University, Massey University and the University of Waikato are also offering exchanges where participants will be exempt from fees.

Canterbury Vice-Chancellor Dr Rodd Carr says the agreements, which were set up in little over a week, would normally have taken years to co-ordinate.
“We are truly grateful to these universities for what they have achieved. [It] reflects the widespread interest in the wellbeing of our students.”