Students worry about changes to tertiary funding
Students are concerned at plans to link university funding to academic success, University Student Association co-president David Do says.
Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce, in his first speech in the role, told a business audience in Wellington yesterday that he had three short-term goals -- to tackle course completion rates; have qualifications that were meaningful and ensure student support money was not wasted.
Mr Joyce said that the sector's funding needed to be better used because there would be no more coming in the budget.
Between 5 and 10 percent of government funding for tertiary providers would be linked to student performance and dropout rates.
"Educational performance will be measured using indicators like successful course completion, qualification completion and student progression," Mr Joyce said.
Mr Do said Mr Joyce believed that tertiary institutions would provide more support to students, but he doubted this would happen as there was no money to achieve it.
The Education Ministry, Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and Mr Joyce are working on how to apply the new requirement.
The proportion of funding affected would be kept low at the start but could increase over time. Mr Joyce told journalists 90 to 95 percent of funding would still be based on enrolments.
He said he did not have a general concern about success rates across the sector but there were some other worries.
"As much as possible we don't want people leaving the tertiary education with a significant loan and no qualifications to show for it."
Mr Joyce said the TEC and New Zealand Qualifications Authority would continue to monitor standards and the low level of funding affected was also a protection.
"You wouldn't want to make it anything as draconian as 100 percent pass rates or anything like that," he said.
Mr Joyce also said students would not get automatic access to ongoing interest free loans. New Zealand put a higher proportion of its tertiary education funding into student support than other countries; 42 percent of the $4 billion a year budget compared to 31 percent in Australia and an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 19 percent.
He wanted to see continued access to student loans linked to academic progress.
Mr Do said tying loans access to academic progress would be unnecessary and restrictive and work against moves to get more young people, Maori and Pasifika students into higher education.
Most students needed the money to survive and to jeopardise this would be worrying, Mr Do said.
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Comments and questions15
How many of you had to pay for your training? The country benefits from having skilled, knowledgable, professional people in business: how are we the young going to fund your super payments if we're crippled by student loans?
I think some of the above views are a bit narrow minded. I have recently graduated after 5 years of study with an A- average but have accumulated approximately $60k worth of student loan. After leaving i have moved into a job with a salary equivalent to 75% of my student loan. With the old 8% interest i would be paying off my loan at a rate of 10% of my income and the interest wouldnt even be covered, let alone the capital.
Young educated people are the ones who are going to help drive the economy. We will be the ones paying for the Baby Boomers retirement and yet you think we should be stung now as well?????
At last someone is prepared to shut down a weeping sore of "ENTITLEMENT" paid for by the taxpayer.
Well what do you expect? since student loans are now interest free, their price is now much lower than the market price, which implies greater pressure to use non-price rationing.
students should be worried - at last the people who fund them (the taxpayer) are to get some accountability - totally justified and long overdue
An idea I've had for some years - If a student gets (say) an A pass in a paper, wipe off 100% of the cost of that paper from their loan; B pass, wipe off 80%; C pass, wipe off 60%; Fail - wipe off nil. AND bring back interest on loans.
So the better the results you get, the less you pay.
AND if you haven't had to take out a loan (rich parents, say) then you get the same amount, but as a tax credit.
let's remember that many of the baby boomers worked on wharves, wool stores and freezing works for the whole of their varsity holidays to put themselves through university - there were no interest free loans back then. How many varsity students work through their holidays now?
I studied as an adult student. I funded all my study myself, along with my own living costs. I sometimes received employer funding but that was always contingent on passing; fail no funds!
While I expect it is difficult for some I really don't understand how individuals accumulate such large loans. Perhaps it is the "me" (think Y) generation. Must have a car, a tv, a phone. My husband studied for many years, and his only luxury was a beer with mates, no car, phone, or TV. He received a small allowance and worked holidays to pay his way - right through to PhD).
More importantly perhaps than the poor students, is the poor quality of education. A friend recently enrolled in a secondary school teaching qualification. A paper with about a 25 page handout and a reading list that she printed and read in less than a week. She has been told by other students that she got the correct lecturer also. Apparently no work produces an A pass.
The introduction of funding based on results isn't going to fix this problem.
About time!
I was assisting a Uni class today. The presenter show us slides on the environment. It had a link been 'manufacturing' and 'global warming!'.
The lecturer said that in 5 years time 'ALL MANUFACTURING UNLESS ENVIRONMENTALLY SIGNED OFF BY THE GOVERNMENT IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL!".
I have NEVER EVER seen anything quite like it. The lecturer CLOSED DOWN any discussion of the fact that GW does NOT exist.
This entire system is broken and corrupt. Mr Joyce needs to wade in there and slash this sort of evil
I made the above comment regarding the size of my loan. That consisted of approx. $12k/ year over 5 years. Because i did a triple degree i was paying around 6-7k in Course fees and then had $150 a week living. This covered my $100 rent plus $50 for food and expenses. I worked every holiday i had, often pushing beyond 60hours a week. I had what little help my parents could give but needed all the work i could get, including unloading sealord boats from 10pm till 8am in -18 degrees at the Fryatt St wharf in Dunedin. The days of putting cars etc on student loans are long gone as lump sums are not available. The baby boomers, my father included, didnt have interest as their loans course fees were paid for.
it has taken me 4 years to do a PHD. I OWE NOTHING to anyone. I worked and slaved myself.
Then, Helen corrupt KLARK gets an honoury doctorate. This for dumbing down the entire system. Unbelievable
The system needs scrapping. Start again.
Achievement based. Pay your way or Penalties on loans for failure to perform!
YES-anonymous--isn't the hon.doc for Hell-in corrupt Klark a jolly farce.??? She --who dumbed down everything that was politically expedient. Or a U.N. preaching-Same thing really.
Also tax payers should not be funding perennial students who are studying just anything that is available there for those who don't want to work-or who are perhaps ,sadly , aiming for something beyond their abilities.Give is scientists , engineers etc and fewer lawyers and other gravey trainers. Plus stop the tax payer funding of loopy degrees.
Brilliant idea Paddy. Really like it. But wait for the "it's OUR RIGHT " bleeders now.
ANONYMOUS at 4.12 pm March 10th-How about exposing this CON to Steven Joyce and a few other relevant people / organisations.
already on the case Mary. the problem with though is that joyce, key, mapp and all the crew are COMPLICIT to or with the global warming scam
Hey Anonymous - WHAT ?? Global warming ?? One of us is on the wrong site here !! Are you MICE ?? What do you think about the student allowances announcement ?? Wasn't Paddy's post a good one ?? Are you a middle income earner with a big student loan ??
Like my family were ??
Paddy's quote. A+
Global Warming: I was referring to the corruption of Global Warming being rammed into students mouths through the education system. Key, Clark, Mapp, Gooff, They are ALL the same. No point in me raising discussion with Joyce on that. The issue being, whether it's content, funding, process or political style - the entire education system is riddled with the cancer of socialism.
Middle Income. No. Retired. Student Loan. No.
My family grew up and were educated in the Communist State of the United Kingdom. This is where NZ is headed
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