Coming to New Zealand to study

To get a Student Allowance or Student Loan, you need to be either:

• a New Zealand citizen
• ordinarily resident in New Zealand and have lived in New Zealand for at least 3 years and be entitled to reside indefinitely in New Zealand for at least 3 years.

You can also apply for a Student Allowance or Student Loan if you’re:

• a refugee or protected person who is entitled to reside indefinitely in New Zealand
• on a Christchurch Response 2019 Permanent Resident Visa or be eligible for it, even if you’re already on another residence visa
• entitled to reside indefinitely in New Zealand and were sponsored into New Zealand by someone in your family who, at the time you were sponsored, was a refugee or protected person who was entitled to reside indefinitely in New Zealand
• on an Afghan Emergency Resettlement Visa, for study starting on or after 1 January 2022.

What you can get

If you're in one of these situations, you may be able to get a:

• Student Loan to help pay for your:
  • compulsory course fees
  • course-related costs
  • living costs
• Student Allowance to help pay for your living costs.