Male, Female Borrowers Rate of Full Repayment Same

Integrated Data on Student Loan Borrowers: 1997–2003

Male and Female Borrowers Show Same Rate of Full Repayment

Male and female students who borrowed under the Student Loan Scheme in any of the years from 1997 to 2003 had an equivalent rate of full repayment of 14 percent as at March 2004, Statistics New Zealand said today. It should be noted that, due to the short duration of the student loan integrated dataset, this pattern of full repayment for male and female borrowers may vary when more data become available for analysis over time.

Of students who borrowed under the scheme in 2003, the mean amount transferred was $6,250, and half had an amount transferred of less than $5,260 when their loans were transferred from StudyLink to Inland Revenue. One percent of those who borrowed under the scheme in 2003 had repaid the full amount they borrowed before their loan was transferred.

In 2003, borrowers enrolled in a bachelor's degree had a median amount borrowed of $5,450, which was higher than for any other qualification type that year.

Students who borrowed at any time between 1997 and 2003 had a mean loan balance of $13,000 by March 2004. Half owed less than $8,570.

The highest median loan balances in March 2004 were held by males ($8,970, compared with $8,240 for females); people in their twenties ($11,090 for those aged 20–24 years and $11,430 for those aged 25–29 years); borrowers who identified themselves as Pacific peoples ($10,230); and students enrolled at university ($11,920).

Pacific peoples and Mäori borrowers had the lowest rates of full repayment, at 5 percent and 7 percent respectively. Mäori students also had the lowest median loan balance ($8,360) for ethnic groups.

Students who took out a loan between 1997 and 2002 and advised Inland Revenue they were overseas in 2003 owed $9,880 more on average than those assumed to be residing in New Zealand. Loan holders who were overseas had a mean loan balance of $20,780 in March 2004, compared with $10,900 for those assumed to be residing in New Zealand.

The new statistics can be accessed free from Statistics New Zealand's website (www.stats.govt.nz). Statistics New Zealand plans to update the statistics in 2006.

Brian Pink
Government Statistician
ENDS

There is a companion Hot Off The Press information release published – Integrated Data on Student Loan Borrowers: 1997–2003.

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