Students examine debt plan
Labour Party policy aimed at decreasing student debt has been welcomed by Wintec students.
The policy would give graduates the chance to decrease their student loan in exchange for public service work in regions lacking qualified people to fill jobs.
Ethan Lankshear, 18, an engineering student from Gisborne, said the policy would benefit students.
‘‘I think there will be a lot more students going to study,’’ he said.
‘‘Especially those from smaller towns, because it’s close to home, they’ll probably get a job.’’
Ethan’s student loan is $11,000 and could increase to $80,000 by the end of his degree.
But he said he isn’t worried about having to pay it back.
Deanna Moratti, 18, studies a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree and believes the policy would be ‘‘amazing’’.
Her student loan is $6800 and would come to $21,000 at the end of her degree.
‘‘Student loans are stressful,’’ she said. ‘‘So I think the policy would make it easier for the ones that have a huge debt and are struggling to pay it off.’’
When asked if they would be willing to work anywhere in order to benefit from the policy, Moratti said she wouldn’t mind. ‘‘It would be all good. A job’s a job,’’ she said. Lankshear, however, was more sceptical. ‘‘It would really depend on the job and the skills I could gain from it,’’ he said.
Collectively there is nearly $15 billion of student loan debt owed.
‘‘That is a crazy amount of money. I know a lot of people in their late 30s that are still paying off their student loan,’’ said Lankshear.
If Labour were to officially announce the policy, both students said that it could persuade them to vote for the party at the next election.
Labour Party leader Andrew Little has said a final version of the policy will likely be announced at the beginning of 2017.
Kerenapu Winiata-Katting journalism student. is a Wintec