Concern at delay in bursaries review

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32588, 23 April 1971, Page 6

Concern at delay in bursaries review

Unless action on revised university bursary payments was announced soon, many potential students would be denied a university education, the president of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (Mr D. B. C. Cuthbert) said this week.

Mr Cuthbert was commenting on the delay his association felt was occurring in the consideration of the submissions for higher bursaries which the N.Z.U.S.A. placed before the University Grants Committee in December.

“The submissions were the result of more than two years research work by the association, which included two national surveys of student incomes and expenditure,” he said. In addition, the association had presented its proposal for a complete review and revision of the existing structure to a working party in August, 1970. The party consisted of representatives of all New Zealand universities, the Department of Education and the University Grants Committee, hen said. It would be the children of lower socio-economic groups who would suffer if bursaries were not raised, Mr Cuthbert added. The present low level of university bursaries, which, for most students had not increased since 1965, and, for some, not since 1962, was the major factor in the un-der-representation of children from lower socio-economic backgrounds in New Zealand universities, he said. JTf this country is to prac-

tise its often-repeated philosophy that all New Zealanders, regardless of their social or economic backgrounds, should be encouraged to develop their potential to the full, then university bursaries should be substantially increased,” Mr Cuthbert said.