This thesis considers the equity implications of the New Zealand fees-free policy introduced in 2018 through the lens of the capabilities approach. To date, the fees-free policy has had little or no impact on the enrolments of students from low-income backgrounds or first-in- family students. Students from low-income backgrounds are under-represented at tertiary level study and significantly under-represented at university level study. This inequality of access and participation is particularly problematic as students from disadvantaged backgrounds miss out on the benefits that tertiary education can provide.

The experiences of ten students from low-income or first-in-family backgrounds were examined through semi-structured interviews conducted at three intervals: the academic year's beginning, middle, and end. These longitudinal interviews provided rich insights into numerous barriers to accessing and participating in university study, including financial stress, transitioning from secondary to tertiary education, health and wellbeing, the pressure of COVID-19 and lockdowns, navigating information and application forms, and workload. The research points to a paradox in that while the fees-free policy has had no observable impact on national enrolment for under-represented groups, five of the ten students interviewed in this study stated that they would not have enrolled without the first-year courses being fees-free.

Three themes were developed from the analysis of interviews using reflexive thematic analysis. The themes were based on the student’s experiences of accessing and participating in tertiary study and shed light on what these tertiary students valued about their study and what conditions influenced their opportunities to achieve these valued outcomes. The students reported valuing having a “Sense of Direction” (including a sense of self, agency and purpose, often expressed as a desire to help others) and also reported valuing a “Sense of Connection” (a feeling of belonging). Students also identified Barriers (including experiences underpinned by systemic injustices) they felt impacted their opportunities to do things they valued and be the people they could be.

These three themes were discussed through the lens of the capabilities approach, particularly as developed by Martha Nussbaum, to evaluate the impact of the fees-free policy. Discussion highlights the value of the capabilities approach in shedding light on the conditions that enable student opportunities (or capabilities) and the constraints on their experience of outcomes (functionings). In conclusion, the study offers a new framework for applying the capability approach to evaluate equitable access and participation in tertiary education afforded by the fees-free policies in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.