By Lauren Crimp of RNZ The government considered phasing out the fees-free tertiary education scheme but decided it was too complicated, opting instead to axe it in one go. The policy which covers the cost of students' third year of tertiary study will be gone in the upcoming Budget. Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds on Tuesday said the government did consider staggering the change so students who began studying under the impression their third year would be free, would still still eligible. "It made it more complicated because obviously people start at different times through the year, so it was easier to have a hard end to it, and then it's really clear for everyone," she said. The funding was never a promise, Simmonds said.…