5 Apr 2013

Iwi willing but unable to help medical students

9:45 am on 5 April 2013

A Northland iwi says it is not yet able to support medical students who are struggling to make ends meet away from home.

A careers advisor in the Far North says some Maori pupils have given up on pursuing degrees to become doctors and scientists because their whanau can't afford to pay for their accommodation while at university.

Te Runanga o Te Rarawa says it's acutely aware of the burgeoning costs of living in the big cities.

Its chair Haami Piripi says he would consider developing a programme for medical students.

He says the iwi should be able to offer good, secure and comfortable lodgings in the cities as well as tribal networking and mentoring.

Mr Piripi says the runanga does not have enough money to help medical students at this stage.

He says it currently runs a general scholarship programme which does not pay enough towards a costly medical course.