The Government has dropped a strong hint that it is set to announce changes to give more medical students access to student loans in their final years of study. "Christmas is coming," said Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce when asked today about a petition - with more than 20,000 signatures - from the NZ Medical Students' Association (NZMSA). "Watch this space," Mr Joyce said. "I never said I wouldn't [budge]. What I have said is I would keep monitoring it and if I felt something needed to happen then we would act." The NZMSA, with the support of Labour's deputy leader Annette King, has gathered signatures on a petition that calls for the removal of the seven-year cap on student loans for medical students. Ms King will receive the petition today at midday. All tertiary students are ineligible for student loans after seven years of full-time-equivalent study. Source
