Some students won't get student loans for their final years
under the changed student loan scheme.
Victoria University student magazine Salient reported today
that Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said policy
changes could be considered to fix the problem.
Changes to the scheme this year meant students who completed
a double degree and honours would need to fund any masters
study themselves but may then be able to access loans for
doctorate study.
Students who completed a degree prior to entering medical
school would have to fund their last years without a student
loan.
A lifetime limit on access to the student loan scheme was
introduced in Budget 2010. The limit for undergraduate study
is 7 EFTS (Equivalent Full Time Student), with a further 1
EFTS allowed for postgraduate study and 3 EFTS for doctoral
study. A full-time student studies between 0.8 and 1.4 EFTS a
year.
A student completing a double degree (for example law and
arts) needs about 6 EFTS to complete their studies. If the
student wanted to do honours and masters, the current policy
meant that a student may not have any access to funding for
their masters.
Mr Joyce said there were no exemptions on the limit.
"However, if some programmes of study (such as medicine) turn
out to be disproportionately affected by this policy,
consideration could be given as to whether additional EFTS
should be allocated to those programmes."
The article said the changes could see students go overseas
for travel or discourage aiming for the higher
qualifications.
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