A woman who is 'trapped” in her own body after a catastrophic stroke is calling on the Government to introduce new laws to allow people with a serious disability to wipe their student debt.

Asha Prasad, from Waikato, became a quadriplegic in 2006 after suffering a stroke in the days after a massage.

'The entire purpose of a student loan is to help through university, to access work, to progress through the entire industry, and to pay back to the public purse,” she said.

"That opportunity was taken away from me, no matter how high my aspirations were, and it's impossible to pay it back. Whether it's now or in the future, my circumstances will remain.”

Prasad was given just 12 months to live after her stroke at the age of 26.

She was working at a small advertising agency in Sydney, having graduated from Auckland University of Technology only six months earlier, when she had the stroke.

She has been 'trapped” in her body since.

'You can't eat, talk or move – except your eyes can blink. You are fully aware of what's going on in your surroundings, you understand and can read and everything, but you are essentially trapped in your own body,” she said.

She has since regained some movement in her right hand, which allows her to type into a computer, and has also regained some ability to speak.

'Since my injury, and besides the physical disabilities, I also have fatigue issues, anxiety, outbursts of depression and a speech impairment.”

Before her stroke, Prasad studied for a diploma in tourism then a bachelor of business with a double major in advertising and international business. She was the first in her family to obtain a tertiary degree.

Asha Prasad has made gains despite her prognosis. Photo: Supplied/Stuff.

Her student loan now sits at $60,000, having grown from $40,000. It continues to accrue interest while she is in Sydney.

Prasad moved home after her accident but moved back to Sydney in 2017. She couldn't get as much support in New Zealand because the accident didn't happen here, she said.

However, she plans to return home again this year and faces the prospect of having her student loan hover over her meagre income.

'I have not worked since my stroke and I survive on an allowance from my insurance provider, which is very low.”

Student loan repayments are triggered when a person's annual income reaches $22,828, with 12% of every dollar earned going towards the loan. For a person earning $600 per week, the repayment would be $19.32.

There is no way for someone to apply to have their student loan debt erased in full unless they die or are declared bankrupt.

Even if Prasad does not hit the threshold to start repaying her loan, she has no incentive to try and increase her income or quality of life.

'I would love to see a law for student loans being erased fully and granted based on the grounds of special circumstances,” she said.

Prasad's disability advocate, Michael Magro at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, is supporting her call for reform.

'Asha's life has changed significantly since she had a brainstem stroke and although Asha has a warrior spirit, the chances of her ever repaying the debt are nil.”

Minister of Revenue David Parker couldn't comment on Prasad's case but said any borrower could seek to have their penalty interest waived if they were in hardship. However, Inland Revenue had no way to waive student loan debt.

- Bridie Witton/Stuff.