#
#
#

Student Support (2005) 

 

Labour’s Vision

Labour believes that every New Zealander is entitled to access quality public education of the highest standard, throughout their lives. Quality education ensures that every Kiwi regardless of who they are and where they come from can achieve their full potential and contribute to New Zealand's society and economy.

Labour is committed to a quality tertiary education and training system that will support New Zealand's economic and social development. Labour wants to ensure that our tertiary education system is focused on quality and relevance. We want to ensure that an integrated approach is taken to tertiary education, and that barriers to participation are eliminated.

 

Labour's Record

In the area of student support, during the last two terms in government Labour has:

  • Tackled unfairness in the student loan scheme. Now no full time student and no part timer on a low income pays interest on their loan while studying;
  • Limited fee increases by introducing fee maxima policy;
  • Increased parental income thresholds for student allowance eligibility;
  • Introduced bonded scholarships to encourage study in areas of key strategic importance, reward our top academic performers, and encourage participation by  underrepresented groups.

 

Labour's Policy

So far in government, Labour has made a lot of progress towards making tertiary education more affordable, but we know that there is more to be done. While student loans provide vital support and help ensure that all New Zealanders can access tertiary education, repayment times are still longer than we would like and there is evidence that some graduates struggle to keep up with interest repayments.

Student Loans

During our next term in government, Labour will:

  • Abolish all interest charges on student loans for all students and New Zealand based graduates from 1 April 2006;
  • Provide for an amnesty whereby borrowers who return to New Zealand or enter into acceptable arrangements with IRD for repayment during 2006 will not have to pay IRD loan penalties;
  • Continue to ensure that loans are only provided to those studying in approved courses, and that loans for fees are only paid where there is evidence the fees have been paid by the borrower;
  • Expand the new financial advisory service provided by Studylink to help students make informed decisions about funding their tertiary studies and make them more aware of their financial commitment when they take out a Student Loan.

 

Allowances

During our next term in government, Labour will:

  • Progressively increase parental income thresholds so that at least half of all fulltime students will receive a student allowance;
  • Continue to increase parental income thresholds each year by the rate of inflation;
  • Increase the personal income abatement rate for student allowances each year by the rate of inflation.

 

Tuition Fees

During our next term in government, Labour will:

  • Maintain a simplified, capped tuition fee structure to provide certainty as to fee levels to students throughout the duration of their studies;
  • Conduct a specific review of the funding arrangements for medical and dental students.

 

Other Tertiary Student Support

During our next term in government, Labour will:

  • Extend the successful Step-Up scholarships in areas of skill shortage;
  • Double the number of bonded merit-based scholarships from 500 to 1,000 by the end of 2006, with a view to further increasing that to 1,500 by 2008;
  • Investigate the viability of a long-term savings scheme for parents saving for their children’s education.
#
#

YOUR NEWS

YOUR MPs

Find your electorate +