Inequality and Participation

Abstract

This chapter considers the contribution of student debt to inequality in student participation. Debt is often portrayed as a tool for equality, but at least in New Zealand, student debt seems to be entrenching inequality among students. Part of this inequality is economic, but the accounts of the students also suggest that this disparity extends to participation in public life. Inadequate financial support formed real barriers to political engagement for some students, and also contributed to a lack of social networks and experiences of isolation. I argue the two-tiered participation of New Zealand students suggests universities in context of high debt may be less likely over time to be ‘politicising’ environments. I also make the case that this inequality in participation lends weight to the value of more universal forms of student support, rather than approaches that seek to target student assistance more effectively.