The New Zealand International Scholarships are offered by the government of New Zealand to international students intending to pursue tertiary education in institutions of higher learning in New Zealand.
Course level: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral
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.
Institution and country: Eligible universities and institutes of technology in New Zealand
Sponsor: New Zealand government
Scholarship inclusions:
- Full tuition fees
- Living allowance (NZ$491 per week)
- Establishment allowance (NZ$3000)
- Medical insurance
- Travel to and from your own country and New Zealand at the start and end of your scholarship
- Travel insurance
- Travel home during your scholarship (one or two trips home are allowed, depending on the length of your scholarship)
- Assistance in research and thesis costs
Eligibility criteria for the New Zealand International Scholarships:
- Nationality. Pacific countries: Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
- Age. Must be 18 years old and above. However, applicants who are under 40 years of age are preferred.
- Academic requirements. Applicants must meet the minimum academic requirements and the minimum level of English required for their courses.
- English language proficiency. 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 OR a TOEFL score of 90 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21 OR an overall PTE Academic score of 58 with no communicative skills score less than 50 OR 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 OR a TOEFL score of 80 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21 OR an overall PTE Academic score of 50, with no communication skills score less than 42 OR 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. The purpose of a New Zealand Scholarship is to fund the training of citizens from developing countries, so they can positively impact on their country’s development by sharing new skills and knowledge gained from their study. That is why scholars are expected to return home after their scholarship for at least two years to contribute to the social and economic development of their own country.
- Work experience. 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 period: 10 May 2022 to 08 June 2021; For Samoa only – 07 July 2022 to 04 August 2022
How to apply for the New Zealand International Scholarships:
The New Zealand International Scholarships application process differs depending on which country or region you are from. You can apply between the application opening and closing dates for your country as found on this page. Most countries have a closing date of 08 June 2022.
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.
Other useful links: