Student Associations stocking up on food banks

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

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