Mackey Moana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Mackey Moana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:620;Page:16085] 
2.  
MOANA MACKEY (Labour) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) 
: What is the Government doing to make it more attractive for young New Zealanders to train for careers that are crucial for our economic and social well-being? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education)) 
: 
 This year for the first time the Government offered Step Up Scholarships to pay part of the fee for school leavers from modest-income households enrolling in critical areas of study. Step Up Scholarships in human and animal health are now being expanded to include students up to the age of 24 and to reduce the fee the student has to pay to just $1000. StudyLink will also begin this year to promote among schools the new Step Up Scholarships for school leavers studying science and technology because the Step Up Scholarships will be available to them as well. 
Moana Mackey 
: Are there any policy changes in related areas that will have an impact on Step Up Scholarships? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Yes. Step Up Scholarships are targeted at low and modest income households on the basis of the student allowance eligibility. Allowance changes next year will increase the proportion of 18 to 24 year-olds who will get allowances from 38 percent to 57 percent so this will also have a major impact on students being able to get a Step Up Scholarship. Another policy change that will impact on Step Up Scholarships would be to allow institutions to charge whatever fees they like since step ups commit the Government to pay all fees in excess of $1000 to $2000. That would expose the Government to fiscal risk. I therefore expect that some fees would go up under a potential National Government and that it would also scrap Step Up Scholarships. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Minister confirm that after 5 years of writing strategies and employing hundreds of people he has lost confidence in the Tertiary Education Commission and that he would be better to take the $45 million a year that he wastes on them and spend some of it on more Step Up Scholarships? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I applaud the member’s support for the Step Up Scholarships because we will be trying to extend them in the future and I look forward to his support. I remind him that the money he quoted in relation to the Tertiary Education Commission goes on for example major programmes like Gateway a staggeringly successful programme that I know he supports as well. 
Paul Adams 
: Can the Minister confirm that the Government is investigating the possibility of restricting university enrolments in over-subscribed courses of study through funding mechanisms and is also considering raising entry standards for university enrolments? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Universities set the standards of entry into their courses so they will continue to do that. As part of the strategic approach to investment—yes we are looking at ways that we can provide incentives for students to go into areas where the country needs their skills.