Students forced to fork out for further study

Some future doctors and those seeking a higher education will be forced to fund some of their own studies after changes made to the Student Loan Scheme earlier this year.

In an exclusive statement to Salient, Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce admitted that the changes made to the Loan Scheme in Budget 2010 will mean that some students will not have access to student loans to cover their final years of study.

The loan scheme restructure means students who complete a double degree and honours will likely need to fund any Masters study out of their own pocket, but may then be able to access funding for Doctorate study.

The loan changes also mean students who complete a degree prior to entering medical school will 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. The EFTS count includes all study a student had a Student Loan for from 1 January 2010.

Joyce says policy changes “could be” considered.

“There are currently no additional exemptions to the lifetime limit for specific programmes of study or multiple degrees.

“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.”

Joyce says the changes to the scheme are “intended to encourage students to make wise choices about their study” and “take the most direct route through their studies in order to ensure they have sufficient entitlement to a student loan”.

Medical students wanting to complete Masters study will have access to the additional allowances to fund further study.

Other Masters students will not be as fortunate. A student completing a double degree (for example Law and Arts) needs approximately 6 EFTS to complete their studies. If the student wants to do Honours and Masters, the current policy means that a student may not have any access to funding for their Masters.

Victoria University Law student Nick Chapman says the government needs to ensure their attempts to regulate student funding do not adversely affect students working towards higher learning.
“Obviously there is a real danger that you will push students away from academia by making it difficult for them to fund their postgraduate study,” he says.

“From a Law perspective in particular, this coupled with the disparity in pay which already exists between someone working in a commercial law firm and someone researching, publishing and teaching, it presents a real risk to the number and quality of academics our universities produce.

“In effect, people will be paying more to qualify for a profession where they will be paid less.”

New Zealand Medical Students’ Association President Liz Carr says the changes are disappointing and “don’t make any sense”.

“It seems like such a badly planned idea. This is a sure way to lose students. We are trying to train and retain young doctors in New Zealand, and the loan scheme was one of the ways to help this.

“If students have to fund their own studies, then graduate students might seriously consider looking at studying in Australian post-graduate medical schools.

“Completing a degree prior to entering medical school is a common and encouraged way of entering medical school.

“If the government is trying to discourage postgraduate students from moving into medicine, then this is the perfect way to do it.”


Joyce says if students use their additional postgraduate 1 EFTS for honours study, then “there is no additional entitlement for additional postgraduate borrowing other than doctoral study”.

When questioned how the 7 EFTS entitlement was decided, Joyce’s said the value is “similar to the Australian Student Learning Entitlement (ASLE) which allows an equivalent of 7 years of full-time study with Commonwealth support”.

Massey University staff join their Canterbury counterparts in facing an uncertain future after being told jobs are to be cut.

About 200 Massey staff were sent letters saying their role would be disestablished or their position changed.

Under the plan, 53 support staff members would lose their jobs, with 120 staff set to compete for only 67 new positions across the three campuses.

At the Manawatu campus, about 80 jobs would go and 50 positions would be created.

Proposed changes will save the university $2.4 million annually.

The review comes as Massey deals with reduced government funding and growing enrolments.

Victoria University staff can expect some changes, but the university will not face widespread planned redundancies.

“Victoria is constantly reviewing its structure to ensure it is best placed to meet its strategic goals,” a University spokesperson says.

“While some changes are likely to occur, we do not have any major projects on the horizon similar to those affecting staff numbers at other universities.”

Massey University Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey told the Manawatu Standard the Massey changes are part of an initiative to make the university more efficient.

The announcement follows an earlier 30 redundancies and the disestablishment of three regional chief executives’ positions earlier this year.

Maharey says Massey could not rule out more redundancies, as universities face pressure to cut costs.

“Massey, like other universities, is moving to do what we do as efficiently and effectively as possible, to reduce our expenditure, enhance the quality of what we offer and to find new sources of revenue.”

Canterbury University staff have also been hit by funding shortages, with 95 people already made redundant and more redundancies to come.

Tertiary Education Union branch Vice-President Jennifer Middendorf says the redundancies at Canterbury have hurt staff morale and that some staff, programmes and students at the university now faced an uncertain future.

“The University of Canterbury said disestablished staff will be able to apply for new positions, but many of the new positions being created are at lower salaries, or require different qualifications than the disestablished positions.

“Since the beginning of this restructuring the university has redeployed only a handful of staff—far short of the 95 who have so far lost their jobs,” says Middendorf.

“It’s a travesty that Canterbury’s poor example is being adopted by Massey University as well. Let’s hope other universities do not follow suit.”

VUWSA executive member James Sleep has been found guilty of misconduct by the VUWSA exec, following comments made in his Salient column earlier this month.

VUWSA received a formal complaint following the column’s publication in the 3 May issue of Salient.

Sleep made reference in the column to “the rich kids who you might find yourself sitting next to”, and “the one’s [sic] that seem to think it’s a status boost to say they live in Weir House”.

The exec found Sleep had breached the VUWSA Code of Conduct (CoC) by making negative and disrespectful comments about VUWSA members.

The CoC requires VUWSA exec members to “treat everyone fairly and with respect” and “Show respect to the person…”.

When asked to make a public apology for the comments made in the column, Sleep initially refused to do so.

“No, that is not something I will be doing. I am not prepared to make a public apology in Salient. I don’t see why I need to.”

Following the meeting, Sleep contacted Salient to say he had “had second thoughts” and would apologise in a later issue of Salient.

Sleep did acknowledge using the stereotypes “was unacceptable” and agreed to apologise to the complainant, but only after it was suggested by the exec.

Sleep’s column was discussed in a recent select committee hearing about Roger Douglas’s Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill, a bill which would introduce voluntary membership to all students’ associations.

VUWSA President Max Hardy told Salient he was disappointed that Sleep had made the comments.

“The accountability of executive members is ultimately to the students.

“VUWSA expects higher standards of ethical conduct of its executive members that we generally expect of the general public.”

Sleep told Hardy during the investigation that he did not believe the phrases were offensive, and said he was attempting to be “deliberately provocative”.

Hardy said in his report to the exec that Sleep “showed a general disrespect to the process” and “did not take the allegations seriously”.

Sleep told the exec that he accepted the misconduct finding, but disputed that he had not taken the complaint seriously.

Sleep says turning up to the meeting and talking about the complaint was enough to be seen as taking it seriously.

Exec members were concerned by Sleep’s actions following the meeting with Hardy, when he was heard laughing about the issue.

The misconduct decision does not require the exec to take any disciplinary action against Sleep.

Three misconduct findings would result in serious misconduct and further action would be taken at that point.

An agreement between Salient and VUWSA means that all columns submitted by exec members are not edited by Salient, subject to libel laws, before being published.

Hiyoooooooooo

The Cleveland Motel has finally fronted up with the cash it was ordered to pay VUWSA, but only after VUWSA President Max Hardy sicced the heavies on them.

Rotorua’s Cleveland Motel charged VUWSA $6724 for what they said were necessary repairs for damage caused by drunk Vic students staying there during Uni Games 2008.

The students made national headlines for their drunken revelries, and subsequent eviction by the motel’s owners.

Following a decision in the Disputes Tribunal in late February 2009, the Cleveland Motel was ordered to refund VUWSA a sum of $4114 from the $6724 it charged the association for cleaning and the non-utilisation of the final night’s accommodation.

The Cleveland Motel argued it was entitled to charge VUWSA for the damage and cleanup work left in the wake of the drunken carnage. The motel’s owners did not feel obligated to refund the association for the last night’s accommodation.

VUWSA stated there was inadequate proof to substantiate some of the costs charged for cleaning and damage.

Despite being ordered to pay the money back to VUWSA, the Cleveland Motel owners stubbornly refused to do so.

In late 2009, then-VUWSA Vice-President (Administration) Hardy asked the District Court to enforce the Disputes Tribunal decision.

Over a year after the Disputes Tribunal decision, VUWSA finally received the cash.

When contacted by Salient last year, Cleveland Motel management were less than consolatory about the decision, or indeed students in general.

“You fucking students are the scum of the earth,” the man said.

“You fucks, you scum of the earth. Look what you little pricks did down in fucking Dunedin! Scum of the earth, go save the world! Go save the fucking whales!”

When questioned about what the money would be used for, Hardy joked “Maybe we can go help those whales now.”

Some things that happen do matter

Salient has a few questions about the changes made to the Student Loans scheme announced in Budget 2010.

These are swiped from the StudyLink website. So don’t blame us if you don’t like them!

Lifetime Limit for Student Loans
Introduced: 1 January 2011
• Lifetime limit of 7 EFTS (equivalent full-time student) for Student Loans, starting from study started in 2010.
• Full-time students have study loads of between 0.8 EFTS and 1.2 EFTS for a year. For a full-time student, 7 EFTS is equal to about 7 or 8 years of study.
• Once any part of the Student Loan is used, no matter what it is, such as living costs, fees, or course-related costs, that loan will count towards the 7 EFTS limit.

The 7 EFTS limit may be extended in these situations:
• If a student enrols in a course, which, in the one year of study, will take them over the 7 EFTS limit, they will be able to use a Student Loan to complete that year of study.
• An additional 1 EFTS is available for post graduate study.
• Up to an additional 3 EFTS are available for doctoral study.
• Generally, a student will not be able to receive more than 10 EFTS of Student Loan entitlement including these extensions.

Performance Requirement for Student Loans
Introduced: 1 January 2011
• To keep receiving a Student Loan a student will have to pass at least half of their course load EFTS.
• EFTS count starts once a student has used one or more parts of the Student Loan (living costs, course fees, or course-related costs).
• To give students time to adjust to tertiary study a student’s performance will be assessed once they have used 1.6 EFTS (about two years of full-time study).
• If a student does lose access to the Student Loan they can regain it by passing at least half of their EFTS without using a Student Loan or by providing evidence that there is sufficient reasons beyond their control for not passing at least half. They will also be able to regain eligibility after five years as a result of the five year rolling assessment period.

Fee Changes
Introduced: 2012
• Administration fee to be renamed the Establishment Fee
• Establishment Fee increases to $60
• $40 annual administration fee will be introduced for Student Loans that are transferred to Inland Revenue
• Will not be charged any year where a student also had a StudyLink establishment fee charged

Changes to Residency Requirements for Student Loans
Introduced: 1 January 2011
• Permanent residents and Australian citizens will be subject to a two year stand down before they can receive a Student Loan.

“We’re screwed”

Victoria University’s recent decision to not accept any new domestic admissions for 2010 has eased financial pressures facing the institution, but it has also made life a lot more difficult for the students who have had their plans turned upside down.

Sarah*, 19, had planned to start a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Politics and International Relations in trimester two.

“I rang the enrolment people at Vic to talk about my courses before I applied, and they said I should have no troubles [getting in].”

VUWSA President Max Hardy says the decision has had a wider impact than the university allowed for.

“It is disappointing that the decision was pushed through so quickly, so close to the start of trimester two, with very little warning.

“Those students intending to enrol had a reasonable expectation that they would be able to study.”

Sarah agrees. “I thought I would be going to Vic, there was nothing to make me think I couldn’t.”

After applying online in late April, Sarah moved to Wellington in early May to set up her flat and find a job before uni started.

“They must have known before now, they must have been able to let us know sooner.”

Sarah says she is no longer sure where she will study now she is not able to apply to Vic until next year.

“It’s a really long way away. Most of a year really. It would be a bit different if I could go to summer school at Vic, but they have closed that to us too.”

A high-achieving student, Sarah says she is no longer sure that she will get the education she wants from Victoria.

“I know that I will make it into Vic next year, but it’s such a shambles that I don’t want to.

“I am starting to think that maybe it would be a better idea to go somewhere else.”

Losing high calibre students was a concern raised by some members of the University Council when making the decision to close admissions.

Victoria University Director of Student Academic Services Pam Thorburn says while the university cannot comment on individual students, “the university is always concerned about the potential loss of a student who is capable of completing degree study”.

“We appreciate that this decision may have a significant impact on study plans and apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

Sarah says the issue is now trying to figure out what to do next.

“They really have left a lot of people without a direction. I know of other people in the same place as me.”

“A lot of us don’t have the experience we need to be able to get jobs to support ourselves and it’s just really tough, there aren’t many jobs for students at the moment.

“We’re kinda screwed.”

*Sarah requested that we change her name.

Last week I walked in to the exec meeting to discover a surprise prepared for me by Max Hardy. Throwing aside my journalistic integrity I delightfully accepted my very own media table! It had a sign and everything, and took the president approximately five minutes to write and print, thus fulfilling 40 per cent of his KPI.

The meeting was in a new room this week. With the Student Union upgrades actually starting to move along, the Student Union has shifted to their new home over at 6 Wai-te-ata Road.

Like circling vultures, it only took the exec a couple of days before claiming squatters rights and moving their meetings upstairs.

The table in the new room is weird. It has this whole sticky out bit. It looks kinda like that space program thing where the captain sits on that chair thing with the pointy-eared guy lurking behind him. Spock? Something like that.

Yup. Sooooo. What else happened… ummm… they talked about the work reports? Did they? I honestly can’t remember, and I blame Jasmine Freemantle entirely for it. I’m sorry, what year is this again? I really don’t know.

Fraser was once again singled out as needing to sort out what on Earth he actually does in his role. Oh and they talked about the financial accounts. You know, your money, and everything. Look, I can’t tell how to care about how they spend your money, (by the way, there is $1.5 million sitting in their cheque account), and I’m not here to hold your hand and tell you to care.

But it has taken them over six months to implement a financial plan. Might explain why some of Salient’s invoices weren’t paid on time. More on this next semester in Salient’s award-winning A4 photocopied fun-time newsletter, with Rarah “So… am I getting paid this week? Oh, food stamps? Hey cool, thanks” Sobson.

Ummm what else. God, I have no idea. I wish I could elaborate more on this, but guess what, friends, there’s literally nothing else to say. Though Salient can confirm that, yes, Alan Young knows what an executive bonus is. Christ no longer weeps, and we’re glad.

There are a few things you can care about:

Warm My Flat

Two flats will win a professional energy audit. You should enter to find out where your warmth is escaping. Your toes could be saved.

Stress-Free Study Week

To help you get through your exams, VUWSA will be giving out breakfast, midnight feasts (only at Te Aro though, you miss out Kelburn) and neck rubs from June 7-11.
I have been reassured that the VUWSA exec will not be the ones doing the rubbing.

Student Union moving

Well, you can now go to VUWSA for lost property and club booking forms. And soon VUWSA will be where the Student Union was. Soooo really this isn’t a big deal. But now you know.

Professor Martin Banwell, a Vic graduate, returned to his old uni a couple of weeks ago to receive an Honorary Doctorate. Salient news editor Angela Mabey spoke to him about his research and what it’s like to have not one, but two doctorates.

Coming back to Victoria University to get his second doctorate was a “terrific honour” for Professor Martin Banwell.

Since getting his PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1979, Banwell has worked his way up the ranks and is currently Director of the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University, where he is responsible for supervising 240 staff and students and overseeing a budget of $18 million.

His work in researching the synthesis of biologically active molecules relevant to medicine has earned him numerous awards, and now he has an Honorary Doctorate to sit alongside them.

Banwell says although the Doctorate is an honour, it is a bit overwhelming.

“I worked very hard for the first one, and now I have another one. It’s a huge honour to be recognised by my alma mater.

“I do wonder whether I deserve all the fuss however, achievements in science all involve more than one person.”

Banwell says the nature of science means collaboration is important, and something that New Zealand and Australia do well.

Banwell’s work has had a major impact upon medicine and he has collaborated with major chemical pharmaceutical companies worldwide, such as BASF and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

His team is currently involved in the synthesis and research of a tiny sample found in coral off the Great Barrier Reef that looks to have properties which might be beneficial in the treatment of lung cancer.

He says an issue arises with translating the discoveries made in science to non-scientists.

“What might be a major breakthrough in the field will likely not have an impact outside of the lab for years.

“It’s because of this, and because of the view that scientists are a bit stuffy that we have a bit of a public relations crisis.”

Banwell says enrolments in science studies are dropping in Australia, and attracting young people into science is getting harder.

“Science is perceived as being a bit insular, we need people to get out there and promote science to improve its image.

“We need more people articulating the excitement of science, there is a perception that people work too hard for little reward.”

One way around this, suggests Banwell, is to encourage more students to study both arts and science.

“It can be hard to combine but it would be good for the future of science.

“I have a huge respect for how articulate arts graduates are. If we could get more of that in science, it would really help.

“We need people to get out there and translate science for the non-scientist and promote the wonderful work our students and researchers are doing.”

Banwell was impressed with the new facilities in the recently opened Alan MacDiarmid building on campus.

“What universities do with their modest budgets is amazing, but they really do need more.

“Without the budgets to do the interesting and relevant work, we won’t attract the younger scientists.”

Banwell is hopeful the government’s recent increases in research and development funding is “new money”.

“The announcement is encouraging, but I do hope that the money is not a smoke and mirrors game and will translate to real increases in funding.”

Banwell says there is a limited pool of funding and it is a real challenge to balance the time spent on sourcing funding versus the actual science the funding is for.

“The system is not encouraging younger scientists to get out there.

“There is limited funding, and everyone is competing to get the same grants.

“Younger scientists have to ride on the coattails of more established scientists to get the funding.”

Banwell says it is important to support the younger staff to help them establish their careers.

“I really do worry about the support for younger scientists, and how to attract them into science as a career.

“Younger scientists will help attract new students, they will see a bond, picture themselves in the job, not just as an old stuffy professor.”

Banwell stood alongside four academic generations of chemists at Victoria’s Science graduation to receive his honorary doctorate.

Russell Hewitt, the youngest, graduated with a PhD in organic chemistry. Hewitt’s supervisor Dr Joanne Harvey (herself a doctoral student of Banwell’s) and Professor Banwell’s former PhD supervisor Emeritus Professor Brian Halton were also present.

VUWSA received a formal complaint following the column’s publication in the 3 May issue of Salient.

Sleep made reference in the column to “the rich kids who you might find yourself sitting next to”, and “the one’s that seem to think it’s a status boost to say they live in Weir House”.

The exec found Sleep had breached the VUWSA Code of Conduct by making negative and disrespectful comments about VUWSA members.

When asked to make a public apology for the comments made in the column, Sleep initially refused to do so.

“No, that is not something I will be doing. I am not prepared to make a public apology in Salient. I don’t see why I need to.”

Following the meeting Sleep contacted Salient to say he had “had second thoughts” and would apologise in a later issue of Salient.

Sleep did acknowledge using the stereotypes “was unacceptable” and agreed to apologise to the complainant, but only after it was suggested by the exec.

Sleep’s column was discussed in a recent select committee hearing about Roger Douglas’s Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill, a bill which would introduce voluntary membership to all students’ associations.

VUWSA President Max Hardy told Salient he was disappointed that Sleep had made the comments.

“The accountability of executive members is ultimately to the students.

“VUWSA expects higher standards of ethical conduct of its Executive members that we generally expect of the general public.”

Sleep told Hardy during the investigation that he did not believe the phrases were offensive and said he was attempting to be “deliberately provocative”.

Hardy said in his report to the exec that Sleep “showed a general disrespect to the process” and “did not take the allegations seriously”.

Sleep told the exec that he accepted the misconduct finding, but disputed that he had not taken the complaint seriously.

Sleep says turning up to the meeting and talking about the complaint was enough to be seen as taking it seriously.

Exec members were concerned by Sleep’s actions following the meeting with Hardy, when he was heard laughing about the issue.

The misconduct decision does not require the exec to take any disciplinary action against Sleep.

An agreement between Salient and VUWSA means that all columns submitted by exec members are not edited by Salient, subject to libel laws, before being published.

Bill’s vision for Nuu Zillund

There was a distinct lack of any drama in last week’s Budget 2010 announcement, with all the major changes already spilled by the main players.

 
In a rather lacklustre performance, Finance Minister Bill English announced a raft of tax changes and confused the lot of us with a whole lot of words to say not much.
 
The promised GST increase was there, as were the promised tax cuts.  However, despite the shopping list of pre-Budget changes announced by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce, Budget 2010 was lacking in any real direction for the tertiary sector.
 
Although the Budget allows for 1735 new full-time places at universities nationwide, NZUSA co-President Pene Delaney dismisses it as inadequate given the current climate.

Vice-Chancellor’s Committee Chair Derek McCormack says the budget does little to support universities’ ability to contribute to sustained economic growth.

“The budget makes room for a total of 765 new places across all universities next year, but it does this through no additional funding. 

“This will not ease the burden that universities are facing in demand for places and the universities will continue to turn thousands of students away.”
 
Labour Tertiary Education spokesperson Maryan Street says the new places are not for new students.

“Let’s be clear — these are not 1735 new students. Most of them are already in universities but being carried and funded by the universities themselves.

“When universities are writing to hundreds and hundreds of students to say ‘don’t bother enrolling, we can’t take you’, this doesn’t cut it.”

As teased by Joyce, students who fail more than half of their papers over the course of their first 1.6 Equivalent Full Time Student (EFTS) units (a standard year is 0.8 EFTS) will have their ability to borrow from student loans cut.

Students will need to complete papers at their own expense before regaining access to the loan scheme.

The time limit for access to the student loan scheme has also been set at 7 EFTS. Students will need to fund any further study themselves, with a few exceptions.

NZUSA co-president David Do was disappointed with the lack of direction for the sector.
 
“It has failed to meaningfully tackle the real issues of underfunding and student debt,” says Do.
 
Joyce says the cautious approach towards tertiary funding can be blamed on the price of failure incurred on students and the government.
 
“When students take out a student loan, but fail to gain a qualification, they incur costs for themselves and for the government without any real gain.”

Green Party Tertiary Education Spokesperson Gareth Hughes says the lack of any extra funding for tertiary education is essentially a cut.

“The Minister for Tertiary education has shifted $200 million into a student achievement-based funding model for universities which will increase inequality.

“Funding systems that focus on student achievement will erode academic standards by forcing lecturers to allow substandard students to pass courses so they retain funding.”



Former Salient News Editor and numbers man Keith Ng summed up Budget 2010 best by asking “What’d you expect?

“

This is a tax cut for the rich, yes, but I struggle to get too worked up about it. Key said it was a tax cut for the rich, National campaigned on tax cuts for the rich and people elected them to give tax cuts to the rich. Meh, this is how governments work.”



With the rise of GST from 12.5 per cent to 15 per cent, general household necessities such as petrol, food and power will rise in price come 1 October.



There is a small break for those on a student allowance, with the government promising a 2.02 per cent rise in payments to counteract the rise in GST.



Tax rates for those earning between $14,000 to $48,000 dropped from 21 per cent to 17.5 per cent, and those earning between $48,000 to $70,000 will see a change to 30 per cent down from 33 per cent.



According to English, these changes would give those on the average income an extra $30 per week. 



Opposition leader Phil Goff was quick to contradict the government’s forecast figures on tax cuts, and says that with the GST increase, those on an average wage income would in fact be $30 worse off every week.

“

There could scarcely be a worse time to put pressure on family budgets than right now.”



To help you work your way through the multiple increases and decreases and changes galore, the government has developed an online calculator. To work out what effect the tax cut will have on you, go to taxguide.govt.nz.