More on Student Allowances

Helen Clark said this on student allowances.

This policy means that students will be borrowing less and will be able to move on more quickly from the costs incurred in getting tertiary education to set up their own homes and establish their careers.

Does she mean that students will only have to borrow for fees and live on a student allowance? A student aged 18-24 who lives away from home gets $ 153.46 , plus $40.00 accomodation costs. That doesn't even cover rent, food and transport! Students borrow for fees and course costs, work part time and have their allowance abated dollar for dollar if they get more than $185 per week. Meaning if they get a job that pays $350.00 a week they don't get student allowance at all.

So how does extending the student allowance to younger students from richer families mean students can set up their homes and establish their careers, when the very students who are doing this are earning too much to get it, and the few that aren't have to live on noodles and food grants to survive?