If you’re thinking about studying next year, there are some changes to Student Loans and Student Allowances that you’ll need to know about.
Changes to Student Allowances and Student Loans were announced in Budget 2011. These will come into effect over the next two years.
The following changes will come into effect from 1 January 2012:
Part-time full-year students will no longer be entitled to borrow the course-related costs component of the Student Loan.
The exemption to the two year stand-down for permanent residents will be extended to include students who were sponsored into New Zealand by a family member with protected person status.
The following changes will come into effect from 1 January 2013 onwards:
People aged 55 and over will only be eligible for the compulsory fees component of the Student Loan.
All students applying for a new Student Loan will be required to provide an alternative contact person.
Students who have an overdue repayment obligation of $500 or more, which has been overdue for a year or more, will not be entitled to a Student Loan (from 7 February 2013) while that obligation remains outstanding.
The following changes were also announced that will affect students who have a Student Loan:
The Student Loan repayment threshold will remain at $19,084 until 31 March 2015.
From 1 April 2012 repayment holidays for overseas-based borrowers will be shortened to one year. Students will be required to apply for the repayment holiday and provide a contact person.
Borrowers won’t be able to offset losses against their income to reduce their Student Loan repayment obligations.
Student Loan Scheme Act 2011
The recently enacted Student Loan Scheme Act 2011 improves the way student loans are managed, repaid and administered. Most of the changes will take effect from April 2012.
Parental income changes
If you are applying for a Student Allowance and are under 24 without children, we test your parents' combined income to calculate how much you will get for the Student Allowance.
For study starting on or after 1 January 2012, the definition of parents’ income will be expanded to include additional income categories.
The change to the definition largely aligns it to the family scheme income definition used by Inland Revenue when assessing Working for Families assistance.
There are eight new categories of income that will now be included in the parental income assessment. To find out more about these income categories.作者: 莫涵。 时间: 2011-11-22 20:57:14
The exemption to the two year stand-down for permanent residents will be extended to include students who were sponsored into New Zealand by a family member with protected person status.