Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships for International Students

Brief description: 

The New Zealand Government offers full tertiary scholarships for eligible international students to study fulltime at a New Zealand education institution or a Pacific university.

Host Institution(s):

Eligible New Zealand universities and institutes of technology.

Levels/Fields of study:

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degrees in preferred fields of study that are most relevant to the development needs of your country (i.e. renewable energy, agriculture development, disaster risk management, private sector development, public sector development).  Find out the preferred subjects for your country.

Target group:

The scholarships are open to citizens of selected countries in the Pacific, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Carribbean. Please see the complete list of eligible countries.

Scholarship value/inclusions:

The scholarships include full tuition fees, a living allowance (NZ$531 per week), an establishment allowance (NZ$3000), medical and travel insurance, travel to and from your own country and New Zealand at the start and end of your scholarship, travel home during your scholarship, and help with research and thesis costs for many postgraduate students.

The full scholarship benefits are found at the Policy Handbook (see below).

Eligibility*:

Age Requirements

To apply for a full New Zealand Scholarship, you must be 18 years old or older when you start your scholarship. This means if you are 17 years of age when you apply, you must have your 18^th birthday before you start your scholarship in semester one. Exception for Samoa: Scholars from Samoa can be 17 years of age when they commence their scholarship.

There is no upper age limit for applicants. This means if you are 18 and over, you can apply. However, applicants who are under 40 years of age are preferred for New Zealand Scholarships for university or tertiary students.

Student Visa Requirements

Student visa requirements and application form for New Zealand (external link)

Academic Requirements

As part of the New Zealand Scholarships application process, you need to choose your preferred education institution and preferred courses. Scholarship applicants don’t need to apply for admission to their preferred education institution and courses until they are notified that they are a preferred candidate for a scholarship. However, scholarship applicants do need to check that they are likely to meet the minimum academic requirements and the minimum level of English required for their courses. Course entry requirements are set by your chosen education institution so you must check minimum entry requirements on their website before you apply for a scholarship.

From an early stage, PhD scholarship applicants should look for and email suitable PhD supervisors at New Zealand universities. PhD scholarship applicants who make it to the interview stage will need to provide evidence at the interview that they have either secured a supervisor or are in active discussions with a potential supervisor.

English Requirements

Each university or education institution sets the minimum level of English you need for your preferred courses, so check their website.

Generally, to study for a postgraduate qualification, you must have at least:

•  an overall IELTS score of 6.5 and no band less than 6.0
• a TOEFL score of 90 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21
• an overall PTE Academic score of 58 with no communicative skills score less than 50
• a Cambridge Academic English (advanced) overall score of 176 with no bands less than 169.

Generally, to study for an undergraduate qualification, you must have at least:

• an overall IELTS score of 6.0 and no band less than 5.5
• a TOEFL score of 80 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21
• an overall PTE Academic score of 50, with no communication skills score less than 42
• a Cambridge Academic English (advanced) overall score of 169 with no bands less than 162.

Contribution to their Country’s Development

Scholars are expected to contribute to their country’s social or economic development for two years after completing their scholarship study. Preference is given in selection to applicants who can clearly describe on their application form, how they will improve their country’s social and economic development after their scholarship.

Work Experience Requirements

Postgraduate and mature undergraduate applicants (those who do not meet the below school leaver definition) must have relevant work experience. Work experience can be paid, unpaid or voluntary, and must meet the following criteria:

• • One year of full-time work experience (i.e. 30 hours or more per week), OR
• • Two years of part-time work experience (i.e. up to 29 hours per week).

When assessing scholarship applications, applicants who want to study courses that align strongly with their current work experience and applicants who will continue working in their current job sector after they finish their scholarship are preferred.

*Refer to the complete eligibility criteria at this link.

Application instructions:

Applications are currently closed.

The New Zealand Scholarship application process differs depending on which country or region you are from. For most countries, you can apply online using specific links for each region. The deadline is 29 February 2024, 12.00pm (midday).

It is important to visit the country-specific pages and the official website (link found below) to access the online application form and for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website: https://www.nzscholarships.govt.nz/category/

Related Scholarships: List of New Zealand Scholarships