Release of advice related to the 100 days tertiary education commitments

The Ministry of Education developed policy advice for the two 100 days tertiary education commitments of the incoming Government in 2017. The Prime Minister and Minister of Education announced decisions on these policies in November and December 2017, for implementation from 1 January 2018.

To ensure information which is of public interest is made available, the documents considered by Cabinet to take its decisions on these commitments have been proactively released. These are listed below:

To support the release of Cabinet material the Ministry of Education has also proactively released the supporting advice provided to the Minister that helped inform the decisions around the two 100 days tertiary education commitments. These are listed below:

DateDocument type and title
27 October Briefing note: Implementation of the 100 days Tertiary Education Commitments [PDF, 2.6 MB]
30 October Briefing note: Costing Assumptions – Implementation of the 100 days Tertiary Education Commitments [PDF, 1.7 MB]
31 October Agenda: Annotated agenda for 8.30am – Implementation of the 100 days Tertiary Education Commitments [PDF, 596 KB]
1 November Agenda: Annotated agenda – 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 717 KB]
1 November Appendix 1 to agenda for Ministerial subgroup on 1 November: Increasing student allowance and living costs support for students [PDF, 583 KB]
1 November Notes and Actions: Ministerial subgroup meeting: 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 724 KB]
2 November Briefing note: Australians studying in New Zealand [PDF, 1.3 MB]
3 November Report: Information to support confirmed decisions on tertiary education 100 day commitments [PDF, 914 KB]
7 November Report: Further information to support decisions at 8 November 2017 Ministerial Meeting on Tertiary Education Manifesto Commitments [PDF, 3.2 MB]
8 November Meeting papers: agenda – 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 627 KB]
8 November Decisions sought: Further information to support decisions at 8 November  [PDF, 545 KB]
8 November Action Points: Ministerial subgroup meeting: 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 551 KB]
10 November Briefing note: Cabinet paper – Initial decisions to support making tertiary education and training affordable for all [PDF, 581 KB]
10 November Coversheet: Increasing student allowances by $50 per week (RIA) [PDF, 779 KB]
10 November Briefing note: Draft agenda for 15 November ministerial subgroup meeting on 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 700 KB]
15 November Agenda: Annotated agenda tertiary ministerial group 100 days policies (note, file includes attachments) [PDF, 689 KB]
15 November Meeting papers: Student eligibility criteria for provider-based fees-free tertiary education in 2018 [PDF, 767 KB]
15 November Industry training – coverage, eligibility and delivery options for 2018 [PDF, 611 KB]
15 November Action Points: Ministerial subgroup meeting: 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 640 KB]
16 November Aide Memoire: Initial decisions to support making tertiary education affordable for all [PDF, 664 KB]
20 November Aide memoire: Urgent oral item at Cabinet: Authority for Ministers to finalise the delivery mechanism for fees-free tertiary education [PDF, 604 KB]
20 November Meeting papers: Annotated agenda – 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 562 KB]
20 November How many students may be affected by a fees-free $ value cap? [PDF, 856 KB]
20 November What is the likely distribution of EFTS loads for fees-free students? [PDF, 1 MB]
20 November Comparisons and costings to implement options for fees-free initiative in 2018 [PDF, 875 KB]
20 November IR 2017-601 Fees free – legislative and operational requirements to support the loan scheme option [PDF, 2 MB]
20 November Action Points: Ministerial subgroup on 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 572 KB]
20 November Education Report: Confirming approach for boundary cases of student allowance couple rates [PDF, 829 KB]
22 November Briefing Note: The operating impact of the $50 increase to student loans and allowances [PDF, 1.5 MB]
23 November Education Report: Finalising your draft Cabinet paper: Making tertiary education more affordable-fees free education in 2018 [PDF, 2.7 MB]
24 November Aide Memoire: Making tertiary education more affordable-fees-free education in 2018 [PDF, 2.7 MB]
24 November Briefing Note: Costings for the 100 days tertiary education commitments [PDF, 729 KB]
28 November Education report: Fees-free tertiary education in 2018: advice on industry training [PDF, 5.9 MB]
29 November Briefing note: Fees-free tertiary education in 2018: estimates of numbers of eligible students [PDF, 1.9 MB]
30 November Aide memoire: Amendments to Student Allowances regulations to implement the $50 increase to student allowances manifesto commitment (LEG, 7 December 2017) [PDF, 1.8 MB]
30 November Fees-free industry training for 2018 – draft costings and options for the duration of the entitlement [PDF, 713 KB]
1 December Aide memoire: Oral update for Cabinet of Monday 4 December on progress to implement the Government’s fees-free tertiary education policy [PDF, 2.7 MB]
1 December Cabinet Paper: Amendments to Student Allowances to Implement the $50 increase to Student Allowances Manifesto Commitment [PDF, 652 KB]
1 December Cabinet Legislative Committee Summary: Student Allowances (Increase for 2018) Amendment Regulations 2017 [PDF, 696 KB]
6 December Final financial implications of the ‘100 days’ tertiary education commitments [PDF, 686 KB]
6 December Ministerial funding determinations and delegations to implement fees-free tertiary education for 2018 [PDF, 676 KB]
6 December Letter to the Chair of the TEC to issue the two funding determinations [PDF, 535 KB]
6 December Supplementary funding determination Student Achievement Component – provision at Level 3 and above on the New Zealand Qualification Framework [PDF, 564 KB]
6 December Supplementary funding determination for the Industry Training Fund [PDF, 564 KB]
6 December Ministerial Letter of Delegation to the Chair of the TEC for the fees-free tertiary education initiative [PDF, 573 KB]
6 December 2017 Briefing Note: Fees-free tertiary education and fee scholarships in 2018 [PDF, 2.5 MB]
20 December 2017 Briefing Note: Fees-free eligibility for people enrolled in schools as "returning adults" [PDF, 4.8 MB]
21 December 2017 Education Report: Updated Ministerial funding determinations to implement fees-free tertiary education for 2018 [PDF, 2.7 MB]
12 January 2018 Briefing Note: Answer to a question from the Education and Workforce Committee’s meeting on 20 December 2017 [PDF, 2.6 MB]
26 January 2018 Briefing Note: Existing offences that are comparative to the proposed fees free offence provision [PDF, 53 KB]
7 February 2018 Education Report: Clarifying the details of fees-free eligibility for Australians and permanent residents in 2018 [PDF, 3.9 MB]

For further information please contact us at info@education.govt.nz or for fees-free tertiary education please contact feesfree@tec.govt.nz

Media queries should be directed to media@education.govt.nz

Information withheld or deleted

Some information has been withheld under the following sections of the Official Information Act 1982:

  • section 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons
  • section 9(2)(f)(iv) to maintain constitutional conventions which protect the confidentiality of advice tendered
  • section 9(2)(g)(i) to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions
  • section 9(2)(h) to maintain legal professional privilege.

In preparing this information release, the Ministry of Education has considered the public interest considerations in section 9(1) of the Official Information Act.

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