Students Committed To Constructive WINZ Review

The National Student Unions today said their focus during the Government's evaluation into WINZ's handling of student loans would be on getting things right for students in 2001.

Today the Minister of Social Services annouced the details of an evaluation into WINZ's handling of student loans processing and invited the national student bodies, APSU and NZUSA to make submissions.

"It is common knowledge that student loan processing has been a nightmare for thousands of students this year and we are committed to making sure that it is never allowed to happen again," said David Penney National President of the Aotearoa Post-compulsory Student Union.

"Our top prority is to make sure that loans in 2001 will be delievered in a timely and efficient manner," said Sam Huggard, Co-President of the New Zealand University Students Association.

"We are grateful to the Minister, Steve Maharey, for acknowledging the problem straight-away and now following through with his promise of an independent investigation into student loan processing," said David Penney.

"APSU and NZUSA have, through their constituent associations, been gathering a wealth of material on WINZ's processing of student loans this year, including a casebook of student grievances, and we are confident that if our recommendations are followed this debacle won't be repeated in 2001," concluded Sam Huggard.

ENDS

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