Aid To Build Halls Of Residence

Press, Volume CI, Issue 30008, 18 December 1962, Page 16

Aid To Build Halls Of Residence

(From Our Oun Reporter)

WELLINGTON, December 17

The Government has approved a new policy of assistance with the building of halls of residence for university students, the Minister of Education (Mr Tennent) announced today.

“Under this scheme." said Mr Tennent, “the Government will subsidise the building of halls of residence by the churches and other interested organisations on the basis of two-thirds of the cost of approved projects with a maximum Government contribution of £l2OO a studybedroom. “The need for additional residential accommodation for our university students is recognised by the Government,” said Mr Tennent. •This need exists particularly in larger metropolitan centres whore only too often students are required to undertake their studies under conditions which are far from conducive to serious work. “Many church bodies and other organisations have shown themselves keen to raise funds to help with the establishment of halls of residence for university students and I think that the subsidy scheme now approved by the Government will provide generous assistance to those organisations anxious to proceed with the planning and erection of university halls of residence.” Mr Tennent explained that the subsidy scheme would be administered by the University Grants Committee in the same way as other university building projects. “It is proposed,” said Mr Tennent, “that interested bodies should discuss their

proposals in the first instance with the university concerned and that, having come to agreement with the university council regarding the nature of the project in mind, application for a subsidy should be made through the council to tlie University Grants Committee which would then consider the case and represent it to the Government. “The Government contribution of up to £l2OO a studybedroom should prove most realistic in the light of pres-ent-day costs and it Is expected that the new scheme will result in many hundreds of additional residential places for university students becoming available in the next few years," Mr Tennent said.