Press release
For immediate release
15 February 2000.
Student Associations stocking up on food banks
Student leaders say the possibility of massive student hardship at the start of the academic year, greater than that
experienced in 1999, is very real after the latest revelation on WINZ.
Today the Government admitted that it no longer has confidence in WINZ's ability to successfully process student loans.
The latest problem relates to how WINZ's computers communicate with institutions' computers.
"WINZ is blaming the institutions, and institutions are blaming WINZ. Students are less interested about who is at
fault, and more interested in being able to pay their fees," says APSU National President David Penney.
"I have already heard of students dropping out of study rather than face another year trying to get answers out of
WINZ," says David Penney.
"Student associations on campuses are stocking up their food banks in preparation for a possible onslaught of desperate
students," says NZUSA Co President Sam Huggard.
"I appreciate that the Minister of Tertiary Education, Steve Maharey is working on the problem, however, I fear it may
be too late in the academic year to avert disaster," says David Penney
"Given that 70% of full time students access student loans, this could be too big a problem to be fixed by next week,"
says Sam Huggard.
ENDS
For more comment
David Penney APSU National President20
Phone 025 756 52620
04 498 250120
Sam Huggard
NZUSA Co President
Phone 025 868 673
04 498 2500