Gee says that rising student debt requires immediate action by the Government. The first step would be by addressing the rising cost of living for students. Living costs make up a third of the national student loan balance.
‘An immediate step to lessen the burden of student loan debt is to increase access to the Student Allowance, which currently only 33% of students have access to.’
Gee says that, more importantly, a national conversation about student debt needs to take place in order to combat inequality.
‘Loan debt is not just a student issue. Tertiary education is a public good and we owe it to future generations to have a national conversation about student debt and its impact on society.’
NZUSA is the national voice of students in tertiary education. The organisation is governed by students’ associations from universities and polytechnics around the country.
ENDS