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Student doctor petition hits 20,000

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Tue Jun 09 2015 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Student doctor petition hits 20,000

NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations Tuesday, 9 June 2015, 9:56 am
Press Release: NZUSA

Student doctor petition hits 20,000

A petition calling for recent changes to the loans scheme to be reversed has reached 20,000 signatures, says the national student union.

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations is supporting the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association campaign to once again allow medical students to borrow beyond seven years for fees and living costs.

The change restricting borrowing to seven years was introduced in 2011 and is now preventing about 30 per cent of doctors from undertaking their final year.

NZUSA National President Rory McCourt says the unexpected success of the petition, which has been circulating online for less than two weeks, shows the public are supportive of the cause.

“After only a couple of weeks twenty thousand Kiwis have shown their support for letting our med students get on with it and finish their degrees.”

“The Government would be unwise to ignore those thousands of parents, grandparents and patients who think we shouldn’t be denying our future doctors the support they so desperately need to graduate.”

A final year medical student typically has to find upwards of $15,000 to pay for fees up front, in addition to living costs.

“We’re calling for the reintroduction of a National Importance category that makes an exception for courses where we consistently need graduates, or it is otherwise in New Zealand’s economic or national interest to support learning and research in that field. That would certainly include medicine.” says McCourt

The first step is that Steven Joyce should meet with the Medical Students’ Association, says McCourt.

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The petition is available to sign at tinyurl.com/letthemfinish. The student unions are aiming for 25,000 signatures._

ENDS

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NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations

NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations

We stand for opportunity, for all.

NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.

We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.

Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.

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