Bursary costing nation $25m

Press, 21 July 1976, Page 5

Bursary costing nation $25m

PA Palmerston North The new standard tertian' bursary is costing more than s2sm, compared with the old bursary system’s cost last vear of $13.5m. The amount paid to universities has almost doubled, from $12.5m to $22.5m, and bursary payments for technical institutes have trebled to s3m. Only 11 teachers' college students are getting the standard tertiary bursan. Of the 467 applications for the hardship allowance. 300 have been approved. The amount varies from an extra $1 to $ll. There were 133 applications for the special married allowance, and JO6 of these have been granted. The rate varies to a maximum of $4B a week. Students claiming the harship allowance had to present a budget of their assets and holiday earnings to show they were having difficulty contin-

uing their studies without extra help.

The Department of Education's section officer for bursaries, Miss B. B. Easther, said students could not apply for the married allowance unless they had dependent children.

And it was department policy that students living in de facto relationships were deemed to have set up home away from their parents and were therefore not entitled to the boarding allowance. Only about four students who admitted living in de tacto relationship had claimed a bursary.

The new bursary system came into force this yerr, although the regulations have not yet been gazetted.

ihe regulations are in the hands of the law drafting officer, and might be ready by the end of the month. After that a review of the bursary will begin. All interested organisations will be invited to make written submissions within the next six weeks.