Labour's tertiary promise achieved a cut-through to students and young people not achieved since its 2005 promise to remove interest on student loans. Student living costs have been rising for the past decade, mostly because of the housing boom, and that has been largely overlooked by the two main parties. Even former student leader Andrew Little, who clashed in 1989 with then education minister Phil Goff over student fees, missed the chance to reach students with such a policy. Labour would scrap restrictions on the seven-year loan cap that affected postgraduate students, and was particularly opposed by medical students. OUSA president Hugh Baird said mental health had become a big issue with long waiting lists for counselling, and more students becoming dependent on OUSA's Student Support.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 18, 2017 04:52 UTC