Fees Free Was a Failure

Ministry of Education data shows completion rates in 2024 were slightly higher than in 2018, when Fees Free started, alongside an 18% increase in Māori enrolments with a larger than average increase for Māori and Pacific enrolments, a 7% increase in female enrolments, and a 16% increase in Asian student enrolments. Level 3 Certificate completion rose 27%, which the Tertiary Education Commission attributes to a "lowered entry barrier", and despite claims students were just "cruising" on the free fees, full-time student numbers didn't decrease between years, as would be expected if that were true. A 2020 study found 60% of students said Fees Free was a deciding factor in their choice to enrol. The government, nonetheless, scrapped the scheme in May 2026, with Luxon calling it "quite a failure" that "didn't achieve any goals" and Seymour argued it wasn't increasing enrolment among disadvantaged students.