New Zealand's Pacific tertiary student body is calling for a universal allowance to support all learners.
Tauira Pasifika said it was disappointed with the government's Covid-19 student support package which was announced on Tuesday.
Ali Leota Photo: supplied
The body's national president Ali Leota said it failed to address the main areas of struggle for Pacific students which was basic living costs.
Mr Leota said the doubling of access to course-related costs increased student debt and only applied to full-time students.
"Many of our students are part-time learners and unfortunately the package doesn't include them," he said.
He said it didn't help with food and accommodation.
Mr Leota said income sources for many Pasifika students had dried up as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
"There are also many-many students who are casual workers who have again slipped through the cracks because they don't meet the requirements for access to the wage subsidy scheme.
"And also, some students had been laid off before the whole Covid-19 situation unfolded and, again, missed out."
Mr Leota said Tauira Pasifika was amplifying the call of 44 student associations, including 13 Pasifika ones, across New Zealand for a universal student allowance.
Currently, part-time and post-graduate students don't receive any financial support from the government's student welfare agency StudyLink.
The new Covid-19 student support package, Mr Leota said, undermined the government's stated commitment to equal educational opportunities for all New Zealanders.
"By identifying and removing barriers to education," he explained.
"We don't think that the latest package is supporting that statement that they stand by."