National and international research show students who feel safe and confident in themselves and in their learning environments are those who best engage and achieve in education, in work and in life. In short, students who are happy and healthy learn better.

This funding will be used to meet the ongoing wellbeing needs of tertiary students in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. New services will be embedded within tertiary settings to ensure ease of access and will include access to counselling and other treatments as well as peer support, self-management support and links to social and wellbeing supports.

The Ministry of Education will work closely with the Ministry of Health to facilitate the accelerated role out of the youth specific services of the Ministry of Health’s mental health, wellbeing and addiction initiatives to tertiary providers.

The initiative will be implemented via a Request for Proposals (RFP) process led by the Ministry of Health. Tertiary and health providers (District Health Boards, Primary Health Organisations, and non-governmental organisations) will partner to deliver the health services through a tertiary provider. The RFP process will get underway in November. We expect that students will notice an expansion in services and increased choices from 2021.

This extra $25 million for tertiary student wellbeing is part of the Budget 2020 wellbeing package. Besides the $25 million for tertiary student wellbeing, the package includes a $50 million Urgent Response Fund for centre-based early learning services, schools and kura; $32.7 million for up to 40 new Curriculum Leads to support the teaching of mental health, healthy relationships and wellbeing in schools, kura, early learning services and kōhanga reo, and $16 million for workforce wellbeing support.

The total Budget 2020 wellbeing package supports learners and whānau to address both their immediate and medium to long term wellbeing needs across early learning, schooling, and tertiary education.