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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 8. April 17 1978
The Standard Tertiary Bursary — A Short History of Sweeping Statements & Broken Promises......
The Standard Tertiary Bursary
A Short History of Sweeping Statements & Broken Promises.......
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November 1972: Labour's STB Promise.
July 1973: Education Minister Amos promises a White Paper in the Standard Tertiary Bursary (STB) for August 1973.
August 1974: One year after the promised white paper was due, Assistant Director-General Renwick outlined a 'statement of principles' which included a weekly Bursary based on unemployment benefits (then $26.85). Full-time students only would be eligible for assistance, there would be no boarding allowance and no bonding.
October 1974: Student Organisations were informed by Mr. Amos that, because of the current economic crisis, 'the Standard Tertiary Bursary would not be introduced in 1975."
February 1975' Mr. Amos, in a meeting with NZUSA, disavowed the Education Department's 1974 Bursaries white paper.
March 1975: Technical Institute Bursaries were increased by $100 a year, and an extra $150 hardship allowance was provided for University students.
- Weekly allowances of $24 or $27, abated for those students who do not have to live away from home;
- Teacher Trainees were offered the STB or a bonded allowance, with preference to those on the STB;
- Provision for costly courses using grants to Tertiary institutions;
- A special allowance of up to $48 weekly for married students;
And promising discussion with student organisations on some form of indexation to compensate for cost-of living increases.
August 1975: Mr. Amos dropped extra bonding for Trainee Teachers and reinstated equal selection.
September 1975' The National Party promised to return existing teacher trainee allowances, reinstate the A & B supplementary allowances and to replace the Standard Tertiary Bursary with a new Reformed Bursary to be adjusted annually with increased costs. More consultation on this promised.
November 1975: National Party election advertisement (see front page).
January 1976: Mr. Gandar, new Education Minister, reinstates A & B supplementary allowances and announces assistance for University students transferring to paramedical courses at Technical Institutes.
March 1976: Govt., Education Dept, NZUSA & NZTISA meet. Govt, states that its review of Bursaries would be completed by the end of 1976 and included in 1977 Budget.
October 1976: 8 months after the Bursaries introduction, regulations gazetted for them.
- The Bursary should be a living allowance, fully indexed for cost-of-living increases;
- The Abatement should be abolished;
- A working party should be established to discuss further changes. It recommended some immediate changes:-
- Increase in the Bursary;
- abolition of employment restrictions;
- some provision for an appeals procedure
- full transferability between Techs and Community Colleges
- a second course entitlement for Tech. students.
May 1977: Mr. Gandar announces that employment restrictions would be removed.
- a $2 a week increase in the Bursary;
- full transferability between University and Techs;
- 2nd course entitlement for Tech students;
- some assistance for Tech students on costly courses;
- Bursaries for students undertaking full-time tertiary education programmes in secondary schools.
August 1977: Education Dept paper floats idea of student loans, the possibility of a reduced student entitlement and means testing.
October 1977: The 2nd Bursaries Conference convened. Discusses Education Dept. Paper. Conference basically recommends along similar lines to 1976 Conference. There was little support fo Education Dept floated idea.
October 1977: In a mini-budget, the Prime Minister announced the provision of a 'Student Community Service Programme to provide vacation employment for unemployed students.
March 1978: Mr. Gandar announces the provision for up to $7 a week hardship allowance for students who had experienced employment problems over the vacation.
April 1978: First Bursaries Working Party meeting set up—16 months after it was proposed.