Students Protest Government Inaction On Student Hardship And Debt

On Tuesday 12th September, 7.30-8.30am, students will protest outside Minister of Finance Grant Robertson’s office about Government inaction on student hardship and student debt. They will hold a banner which quotes the Minister in 1996 when he was the President of the National Union of Students Associations: “Only 37 percent of full-time students get any kind of allowance … The main culprit here is the National Government's absurd means-testing programme.” The banner highlights that the situation has worsened since then, stating that, “Now less than 20% [of students] receive an allowance.”

This demonstration is part of the Study Wage for All campaign run by Te Aka Tauira - Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). This campaign calls for universal student allowances, to “ensure all students can live with dignity and focus on their studies” - a cause which Robertson himself advocated for.

Since the introduction of means-testing for student allowances in 1991, Labour and National have promised at different points to re-introduce universal allowances, yet means-testing has become stricter over time and eligibility for student allowances has decreased. Last year the Labour Government ruled out implementing universal student allowances.

VUWSA Campaigns Officer Hana Pilkinton-Ching says, “The means-tested system is dehumanising and doesn’t provide enough support even to those who are eligible. Those who are not eligible, which is the vast majority of students, usually receive Living Costs payments which add to their student loan. Students are going into debt each week just to survive, but it doesn’t have to be this way.”

VUWSA President Jessica Ye says, “A Study Wage recognises that learning is an inherently valuable contribution to society. Valuing education as a public good means that we must see a more sustainable funding model for tertiary institutions and make tertiary education accessible to all. The tertiary underfunding crisis and student poverty crisis go hand in hand. Without reform of the student allowance system to meet the needs of the current generation of students, we will continue to see tertiary enrolments decreasing.”

These students are calling for a Study Wage for All to provide debt-free living cost support to all tertiary students. They call for political leaders vying for student votes to urgently commit to a Study Wage for All, and honour their past commitments to act on student debt and student poverty.

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