A student leader says Labour’s debt write-off could help after graduation but rent, food, unpaid placements and family commitments are making it harder for Pacific students to get there in the first place.
For Pacific students, the biggest financial pressure may come long before they have to repay a student loan.
That is the message from Pacific student leader Tautalaleleia Sa’u, after Labour announced it would wipe 10 per cent off eligible student loan balances if it wins the election.
Sa’u, who studies at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and was a Youth MP for Labour MP Ginny Andersen in 2025, told William Terite on Pacific Mornings the policy would make a difference for some graduates.
“For some, that could mean…