Students want more financial support and lower fees, according to the 2007 Student Income and Expenditure Survey.

The research was conducted by the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) and, unsurprisingly, has confirmed that most students are not happy with their current financial situation. More importantly, they think something should be done about it.

The key findings stated that 77 per cent of students believe that all fulltime students should receive a living allowance, whilst 76 per cent believe that tertiary fees are too high and should be reduced.

Albany Students’ Association president Brad Heap is of the opinion that the survey results warrant repercussions in the beehive. “The government needs to take students seriously this election and provide greater financial support to them,” he says. “All fulltime students should receive a living allowance and not be forced to borrow to live.”

The research shows that students are concerned about rising debt and the impact it will have on them – 68 per cent believe tertiary education should be fully funded, 60 per cent are worried about how much debt they will owe once they have completed their studies and 59 per cent think that financial stress is affecting their study.

“It is clear that students are suffering financially. Because of the stress associated with having to work long hours and the financial strain of living, students are not achieving their full potential with their studies,” says Heap.

“This year, student debt will reach $10 billion. Only 20 years ago, it did not exist at all, but there is still time to fix this. New Zealand needs a fully-funded tertiary education system that values students and doesn’t treat them or their families as cash cows.”

The Albany Students’ Association represents around 7,000 students studying at Massey University’s Auckland campus and is a full member of the NZUSA, the national body representing over 200,000 tertiary students.