Med students hurt by loan cap staying
Medical students are upset with the Government for not getting rid of a cap on the number of years a student can get a student loan.
The National Government put the eight-year cap in place in 2011, and it was opposed by the Labour Party and many students associations, particularly medical ones.
It means students who undertake a five-year medical degree after finishing a four-year degree in another field cannot get student loan money to cover fees, living costs or course-related costs in their final year.
Labour, NZ First and the Green Party all committed to getting rid of the cap in their election manifestos but Budget 2018 did not implement such a change.
‘‘It is disappointing to see this new Government, in their first Budget, to not live up to these expectations,’’ said New Zealand Medical Students Association vice-president Ajda Arsan.
‘‘Not only is this a waste of much needed doctors in the work-field, this is a waste of the taxpayers’ dollars already invested in that training. What help is a medical student with half a degree?’’
The students association says a relatively small number of students hit the cap, and it would not be a very costly change. ‘‘We are looking at 142 students affected by this,’’ Arsan added.
Chayce Glass, of Te Oranga, a union for Ma¯ ori medical students and doctors, said the cap hit poorer students who could not rely on their parents to help. The last year of study was also the hardest.
It did not make any sense to support a student up to a certain point and then stop, Glass said.
Ma¯ ori make up only 5 per cent of the medical workforce and the cap would keep that number low.
‘‘The EFTS (Equivalent Fulltime Student) cap affects those Ma¯ ori students who have entered medical school with previous degrees – including those who completed foundation level course – and who are now facing the pressure of finding $25,000 per year to fund the remainder of their medical studies,’’ he said.
‘‘There aren’t that many Ma¯ ori doctors existing out there in the workforce, why are you stopping this select group getting through?’’
Glass and Arsan said despite productive talks with new Education Minister Chris Hipkins in recent years, they had not spoken to him since November.
They were supportive of other moves to help students, such as the boost to allowances and the gradual introduction of a fees-free status, but were looking for at least a timeline from Hipkins as to when the cap might be removed, so students could plan ahead.
‘‘In order for students to plan for the future, we need to know what is actually happening,’’ said Arsan.
Hipkins said fiscal constraints had stopped the policy change happening immediately.
‘‘Given other funding pressures, we could not achieve everything in Budget 2018. We will be considering this for 2019.’’