Title: Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 10. June 1st, 1950
Publication details: Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association, 1 June 1950, Wellington
Part of: Salient : An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z.
Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 10. June 1st, 1950
A living allowance
It was pointed out that Sir David Smith had said (January 17, 1946): "There seems to be to be an obligation upon the University to explore ways and means of ensuring that students are free to devote their whole time during college terms to University work." And California's Dean McHenry, at that time visiting New Zealand, had said: "... I have grave doubts that part-time education is the best method of learning."
Following the year, the "lost generation" had the chance of wholesale hand-outs in the form of Rehab, bursaries. They were dwindling off in 1948, and are negligible today. "The N.Z.S.L.F.," its Executive announced at the time, "is of the opinion that the time has come to introduce a scheme for the oncoming generations of civilian students. The money that was found so readily to pursue the arts of war must now be found to pursue the arts of peace."
After some reference to the Australian Commonwealth Financial Assistance Scheme, granting full-time living allowances of £117 or £156 (depending on whether the student lives at home or not) to students straight from school, the Federation suggested that a similar scheme might replace the present bursary muddle in New Zealand.
They proposed:—
"(1) That there [unclear: be] awarded annually, on the basis of the same means test as is used in Australia (adjusted family [unclear: income] of £250), and on the basis of the University Entrance Examination or accrediting results, a total of say 1000 bursaries to replace the present special bursaries and junior and national scholarships.
"(2)
That such bursaries be awarded to full-time students on the basis of a quota to faculties such as for example the following: Agriculture 120, Arts 300, Commerce 170, Dental and Medical 100, Engineering 60, Science 130, All Others 130.
"These figures have been calculated on the basis of the proportion of students in each faculty in 1946.
"(3) That such bursaries pay all compulsory fees for the approved course, together with a book grant at the scale authorised now by the Rehabilitation Department.
"(4) That each bursary pay a living allowance at the same rate as in the Australian scheme, i.e., £117 p.a. to students living at home, and £156 p.a. to students boarding away from home. As in Australia, vacation employment should be permitted, but no allowance paid for any week in which employment is undertaken. Such allowance should be payable for a period of four years, extendable at the discretion of the administering authority to five years to cover special faculties such as medicine and law.
"(5) That no bursary shall come into effect unless the bursar is 18 or over on the first day of the first term in the year following that in which he passed University Entrance; if he is under age, and obtains a bursary, it shall be held over for one year.
"(6) That all bursaries and scholarships be administered by the one authority—either the University Senate or the Director of Education as is most convenient, and that an attempt be made to simplify terminology and procedure, and that adequate publicity be in straightforward phraseology.
"(7) Where a student with the approval of his professor requires a further year to complete a thesis for his Honours degree, the bursary should be extended for a further year.
"(8) That the Government give consideration to [unclear: substantially] increasing the number of Post-Graduate and Travelling Scholarships."