May

Student Finance Conference

Minister for Employment and Learning, Dr Stephen Farry has launched a new student conference at Queen’s Students’ Union, aimed at tackling student finance challenges.

Organised by Queen’s Students’ Union and National Association of Student Money Advisors (NASMA NI), the Students’ Union Finance Conference looked at areas of concern to students and their representative bodies including administering discretionary funds and student and social security benefits.

The conference saw key practitioners from universities and regional colleges in Northern Ireland, Students’ Unions, Education and Library Boards, banks, The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and and the Citizens Advice Bureau coming together in order to improve policy and practice and deliver benefits to all students in Northern Ireland.

Ellen Douglas-Cowie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University, said: “We are delighted that the Minister was able to take time out of his busy agenda to visit us, thus reinforcing the government’s support for the new Student Finance Conference and the student population in Northern Ireland. This new Conference will improve policy and practice and contribute to better student finance outcomes in Northern Ireland.”