Women support change to loan scheme

Women support recommendation to change the loan scheme and call on government to scrap it

Women students support the recommendation of the Pay and Equity Taskforce that the government implement changes to the student loan scheme to remove the discrimination that women face.

“It is good news for women that the government will take steps to remove discrimination that women face under the loan scheme, however the best option would be to scrap the loan scheme completely,” said Camilla Belich, National Women’s Rights Officer of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA).

“The loan scheme is out of control and the problems will not go away. Women are putting off having children and many of our best and brightest are leaving the country because of their student loans.”

Women borrowers take on average twice as long as men to repay their loans and end up paying thousands of dollars more in interest.

“We are keen to start working with government to develop ways of making the scheme fairer such as removing the market interest rates and introducing a cut off point of ten years after which all remaining debt would be written off.”

“Students are currently awaiting the outcome of a claim we have before the Human Rights Commission that the loan scheme is unlawful discrimination against women, we are positive that this will require government to take action immediately.”

ENDS

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