I know plenty of guys from less than middle class backgrounds who fly heavy metal around. They did what they needed to do. Worked, saved and worked some more to get where they want to be. Some didn't finish school.
You don't need a degree to fly an aircraft that is without a doubt. So why is it to get flight training on the Govt purse you have to do it attached to a degree? Is that to make it sound more of a credible course of study? We cant just give out money to every dreamer who want to fly jets but if we make them turn up to a 2 year corn flakes box degree that makes it ok?
My argument is if you have the brains for a career and can get the score for uni entrance then the money is yours. When you have to mask flight training as a degree and then have a relatively low entrance score which doesn't really exempt anyone then is it really an effective use of tax payers money? If the entrance score was in the 80's as engineering is then you would see who really wants to do it actually enrolling and not a bunch of dreamers.
I believe the Kiwi Govt stopped access to tax payer funds a while ago after they saw what a complete waste of money it was.