Background

There have been major changes to the funding of tertiary education in New Zealand since the late 1980s, not least a substantial increase in the contribution of students to the cost of their tuition and the introduction of new funding arrangements to enable students to meet these costs. In relation to student finance, governmental allowances to cover the living costs of full-time students have been fully targeted since the late 1980s (with the previous non-means-tested grants being terminated). Likewise, following the decisions to impose more significant fees in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the government introduced a non-means-tested, income-contingent student loan scheme in 1992. Both the loan scheme and the tageted allowances for living costs have been the subject to on-going public debate and controversy, and frequent policy adjustments have been made since the early 1990s. For instance, in 2001 student loans were made interest-free whilst studying and in 2006 they were made interest-fee permanently for borrowers residing in New Zealand. More recently, an academic performance criterion has been introduced , and also a life-time limit on access and a two-year stand-down period for New Zealand residents and Australian citizens.

Purpose

The aims of the conference are to:

• Conduct an overview and stock-take of current policy arrangements for student finance in New Zealand and their social and economic impacts

• Provide a platform for the presentation of recent research relating to student finance

• Consider current policy arrangements in other countries and their relevance for New Zealand

• Explore options for the reform of student finance arrangements in New Zealand

• Publish the contributions and findings for wider public access and debate.