REVEALED: $1.1 million of taxpayer money spent on ‘Fees Free’ skydiving course

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that more than $1.1 million in taxpayer funding has been spent subsidising a Diploma in Commercial Skydiving through the Government’s Fees Free tertiary education scheme.

Information released to the Taxpayers’ Union under the Official Information Act shows that since 2018, the Tertiary Education Commission has paid $1,123,383.93 in Fees Free funding to the New Zealand Skydiving School in Parakai for the programme, leaving students to pay just $7.51 per jump.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, says:

“While taxpayers’ wallets are in free-fall, the government has spent more than $1.1 million funding skydiving lessons.”

“When Fees Free was announced it was supposed to get more young people into tertiary education so New Zealand could train more doctors, engineers, nurses and teachers. Now, the government's own officials admit Fees Free 'had no impact on learner participation and access.'"

“Instead, taxpayers working late shifts and struggling to make ends meet are footing the bill so a handful of students can go to skydiving school and shell out just $7.51 per jump."

"When a policy is this expensive, this poorly targeted, and this far from achieving its stated goals, it simply needs to be scrapped."