Students’ budgets tighter than Government's

BUDGET COMMENT

Students’ budgets tighter than Government's with no EUB next summer

Students will be angry that the government has continued to deny its responsibility for unemployed students over the summer months, says the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA).

“The government has decided to continue to discriminate against students while unemployed by not including provision for the Emergency Unemployment Benefit (EUB) in today’s budget. This is simply unjust and mean spirited,” said NZUSA Co-President Andrew Campbell.

“Another budget with no movement on this issue is a terrible let down for students. Before the election Labour said that it would reinstate the EUB, it was a central education issue for the Alliance and yet between them they have managed to come up with absolutely nothing,” said Campbell.

NZUSA has co-ordinated a nation-wide campaign calling for the reinstatement of the EUB. A petition with thousands of signatures was collected and students took to the streets in protest in Dunedin and Wellington.

“There is no logic to their stubborn stance on this issue. Why is it that a student who receives an allowance during the year can get financial assistance over summer, but a student who takes out a loan cannot?” said Campbell.

“Students will continue the fight to have the EUB restored. However many students will have another hard summer ahead of them with no guarantee of financial assistance,” said Campbell.

ENDS

For further information
Andrew Campbell NZUSA Co-President
Cell: 025 86 86 77 Wk: 04 498 2500

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