Review of Decision for Student Allowance

If you disagree with a decision we've made about your Student Allowance, it can be reviewed. This is called a 'Review of decision'.

If you disagree with a decision we've made about another payment, there's a different process to follow.

Kinds of decisions you can review

A few examples of decisions you can review are:

declining you a payment
stopping or cancelling your payment
changing the amount of your payment
the start date of your payment
the amount of an overpayment or debt.

How to apply

If you would like help with your Student Allowance review, you can contact a student advocate or support person to assist you. If you have any questions about the review process, call us.

Step 1 - Before you start

First, email us or call us to talk about the decision you're reviewing and what you don't agree with. It may be that you have extra information that could change the outcome.

If you still disagree after you've talked to us, you can apply for a review of decision.

Step 2 - Complete a form or letter

You can either:

complete a review of decision form, or
write a letter to us with:
- when the decision was made
- what the decision was about
- why you disagree with it, and
- anything else you think we should know.

Step 3 - Get your form or letter to us

You can upload your form or letter online in Connect. It can take up to 48 hours for us to receive them.

How to send us your documents using Connect

If you can't use Connect, you can submit details of your review in our online form.

Or you can post it to us at:

StudyLink
PO Box 38610
Lower Hutt 5045

What happens next

We'll take another look at your information and the decision we made. We'll contact you to check that:

we haven't missed anything, and
we have understood your circumstances correctly.

We'll send you a letter letting you know whether we've decided to change the decision or not.

If we change it, we'll let you know what this will mean for you.
If we don't change it, we'll send you a copy of our initial report explaining why and what happens next.

If we don't change the decision

What happens next depends on if your review is a:

statutory review, or
administrative review.

We'll determine what type of review your case falls into and will have put this in our initial report.

If it's a statutory review, the final decision is made by the Delegate.

The Delegate is a manager within the Ministry who has authority to make the decision on your Student Allowance review. They will have had no prior involvement with your case.

Before the Delegate makes their final decision, you can choose to either:

meet or speak with the Delegate
have a Student Allowance Review Hearing, or
have the Delegate review the written information, with no meeting or hearing.

Once the Delegate has made their decision, they'll write to you to let you know the outcome. If you disagree with the Delegate's decision, you can appeal it.

Meet with the Delegate

This is an opportunity to discuss your information with the Delegate by online video or phone conference.

You can also:

have a support person with you, e.g. a whānau member, community representative or lawyer and/or
choose someone else to discuss your information for you.

A staff member from the Ministry will present a report on behalf of the Ministry, and answer questions from the Delegate. We'll provide you with a copy of this report before the meeting.

Student Allowance Review Hearing

This is an opportunity to discuss your case with a Student Allowance Review Panel. The Panel includes:

the Delegate
a Ministry of Social Development advisor, and
an advisor from the New Zealand Union of Students' Association

Attending the hearing

We'll contact you to set a date for the hearing. You can attend by online video or phone conference.

You can also:

have a support person with you (for example, a whānau member, community representative or lawyer)
choose someone else to discuss your information for you, or
present your case in writing and have the panel consider your case without you.

During the hearing, a staff member from the Ministry will present a report on behalf of the Ministry, and answer questions from the panel. We'll provide you with a copy of this report before the meeting.

If you don't attend the hearing

The review panel will meet to discuss your application whether you attend the hearing or not.

If you disagree with the Delegate's decision

You can appeal to the Student Allowance Appeal Authority. This is independent from StudyLink.

If you want to appeal, you need to do so within 21 days of the decision.

You need to fill in a Notice of appeal form on the Ministry of Justice website and send it to:

Student Allowance Appeal Authority
Tribunals Unit
DX SX 11159
Wellington