The recent announcement that the threshold at which part-time tertiary students qualify for a full interest write-off
will rise to $24,596 has been welcomed by the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association.
"The prospect of massive student debt is one of the biggest disincentives to tertiary study, anything the government is
willing to do to ease some of the financial burden placed on students will be welcomed," said Chris Hipkins, VUWSA
President.
"It's great to finally have a government that are doing nice things to students. Under the previous National government
students braced themselves for more bad news every time Max Bradford opened his mouth,"
"We look forward to working with the government over the coming months to find other ways they can assist struggling
students,"
Chris Hipkins said the amount students at Victoria University of Wellington had been forced to borrow to cover the cost
of their education had steadily increased over the past eight years and the interest changes would help to ease their
burden.
In 1992 2969 students at Victoria collectively borrowed $12,692,235. By 1998 that figure had grown to 6430 students who
borrowed $37,160,900.