"Encouraged some fairly bad behaviours": Tertiary Minister criticises Fees Free scheme as briefing reveals full cost

The Tertiary Minister says the Fees Free scheme allowed students to take advantage. 

A briefing to Penny Simmonds shows the first-year subsidy covered more than two billion dollars in fees for more than 300,000 students from 2018 to 2025. 

But Simmonds told Mike Hosking it didn't meaningfully lift participation or provide a good enough return, and encouraged some bad behaviours.   

She says she saw kids opt not to enrol in their carpentry course and instead spend a year on the booze at university on Labour. 

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