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Home / Returning to study / Postgraduate study

Return to study

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Postgraduate study

If you're doing postgraduate study, you may not be able to get a Student Allowance but we may be able to help in other ways.

What is postgraduate study?

Postgraduate study is when you finish your first degree and want to study another qualification that builds off this, eg, you finish a Bachelor of Arts and are now studying a Master of Arts.

Postgraduate courses are listed at level 8 or above in the New Zealand Qualifications Framework and can include:

  • Masters degrees
  • Postgraduate diplomas
  • Postgraduate certificates
  • Bachelor degrees with Honours
  • PhDs.

Find out if you're doing postgraduate study

If you know the name or course code of the qualification you intend to study, you can visit the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) website and search for your qualification.

New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)

What you can get

Student Allowance

If you're doing postgraduate study, you can only get a Student Allowance if you're studying a Bachelor degree with Honours. You need to meet the criteria for Student Allowance and you can't have used your 200 week limit.

Other help

You may be able to get:

  • a Student Loan
  • help with other costs (eg, accommodation or disability costs)

How we can help

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