New Student Allowance Regime Will Hit Architecture Students

New Zealand Institute of Architects Media Release
25 May 2012

New Student Allowance Regime Will Hit Architecture Students Hard

The new regulations announced in the Budget for tertiary students will hit architecture students very hard says the chief executive of the Institute of Architects, Beverley McRae.

“It means that architecture students will receive student allowances for just three years of a five year degree programme, meaning that these students will have to support themselves for the last two years.

The new regulations withdraw allowances from graduate students and as the architecture qualification is a combined under graduate and graduate programme, they do not qualify.

“The point is that you can do an undergraduate degree and become a lawyer or an accountant, but you can’t just do an undergraduate architecture programme and become an architect. It requires a further two years of study to achieve a Masters, plus several years of additional practical experience prior to being considered for registration.

“The Masters programme is full on and it’s not easy for students to have jobs to support themselves and there is little provision for paid practical work.

“It will be unfortunate if these new regulations deter people from entering the profession because of the financial pressures involved.

“We will be talking to Government about this situation,” says Ms McRae.

ENDS

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