May 24 2012

We Are the University to March Against the Budget

We Are the University (Wellington) will march from Victoria University to Parliament today to oppose the Government’s changes to student loans and allowances. Earlier this month, the Government indicated a raft of changes restricting access to tertiary education and particularly to postgraduate study.

We Are the University spokesperson Adam Osborne-Smith says, “Limiting student allowances to 200 weeks of study means those that are reliant on this financial assistance won’t be able to study medicine, dentistry, law or for a PhD”. Further, the parental income threshold will remain frozen as it has been for the last four years.

“After having left our poverty ridden student flats, our poverty ridden student dorm rooms, we are expected to enter the work force in the exact same way; poverty ridden.”

In addition the student loan repayment rate will increase from 10% to 12%, repayments that begin when students earn more than $19,080 per annum. This rate is a stark contrast to Australia, where repayment begins at $47,000 and is only 4% of income. The repayment threshold is set far too low, and increasing the repayment rate will increase pressure on new graduates, especially those supporting families.

Tertiary education is a public good, essential for a well functioning democracy. Restricting access while borrowing $2 billion to fund tax cuts is a gross underinvestment in a generation that will be relied upon to support baby boomers in their retirement.

Youth unemployment grew in the past quarter to 13.6%. With fewer opportunities for young people to find work, now is not the time to restrict access to tertiary education. Instead it is time to invest in Aotearoa New Zealand’s youth, to encourage a knowledge economy that starts with free access to university study.

Government policy that makes tertiary education less accessible, and increases the pressure on new families, promotes New Zealand’s greatest export to the world – our young people.

ENDS

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