The Government will insulate three major Canterbury tertiary institutions from falling student numbers by funding them next year as if their enrolments have not dropped.
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says the Government will honour funding levels agreed in 2010 for Canterbury and Lincoln universities and the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.
Mr Joyce says the arrangement will give the institutions more certainty about their future following the February earthquake.
The minister says it will benefit the University of Canterbury most as enrolments at Lincoln University and Christchurch Polytechnic are likely to be close to forecast levels.
But the university says it faces a significant cut in student fee income and is making a case for even more Government support.
