The doors of opportunity have been shut in the faces of hundreds of prospective students due to decisions made by two large universities in the past two days.

Victoria University tonight announced it will not be accepting any more domestic applications for undergraduate study for the rest of the year. Otago University also placed enrolment caps for several of its second semester courses (including some first year and open entry courses) yesterday afternoon.

"This is yet another symptom of the Government failing to properly support increased demand for higher education, and the Government failing to support access to those who need education and upskilling," says NZUSA co-President David Do.

"At a practical level, these relatively sudden and unexpected decisions are highly unfair to potential students. Students have not been given proper notice that the entry requirements are changing, and that's going to affect their planning for moving into education."

"This will be a bitter pill to swallow for those planning to resume study after a gap year or being in the workforce, and more generally for people who would have made plans under the reasonable expectation that admissions would remain open for 2010."

"We are very concerned that these blanket restrictions imposed by Victoria could spread elsewhere.

Polytechnics have had several millions of dollars funding stripped away last year, and now university budgets are buckling under pressures from underfunding and increased student numbers. Capped funding is leading to institutions shutting their doors to new enrolments," says NZUSA co-President Mr Pene Delaney.

"The future for prospective students is uncertain. Students already face the prospect of restrictions on student loan access, as well as possible further changes to entry requirements by the government or institutions themselves."

"The government cannot afford to stand by and do nothing as potential graduates are turned away.

We call on the Government to increase total tertiary education funding in this upcoming Budget to ensure that all New Zealanders can continue to have the chance to go into tertiary education," concludes Delaney.