Gareth Hughes

Steven Joyce has a deficit of vision for the tertiary education sector, the Green Party said today.

"The Minister hasn't secured any extra funding for tertiary education. Essentially this is a cut," Green Party Tertiary Education spokesperson Gareth Hughes.

"The Minister for Tertiary education has shifted $200 million into a student achievement based funding model for Universities which will increase inequality.

"Funding systems that focus on student achievement will erode academic standards by forcing lecturers to allow substandard students to pass courses so they retain funding.

"This funding model will also make it harder for people who left school early, come from a disadvantaged background or have problems with the English language to access and afford education.

"The Budget announcement has confirmed student's worst fears.

"We're seeing 500,000 Kiwis paying an interest by stealth fee, further limits on access to education for struggling students, and imposes life-time limits on access to loans for students who want stay in higher education," said Mr Hughes.