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Ministry of Social Development | Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
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  1. Home
  2. Online Services
  3. Apply
  4. Returning application in MyStudyLink

Online services

  • Your RealMe login
  • MyStudyLink
  • Apply
    • First-time students
    • Returning application in MyStudyLink
    • Apply in MyStudyLink
    • Help with applying online
    • Information you'll need
    • Help with filling in the online form
    • Documents supporting your application
    • Verifying copies of original documents
    • How to send us your documents
    • Application status in MyStudyLink
    • When do payments start
  • Eligibility test

Returning application in MyStudyLink

If it's been less than a year since you last applied, you can complete a returning application in MyStudyLink. This is the easiest way to apply for your Student Loan and Student Allowance.

You need to complete a new application if:

  • it's been more than a year since you received Student Loan or Allowance payments, or
  • you're applying for other payments, e.g. Jobseeker Support Student Hardship.

Important information

Apply as early as you can to help get your correct payments on time.

Things to check before you apply

  • There's a limit to how long you can get a Student Allowance for and how many Student Loans you can get in your lifetime. Log in to MyStudyLink to check you haven't reached these limits.
  • Check you meet the passing requirements for a Student Allowance and passing requirements for a Student Loan.
  • If you're doing postgraduate study, you may not qualify for a Student Allowance. Use the eligibility test to find out if you qualify and what other payments you could get. You can apply at the end of the eligibility test.
  • If your study circumstances have changed, use the eligibility test to find out what payments you qualify for. You can apply at the end of the eligibility test.

Information you need for the application

  • Make sure you know your RealMe login that you used when you applied online before.
    You’ve forgotten your RealMe username and/or password
  • You need your course details handy, eg:
    • course start and end dates (you can estimate the dates and update this detail in MyStudyLink after you submit your application)
    • education provider or campus.


MyStudyLink

Once you've logged in to MyStudyLink:

  • Select ‘Returning application’ and what you’re applying for.
  • Your application will be pre-filled with most of the information you provided last time. If something's changed update it here. Then you can tick the ‘confirmed’ box for each section.
  • For the Student Loan application, make sure your alternative contact person is still the same and update if you need to.

Once you submit your application

  • You'll get a confirmation page.
  • Allow up to 24 hours for us to process it and then you can check your application status in MyStudyLink.

In most cases you won't need to send us any documents we've already seen. If you need to provide anything else, eg, evidence of income, we'll let you know. Anything you send us must be a verified copy, not an original.

We can't approve your application or make any payments until we've seen your supporting documents. You need to send these to us:

  • as soon as possible so you can get your payments on time
  • by the end of the course you're applying for, or your application will be declined.
Documents supporting your application
How to send us your documents


MyStudyLink

Check:

  • your application status (allow up to 24 hours)
  • if you need to provide any supporting documents
  • if we’ve received documents you’ve sent us
  • your letters from us
  • how much you’ll get
  • when your payments start.

Update your:

  • contact details
  • bank account
  • course details, eg education provider, dates, student ID number.

Student Loan application

You’ll need to sign a Student Loan contract as part of your application.

Your Student Loan contract and how to return it to us or accept it online

Once your loan is approved and the first payment has been made, your loan details will be transferred to Inland Revenue.

Check your loan balance and repayments on the Inland Revenue website

If you decide not to go into study or don’t get accepted

To cancel your application, you can either:

  • email us or
  • call us

linksRelated

Documents supporting your application
When payments start

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