It’s that time of year again. The time where the streets get slightly quieter, with University and Polytechnic students heading home for their mid-year break.
I know things are pretty tough right now, as global factors like inflation drive up prices here at home as well.
To help students with the cost of living, we’ve rolled out some practical measures to ease the pressure.
To help with the bills, we boosted Student Allowances and Student Loan Living Costs by $25 a week in April, and we’re providing extra support with the new temporary cost of living payment, which many students will receive next month.
Those of you juggling study with work might have also noticed a bump to your pay check, after we increased the minimum wage to $21.20 an hour.
The war in Ukraine is having a huge impact on petrol prices.
To make getting to class more affordable, we’ve temporarily cut fuel tax, reduced road user charges, and made public transport cheaper (with permanently half-price fares for everyone with a Community Services Card — you can find out if you’re eligible at studylink.govt.nz).
We’re also taking action on supermarkets, so you pay a fairer price when doing the weekly flat shop.
These measures build on everything we’ve done over the past few years to support students — from tackling cold, damp flats with the introduction of our Healthy Homes Standards to boosting frontline mental health support at universities.
We’ve also made study cheaper with first year fees-free and free trades training.
There’s more to do, but I hope our Government’s changes are making a difference for you, your family, and your flatmates.
I’m always keen to hear your feedback and ideas, so if you’d like to chat, get in touch at dunedin@parliament.govt.nz.
Otherwise, good luck with the semester ahead!
