BURSARIES AND FEES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29890, 2 August 1962, Page 3

BURSARIES AND FEES

View Of Students* Association It appeared to be the Ministerial and university policy to use the increased fees as a means of excluding persons who were not capable of holding their own at university, and also that parttime study was discouraged, said the chairman of the University of Canterbury Students' Association (Mr N. B. Ullrich) at the half-yearly meeting The executive of the association felt that while fulltime study was preferable, allowance should be made for part-time practical experience in law and commerce degrees, he said. “If the higher fees are to act merely as a barrier to' ineligible people, then there should be an adequate bursary system to allow successful and potentially successful students to study at university,’’ he said. Information has been collected on the effect of the new fees on students. About 30 cases of hardship had been found, and about half had been alleviated by a subsequent amendment of conditions by the Department of Education. Other cases had been submitted to the grants committee and Minister of Education (Mr Tennent). The present situation was satisfactory provided it did not cause hardship to any student capable of pursuing a university course, he said “The present situation is a vast improvement and the education committee considers the bursary assistance generally adequate provided students take reasonable care.” Mr Ullrich said the association would continue to advocate a two-year master’s bursary and that it should be possible to regain a suspended bursary in other than the first year after it was lost. Further consideration might be given to tenure of bursaries for conjoint degrees.