Southland Institute of Technology claims it is an "innocent bystander," caught in a backlash from Wanaka residents protesting Treble Cone skifield's 2008 ski season pass prices.
The zero-fees tertiary provider is investigating nine long-distance learning students from Wanaka who enrolled at the institute, to ensure they are bona fide full-time students.
A person on an institution's books as a full-time student can buy a Treble Cone season pass for an orientation week special price of $399, compared with the adult price of $1700.
Treble Cone spokeswoman Anna Thomas scotched suggestions of a loophole, saying all student pass holders would be sent a letter informing them the skifield "may be in contact if there is any reason to question their full-time student status".
SIT chief executive Penny Simmonds told the Otago Daily Times yesterday 15 students from Wanaka were enrolled in long-distance courses at SIT.
Of these, one person was withdrawn from their course in February after they failed to meet course-related funding requirement checks, while nine others were enrolled for courses scheduled to begin in July, she said.
"We sense there are issues within the Wanaka community with the skifield itself and we are the innocent bystander here," Ms Simmonds said.
While she had sympathy for Treble Cone, "if people are trying to rip them off", businesses needed to realise there was a risk people would try to take advantage of any discounts.
Mrs Thomas said Treble Cone contacted SIT and is taking legal advice to ensure people abide by the terms and conditions of season passes.
Any Wanaka locals identified as abusing the terms of purchase were a very small minority and had not affected a rise in student sales this winter.
While there had been "no real complaints" about the skifield's price structure "this year", Mrs Thomas said she was aware of frustrations about the field's prices from Wanaka locals "passionate about skiing at TC".
Season pass price structures were a business decision and driven by operational requirements, she said.
