Study Abroad
Learn more about study expenses and financial aid, living costs for international students and scholarships for study abroad students in New Zealand.

Study Expenses And Financial Aid In New Zealand

Studying in New Zealand is less expensive as compared to studying in other countries. But all expenses and financial aid depends on the duration, type and length of the program that you choose to pursue. Many of New Zealand's universities aim to make the life of international students easier. There are three types of costs that a foreign student has to arrange for, namely, cost of the program, additional expenditure on stationary, books and transportation and living costs. The course fee normally varies from university to university. It is estimated that living expenses are NZ $850 per month and apart from this, there are scholarships available for students provided by universities in New Zealand and the Government. These funding schemes make it easier for students with high scores to carry out further studies in a university of their choice. Read below to learn more about the living costs for study abroad students.

Living Costs In New Zealand For International Students

Financial Assistance
Funds are required for rent, food, transport and course costs such as books. For foreign students, there are research expenses including international literature searches and data collection in addition to the tuition fees. If you need additional financial support then there are a number of possibilities such as student loan schemes and allowances which are worth exploring, provided by the New Zealand Government. The application for funding is separate from that of admission into the university

Some of the scholarships and funding sources in New Zealand are:
  • The New Zealand overseas Development Assistance (NZoDA) postgraduate scholarships aim to cover airfare, accommodation, living expenses and tuition fees. The number of scholarships awarded is very limited and it is only given to students with a remarkable academic consistency. If your country is temporarily not on the list of countries that are considered for an application then you need to find sources of alternate funding. Forms for enrollment are available at the University International Centre or the New Zealand Diplomatic post.
  • New Zealand has a Government Bilateral Aid Program where NZoDA Study Award Scholarships are offered to selected students from the South Pacific and ASEAN regions, South Asia and Commonwealth African countries. Study Awards typically take care of airfares, accommodation and living expenses, apart from the tuition fee. If you are nominated by the Government of your own country then you can contact the nearest New Zealand Embassy or Government office for further details.
  • Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Award: Students from Commonwealth countries may apply for the award for undertaking advanced courses. If your priority areas of study match those that are available in the New Zealand universities then you will be notified.
  • Financial aid is available on enrollment with any of New Zealand's universities. A personal maintenance amount of NZ $950, and NZ $575 is offered besides travel, living and tuition costs. Applications must be sent before the 31st of July i.e. before the start of the semester in September-october.
  • Fulbright Graduate Student Awards are provided to New Zealanders and Americans who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential to undertake a postgraduate study in another country.
  • The New Zealand Aid Programme provides support to citizens of certain developing countries to undertake a vocational training or tertiary level study in New Zealand.
Living Expenses
The annual living expenses in New Zealand are about NZ $10,000 - NZ $12,000, which include accommodation as well as other daily expenses such as food and transportation. However, these costs vary according to the lifestyle of the person. New Zealand has the lowest cost of living among most developed countries, thus making it easy for the students to live there and pursue their studies.

These are some of the details for study expenses in New Zealand for local and foreign students. Scholarships and other funding agencies are available in plenty, it is advisable to look out for them.