Allowances recipients by provider type¹

In 2007, more than a half of student allowances recipients were studying at university² and a quarter were studying at an institute of technology or polytechnic. There was an increase in the proportion of assisted students studying in private training establishments (PTEs), from about 14 percent in 2004 to 15 percent in 2005 and to nearly 17 percent in 2006 and 2007. These increases were compensated by smaller drops in the proportions of allowances recipients studying at polytechnics and universities. 

Table 4: Allowances recipients by provider type, 2007

In 2007, the average age of allowances recipients was around 24, 28, 33 and 39 years in universities, polytechnics, PTEs and wananga respectively, the overall average age being around 27 years. 

Figure 10: Proportions of allowances recipients by provider type, 1999-2007

In 2007, the proportion of female allowances recipients differed by provider type: 59 percent, 55 percent, 54 percent, and 50 percent for wananga, universities, PTEs and polytechnics, the overall proportion being 54 percent.

Figure 11: Average age of allowances recipients by provider type, 2006 – 2007

In 2007, the proportion of allowances recipients studying qualifications at degree and above (as opposed to students studying sub-degree qualifications) increased by 1 percent to 92 percent at university and by 2 percent to 32 percent at polytechnics, the overall proportion being increased by 1 percent to 61 percent.

Table 5: Proportion of recipients studying at degree and above qualifications by provider type, 2006-2007

The allowance type composition differs markedly by provider type.  In 2007, the proportion of under the age of 25 with no dependents allowance recipients (a targeted group) was 66 percent, 45 percent, 12 percent, 72 percent and 33 percent for universities, polytechnics, wananga, schools&others and PTEs respectively, the overall proportion being 54 percent.

The difference in the profile of student allowances recipients in different provider types leads to variations in the average annual allowances in each sub-sector.  In 2007, the highest average annual allowance was observed in wananga (about 23 percent higher than the overall average of $6,200) and the lowest was observed at secondary schools (about 6 percent lower than the overall average).

Table 6: Allowances type composition by provider type, 2007

Footnotes

1. Provider  type is determined by the last provider at which a student received allowances in a calendar year.
   
2. For the purposes of this analysis, the colleges of education have been combined with universities, as they have all now merged with universities.