A life sentence of student debt at mock prison

A life sentence of student debt at mock prison

Students have today set up a mock prison at Massey University in Albany to illustrate how the student loan scheme sentences students to a lifetime of debt by forcing them to borrow to pay for basics like food and rent.

"Student debt is imprisoning students and a whole generation of young people in a lifetime of debt," said Nick Mayne, President of the Albany Students' Association "It is time the government released students and their familles from the debt burden by introducing a living allowance for all students so that no student is forced to borrow to live."

Only one third of students are entitled to a student allowance under current government policy and the rest are forced to borrow from the student loan scheme to live.

"Student debt is well over $6 billion and has doubled under the Labour Government, it is simply unacceptable that the government has a huge surplus and is sentencing its young people to a lifetime of debt," said Mayne.

"Student debt is not only imprisoning young people, it is having a devastating impact on the New Zealand economy and the whole community by putting people off having children and forcing graduates overseas."

"It is time that the government committed to rehabilitating tertiary education by scrapping the disastrous student loan scheme and introducing a living allowance for all students," concluded Mayne.

Note: The Mock Prison will take place today from 12pm to 4pm

East Precinct, Massey University Albany Campus

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