Student loan?

[Guitana]

Thanks so far.
I am working full time, as is my wife. We have two kids (16 & 12). We rent our house.
As far as living costs and extra stuff goes - can I apply for this?? Guitana, you reckon I can get more ($2k or $3k) it doesn't work like that does it? Don't they just pay for the course and that's it?

I'm studying for a Diploma in Applied Management (basic management course) and ND5353 Diploma in Quantity Surveying. These two diploma's will compliment the project management work I am doing currently and provide the qualification back up to the practical experience I have in this area.

Especially with the bike crash (although I've got out quite cheaply) and the replacement gearbox on the Hilux I've got a bit of debt on hand and I don't want to too much further under if I can avoid it. But I must study (self enforced) because that's how I'm going to get my arse of of this sling so to speak. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen.

Well COL you need to sit down and work out what books and studying gear you will need I know the Open polytech Library can supply you with the books for free if you're doing the course through them,so if you need some extra cash for other unrelated course costs ahem! Bike repairs!!! Then get a list of the most expensive books that you may need to help you study and of course you may need a new computer to send your work in if you are using the polytechs New E-Learning system!!!! Also once you become a student you can apply for a student ID which will give you allsorts of discounts Yeeha!!

[Colapop]

Drum will back me up on this (He used to work for this company) - The company I work for are not good payers. They will not pay for study.

Yep I could move to another company but I've put 6 years unqualifies work in here and now I'm at the point where it should be starting to pay off ie. I found the right job - now all I need to do is get the Diploma's THEN tell them to stick it their arse!

[Guitana]

Do you have any Maori ancestors Col you could apply to your local IWI and not bother to pay it back!!!!
I had an apprentice down south and his IWI payed for every single thing related to his trade training but they will probably turn up ten years down the track when he's in buisness and get him to do all their welding for free on their fishing fleet-with interest!!! Tu Meke steel waka's!!!

[Beemer]

I'm studying at present and applied for my student loan (just for the course costs, not books or living expenses) online. Totally painless, no problems, they sent me the info and all I had to do was send back copies of my birth certificate and tax details I think. That was last year and they rang me before Christmas to see if I was planning to do any more study this year (I was) to remind me to get my application in early. I did it all before Christmas and everything was sweet. My seven papers weren't too expensive ($478 each) so I hope to pay it all off a year after I finish studying, if not before. I just figured why not? It's interest-free while studying so it makes more sense than using my own money!

And don't forget Trade Me and Vol 1 bookshop (in Palmerston North) for second-hand books - I got one I needed for $15 and it's $85 new!

[Disco Dan]

My advice col, is to keep on them... (studylink) they like playing 'post the bit of paper' and seem to enjoy sending pointless bits of paper back and forth for ages. Get things rolling asap with them, even before you have aplied for the course...

The $150 allowance is nice, and many students (myself included) live of that. - but do remember it's added to your student loan... before you know it, you have added thousands to your loan....

Buffy - I do the same thing! Course related cost's comes through and i just claim the full $1000 saying petrol!! it's great!

[Karma]

The $150 allowance is nice, and many students (myself included) live of that. - but do remember it's added to your student loan... before you know it, you have added thousands to your loan....

But without doing a full time course, and given you have two wages earners, he won't get it.

[Beemer]

But without doing a full time course, and given you have two wages earners, he won't get it.

True, my papers are extramural and I could only apply for the course costs and textbooks.

[Gremlin]

Unless you are disciplined, do not get living costs, as its part of the loan. A lot I know had to get allowance, and borrow the living costs too, and they ended up with huge loans.

The interest free, if you're living in the country etc, does help, but you should aim to keep the loan as small as possible, in my view. For papers, you don't see the money. Once the loan is sorted, and you have specified what you want them to pay for, they pay It was under the older structure, that you could get more money, and invest some etc, and pay some to uni.

I kept the loan to a minimum, I paid for textbooks from working when not at uni, I didn't borrow living costs, couldn't get the student allowance, and managed to walk out of uni with it having costed me $15k ish, not bad for a full degree.

Don't bother trying to read the statements they send you... I couldn't never make head or tail of them, they didn't balance, and in summary, it pretty much described their systems

[Guitana]

True, my papers are extramural and I could only apply for the course costs and textbooks.

I'm pretty sure Col could find some really expensive text books to add to his list seeing as the areas he will be studying in are "Specialist"!!!!

[Quartermile]

Nah you can claim transport costs on that aswell, thats how I get the extra on mine

[Guitana]

Nah you can claim transport costs on that aswell, thats how I get the extra on mine

Ah yeah that would look a little stupid on his application seeing as he's doing it through correspondence!!!! I dont think the fuel bill would amount to much riding the RF900 down to the letter box and back!!!

[Macktheknife]

Col, you should not need the $150 expenses stuff and I don't think you would qualify anyway, needs to be fulltime study.
However the easiest way to get the $1000 (max) allowance for costs is to ask the student association of the place you are studying for the costs sheet for your course. They have systems in place for ensuring you get all that you are allowed to get and make it easy.
All student loans are now interest free thanks to the labour government, while studying and after completion, IRD have the most compicated system in the world for managing the loans but the only thing you really need to know is they don't charge any interest at the end of the day.
Go to the website, http://www.studylink.co.nz/ you should find all the info there.
Give me a PM if you need any more info
Mack

[The Pastor]

Nah you can claim transport costs on that aswell, thats how I get the extra on mine

Care to explain? I think you can only claim a max of 1000 total.

[Quartermile]

Care to explain? I think you can only claim a max of 1000 total.

Yea but my books only cost $650 or so

[Drum]

Drum will back me up on this (He used to work for this company) - The company I work for are not good payers. They will not pay for study.

Yep I could move to another company but I've put 6 years unqualifies work in here and now I'm at the point where it should be starting to pay off ie. I found the right job - now all I need to do is get the Diploma's THEN tell them to stick it their arse!

Col, they paid for my Dip.Bus. and it was all during work time too. But generally you're right. They are pretty miserly when it comes to training. They have plenty of highly trained staff after all!

Stay where you are mate. With those quals. you will quickly make yourself invaluable, and that's when the payoff comes. You'll pay that student debt off soon enough.