The report has called for interest to be put back on student loans. Oliver Hartwich, executive director of the right-wing think tank, said interest-free loans subsidised middle and upper class families who could afford to pay, and had not resulted in increased access to tertiary education. The call to scrap interest-free loans has been repeatedly rejected by the National Government. However, the call to consider the effect of interest-free loans has an ally in the Child Poverty Action Group. The net cost of the student loan scheme -- cash out, less repayments -- last year was around $400 million.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 17, 2016 22:41 UTC