Anger greets axing of UK scholarships
5:00AM Wednesday July 16, 2008
By Alanah May Eriksen
University chancellors are blasting Britain's decision to slash a university scholarship programme which has drawn hundreds of New Zealand students to England.
From next year, Britain will no longer fund the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarships for students from developed countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
About 25,000 students have won Commonwealth Scholarships since they were instituted in 1959.
Many of those who completed the scholarships in Britain returned to their homelands to play leading roles in cultural, intellectual and political life.
About five New Zealanders were chosen a year and previous scholars have included Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen and Law Commissioner Professor John Burrows.
University of Auckland deputy vice-chancellor Raewyn Dalziel said the Vice-Chancellors Committee expressed its opposition to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission
"I think it is a closing of opportunities that a number of New Zealanders have had over a long period of time so we regret it certainly from that point of view.
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