Students occupying Massey Registry unimpressed

Students occupying Massey Registry unimpressed with new loan stats

“Tertiary Minister Steve Maharey could not have chosen a worse time to try and show off about how good the student loan scheme is,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Co-President of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA), from the occupation of the Massey University Registry.

“Sixty students have taken over the administration building to protest an unnecessary fee increase,” said Fitzsimons. “With a $16 million surplus, Massey will be using their greedy 3.5 percent fee increase to fund a bigger surplus next year.”

“Maharey has huge problems on his hands and his system of fee maxima is clearly not making tertiary education more affordable. While debt forecasts may have reduced, they still show debt nearly doubling to hit $14.5 billion by 2020.”

“Labour have already sat by and watched student debt double. It seems they’re prepared to watch it double again, and watch the negative social and economic effects of debt get twice as bad too, “ said Fitzsimons.

“A living allowance for all students and fee decreases are the only way to really control student debt. Average student debts are bigger than last year, and will continue to grow while Labour continues its policy of inaction.”

“If Steve Maharey came back to Palmerston North and told the students here his “good news”, he would hear for himself that the student loan crisis is getting worse not better.”

ENDS

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