Lincoln College urges bursary review

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33778, 26 February 1975, Page 10

Lincoln College urges bursary review

The Lincoln College council yesterday urged the Government to give favourable consideration to an interim adjustment to student bursaries in 1975.

In a statement on bursaries by the principal (Professor J. D. Stewart) which was adopted by the council as policy, concern was expressed about the erosion in the value of students’ bursaries. Professor Stewart said the council recognised that the Government increased bursary allowances at the end of 1973 and that the total cost of these was considerable. It had been reasonable at that time to expect that further increases would not be; necessary for some time. However, the sharp inflation of 1974 which had affected boarding and living expenses, travelling costs, and the costs of essential student requisites. had eliminated the real value of these increases. “The concern of the coun-

cil is that this deterioration jin the real value of bursaries may impose an ecoonmic restraint on entrance to uni-' versity,” he said. HOLIDAY JOBS “A further problem, particularly for Lincoln students, who do a large amount of! practical work on farms, is that employment opportuni-' ties in the long vacation, and wages, have not been buoy-1 ant because of the recession in the farming industry.” Professor Stewart said the! council understood that the: !Government was considering; a standard tertiary bursary,! but that it was unlikely this) would be introduced in 1975.; The council received a let- j ter from the New Zealandj University Students’ Association seeking support for an I interim bursary increase and

I for the swift introduction of ia standard tertiary bursary. Earlier, the president of the i Lincoln College Students’ Association (Mr D. Rockell), who sits on the council, asked that the council consider assisting students, j In particular, he sought ; consideration of the payment ! of all, or part, of the costs incurred by students in field i trips and tours. Mr Rockell said there was no doubt about the value of i field excursions. However, (they were a compulsory part ■of the course, and the costs I had to be borne by the studients. Field trips and tours, i which often took place dueling vacation time, placed a i severe financial burden on the I Lincoln student. This year, field trips would cost a total of about $51,600, (said the Registrar (Mr H. G.| i Hunt). Professor Stewart said that 'tours had been pruned wherever possible. The same situation applied at Massey University, although its students did not do as much field work. The council referred the submissions of the students’ association to the council’s executive, with power to act.