Scholarships in New Zealand

Looking for the best scholarships to study in New Zealand? Finding the right financial aid to fund your studies in New Zealand can be a cumbersome task but exploring the available options, be it government scholarships or university scholarships can help you find the financial assistance you need! The universities in New Zealand offer a plethora of scholarships to international students and the country’s government also provides varied financial aid schemes to choose from! Scroll down through this blog to know about top scholarships in New Zealand, their rewards, eligibility and application process!

Government-Funded New Zealand Scholarships

In order to ensure that students around the world do not face any hurdles while pursuing their higher education at New Zealand, the Government of New Zealand offers various scholarships to international students.

New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships

The New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarship provides an opportunity for individuals from selected developing Commonwealth countries to undertake postgraduate study in New Zealand. Amongst the top scholarships in New Zealand for Indian students, this scholarship is awarded to candidates of strong academic background who upon completion of their studies, are expected to make a major contribution to the development of their home country. 

Eligible Countries for New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, etc.

New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships (NZIDRS)

Amongst the best scholarships in New Zealand for PhD aspirants, the NZ International Doctoral Research Scholarships are funded and sponsored by the New Zealand government and is suitable for all those Indian students who wish to pursue a PhD in New Zealand. University tuition fees, related student expenses, living stipends and expenditure (up to NZ$ 25,000 tax-free(INR 12.69 Lakh) and health care coverage up to NZ$ 600(INR 30,000) annually for three years are included in this grant. (It can, however, vary according to the different providers of education.)

Must Read: Student Life in New Zealand

New Zealand Excellence Awards

The New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA) offers Indian students the opportunity to study in New Zealand in the areas of business, fashion, and STEM for undergraduate or/and postgraduate studies. It is jointly funded by universities in New Zealand and Education New Zealand (ENZ). The NZEA is providing scholarships at seven different universities in New Zealand namely:

• AUT University
• Lincoln University
• Massey University
• The University of Auckland
• The University of Waikato
• University of Otago
• Victoria University of Wellington

Here are the key highlights of New Zealand Excellence Awards (NZEA):

Number of Scholarships: 28 PG scholarships and 3 UG scholarships
Rewards: NZ$ 5,000 (INR 2.53 lakh) each for PG courses and NZ$ 10,000(INR 5.08 lakh) each for UG courses.
Eligibility Criteria: The applicants must be at least 18 years at the time of application and must hold current citizenship of India. Also, a minimum equivalent GPA of B+ in the most recent or highest tertiary qualification.

NZ-GRADS New Zealand Global Research Alliance Doctoral Scholarship

The Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions launched the new NZ-GRADS program which has become one of the popular scholarships in New Zealand. So if you belong to a developing country and are ready to complete your PhD in science, you can do it from New Zealand for free. NZ-GRADS is a PhD scholarship to complete a PhD at a New Zealand university given to science students from developing countries. Here are the scholarship amounts for different expenses:

Annual Tuition Fees	NZ$10,000 (INR 4.8 lakhs) per year
Annual Living Stipend	NZ$ 28,000(INR 13 lakhs) per year
Medical Insurance	NZ$ 700(INR 33,796) per year
Visa Application	NZ$ 1,000(INR 48,280)
Return Flights	NZ$ 6,000(2.8 lakhs)
Book and Thesis Preparation Allowance	NZ$ 1,500 (INR 72,421)for 3 years

Check Out: How to Study in New Zealand without IELTS?

SEG Scholarship

The SEG (Society of Exploration Geophysicist) Scholarship encourages the study of geophysics and related geosciences in the prestigious universities of New Zealand. The Scholarships range from USD 500 (INR 41,000) to USD 10,000 (INR 8.2 Lakh) per academic year and are based on merit. The funds that are provided should be utilised in tuition, books, and other fees etc by the students. SEG scholarships in New Zealand are awarded to students from all over the world.

Explore: New Zealand Education System

University-Specific New Zealand Scholarships

When it comes to scholarships, make sure you explore every avenue in order to get a scholarship. Here is a list of university-specific scholarships in New Zealand .

The University of Canterbury’s College of Engineering Scholarship

This scholarship honours top foreign scholars and encourage them to study at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, for an undergraduate engineering degree. 35 scholarships are available annually, each year. The qualified scholars from around the world are awarded a handsome sum of NZ$ 15,000 (INR 7.61 lakh) per year, who are not the citizens of New Zealand or Australia; or permanent residents of Australia; or holders of New Zealand residency class visas.

Victoria Master’s Scholarship

Victoria University (VU) is proud to support hundreds of international students and foreign scholarship recipients. The university offers an extensive variety of scholarships in New Zealand that are externally supported and funded by them to benefit hundreds of international students. Their master’s by thesis scholarship program is a one-year program consisting of a handsome tax-free stipend of NZ$ 15,000 (INR 7.61 lakh) including one-year tuition fees as well. Applications are requested to enrol for a Master’s degree by thesis worth 90 points or more from those who are qualified at the time of registration, or who have become eligible at the beginning of Semester 2 the following year.

Lincoln University Academic Scholarships

The Lincoln University in New Zealand provides the following scholarships to many eligible international students. The university has their English For Further Study Award, which enables the applicants to receive a fees rebate award when they enrol in either the Certificate in University Studies, Diploma in University Studies, or a UG degree. LU also offers the International Taught Master Merit Scholarships, under which the eligible applicants are awarded a scholarship up to the value of NZ$ 7,000- $10,000(INR 3.55 – 5.07 lakh) towards the overall cost of your study in any 180-credit taught master’s programs. 

Apart from these, the University also offers other scholarships like the Lincoln University International School Leaver Scholarship which offers NZ$ 10,000 (INR 5.07 lakh) and are available for new students who are studying Bachelor’s degree programs, Lincoln University international pathway merit scholarship which offers NZ$ 2,500(INR 1.26 Lakh) and is available for new students seeking admission into the Certificate in University Studies or Diploma in University Studies programs, and the Lincoln University International Undergraduate Scholarship which is valued at NZ$ 3,000(INR 1.52 Lakh) and are available for new students who are studying UG programs.

A C Rayner Memorial Scholarship

The A C Rayner Memorial Scholarship program is funded by Lincoln University, for the incoming first-year freshers and meritorious international students in New Zealand. The scholarship is accessible for New Zealand and International applicants commencing in the PG degree coursework at the Lincoln University. The eligible candidate shall be awarded a total amount of NZ$ 1,200(INR 60,000).

The Eamon Molloy Memorial Scholarship

The Eamon Molloy Memorial Scholarship is funded by the University of Canterbury. The scholarship program aims to support undergraduate Asian students who are from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste or Vietnam, or who are holders of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards, at the University of Canterbury. This New Zealand scholarship is available to full-fee paying students for a tenure of 1 year and are awarded a sum of or up to NZ$ 15,000 (INR 7.61 Lakh).

University of Waikato Excellence Scholarship for Asia

The University of Waikato Excellence Scholarship program is intended to support talented international students who are enrolling for the first time into undergraduate or postgraduate programmes at the University of Waikato. The Scholarships have a value of up to NZD 10,000 (INR 5.07 lakh) towards tuition fees and will be awarded to successful applicants who demonstrate excellent academic achievement.

Other New Zealand scholarships

Apart from Government-funded and university specific there are some other scholarships that a student can take advantage of:

Bayer Boost Environmental Scholarship Scheme

BayerBoost is an annual environmental scholarship scheme that is intended to offer environmental science work experience to senior secondary and undergraduate students while providing them with financial support for further research at the same time. It is completely sponsored by Bayer New Zealand and administered according to specified terms of reference by the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) under a contract with Bayer NZ. The sole purpose of this scholarship program is to encourage research in, about and for the environment and also provide students with the opportunity to broaden their experience in research or action for the environment.

Amongst the top undergraduate scholarships in New Zealand, this scholarship scheme is open for 12- 13 years of school students and tertiary undergraduate students who are either engaged in study at a New Zealand academic institution, or a New Zealand citizen, or a permanent New Zealand resident or have a permanent humanitarian visa and/or aged 24 or under at the time of applying.

New Zealand International Undergraduate Fees Scholarship

The NZIUFS provides qualifying international students with financial support in the form of full-time tuition fees, i.e. for 6 semesters or 3 years. These scholarships in New Zealand are awarded to applicants from Asian and Latin American countries on an academic merit basis. Up to 28 scholarships a year are awarded to students undertaking undergraduate study in New Zealand.

The majority of Kiwi universities and colleges also maintain separate lists of financial aid for Indian students.

Cost of Studying in New Zealand

The cost of studying in New Zealand includes both tuition fees for the course along with the living expense for the program duration. Tuition fee varies from course to course and university to university as per the choice one makes. However, the cost of living remains the same for every international student. If one is planning to stay for less than a year then they need to have NZ$1250 (INR 63,000) for each month of study to contribute towards living costs. However, if one is planning to stay for more than a year then they need to have NZ$15,000 (INR 7.61 lakh) to support themselves initially. Living costs vary depending on the city and the lifestyle one chooses. There is a popular student card that gives students access to several offers and discounts across food, clothes, travel, entertainment, and airfares also.

Average Tuition Fee

The following table shows the average tuition fee for the courses available at colleges in New Zealand: 

Degree Program	Average Tuition Fee (Annually) in NZ$
Diploma and Short Term Courses	12000-18500 (INR 6-9 lakh)
Bachelor’s Degree	22000-32000 (INR 11-16 lakh)
Master’s Degree	26000-37000 (INR 13-19 lakh)
PhD	6500-9000 (INR 3-4.5 lakh)

Cheapest Universities in New Zealand

If you are facing financial hurdles then you should definitely explore options of afordable universities. Following are some of the cheapest universities in New Zealand:

• University of Otago
• Victoria University of Wellington
• University of Waikato
• Massey University
• University of Canterbury
• Lincoln University
• Auckland University of Technology

FAQs

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