Check eligibility criteria

To apply for a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship, you must be 18 years old or older when you start your scholarship. This means if you are 17 years of age when you apply, you must have your 18th birthday before you start your scholarship in semester one immediately following your application.

Exception for Samoa: Applicants applying for the Samoa Foundation intake can be 17 years of age when they commence their scholarship.

There is no upper age limit for applicants. However, we do prefer applicants who are under 40 years of age.

Postgraduate applicants must have relevant work experience. Work experience can be paid, unpaid or voluntary, and must meet the following criteria:

• One year of full-time work experience (i.e. 30 hours or more per week), OR

• Two years of part-time work experience (i.e. up to 29 hours per week).

In selection, preference is given to applicants who demonstrate how their proposed course of study aligns to their current work experience. We prefer applicants who will continue working in their current job sector after they finish their scholarship. Work experience is not required for:

• Applicants who are in their final year of high school when they apply

• Applicants who apply in the academic year immediately after completing high school

• Applicants who are in paid or unpaid employment.

The purpose of a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship is to invest in the education of citizens from developing countries, enabling them to positively impact their communities and country's development.

We expect scholars to contribute to their country’s social or economic development for at least two years after completing their scholarship study and this is a condition of the scholarship. We also only select scholars who have been living in their home country for two years prior to applying for a scholarship.

Preference is given to applicants who clearly describe in their application how they will contribute towards their country’s social and economic development after their scholarship.

Applicants must have resided in their home country for two years prior to applying.

Exceptions to this requirement are applicants who have been working for their home country on a diplomatic assignment (including their dependants) or those who have been enrolled in a course of study overseas.

Successful scholarship applicants must meet both the academic entry requirements and the English language requirements determined by the applicant’s preferred education institutions.

PhD applicants should look for a supervisor as soon as possible

From an early stage, PhD scholarship applicants should identify and contact suitable PhD supervisors at New Zealand universities. PhD scholarship applicants who make it to the interview stage will need to provide evidence at the interview that they have either secured a supervisor or are in active discussions with a potential supervisor.

Check you meet academic entry requirements and English language requirements

As part of the application process you need to choose your preferred education institution and preferred courses. Scholarship applicants don’t need to apply for admission to their preferred education institution and courses until they are notified that they are a preferred candidate for a scholarship. However, scholarship applicants do need to check that they are likely to meet the minimum academic requirements and the minimum level of English required for their courses before applying for a scholarship.

To note, Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships are only available for specific subjects. Please check your country/region page to determine eligible subjects prior to researching available degrees and entry requirements.

General level of English expected for postgraduate and undergraduate study

Each university or education institution sets the minimum level of English required, so check their websites for information. Generally, to study for a postgraduate qualification, you must have at least:

• an overall IELTS score of 6.5 and no band less than 6.0

• a TOEFL score of 90 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21

• an overall PTE Academic score of 58 with no communicative skills score less than 50

• a Cambridge Academic English (advanced) overall score of 176 with no bands less than 169.

Generally, to study for an undergraduate qualification, you must have at least:

• an overall IELTS score of 6.0 and no band less than 5.5

• a TOEFL score of 80 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21

• an overall PTE Academic score of 50, with no communication skills score less than 42

• a Cambridge Academic English (advanced) overall score of 169 with no bands less than 162.

Note: The information above is a guide only. Some courses have higher minimum English level entry requirements than those outlined. It is your responsibility to check what the minimum English language entry requirements are for your desired course and institution.

Only shortlisted applicants need English language test scores

You do not need to provide English language test scores when you apply for a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship for tertiary study. Candidates who are shortlisted for a scholarship to undertake tertiary study in New Zealand must provide an English language test score. This does not apply to candidates who are applying for tertiary study in the Pacific. English language testing takes place during the final stages of our scholarship selection process. We accept test scores from these four English competency testing systems:

• IELTS (the International English Language Testing System) OR

• TOEFL (the Test of English as a Foreign Language) OR

• PTE Academic (the Pearson Test of English Academic) OR

• Cambridge Academic English (advanced).

If you have passed one of these approved tests to the required level during the last 12 months, then your university or education institution may accept these test scores. If you are a shortlisted applicant and do not have IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic or Cambridge Academic English (advanced) test scores from the last 12 months, we will tell you when you need to sit one of these English competency tests.

Who organises and pays for the English language tests?

We organise and pay for the IELTS test for shortlisted applicants from the following countries:

• Cambodia

• Indonesia

• Fiji

• Kiribati

• Lao PDR

• Nauru

• New Caledonia

• North Pacific (Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands)

• Papua New Guinea

• Samoa (except Samoa Foundation applicants)

• Solomon Islands

• Timor-Leste

• Tonga

• Tuvalu

• Vanuatu

All other shortlisted applicants will need to organise and pay for their own English language tests. If you are shortlisted you will need to book your English language testing as soon as possible, as the testing process can take several weeks. Shortlisted applicants will need to book a test with a company who does English language testing close to their location.

If you are selected for a Manaaki scholarship, your tertiary education institute will reimburse you the cost of your test upon arrival in New Zealand.

IELTS applicants need valid passports

All IELTS test applicants must have a valid passport. All IELTS applications must include a digital colour copy of your passport. If you don’t have a valid passport, in some situations you may be given special permission to use another form of official identification. English training for preferred candidates with a test score just under the required level

A Manaaki scholarship may cover costs for English language training for some preferred candidates who have a current English language test score that is almost at the required level for entry into their chosen programme. After completing this English language training, you must meet the English language entry requirements for your preferred course. If you do not meet the requirements, then your scholarship will cease. If you are a preferred candidate, you will be told if you are eligible for this English language training.

• Preferred candidates from Pacific and Timor-Leste may be eligible for up to one year of English language training in New Zealand.

• Preferred candidates from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Indonesia may be eligible for up to one year of English language training in their home country.

• Preferred candidates from all other eligible countries may be eligible for up to one semester of English language training in New Zealand.

Please note that English language training is not available for scholars applying for PhD studies.

Eligibility for applicants with a previous Manaaki New Zealand Tertiary Scholarship

Applicants that are within their stand-down period (two years after their tertiary Manaaki Scholarship completion date) are not eligible to apply for another scholarship.

Applicants that have had a previous tertiary Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship and have been: 

• terminated on academic grounds;

• downgraded on academic grounds;

• returned home without completing a qualification;

are not eligible to apply within five years of their scholarship end date.

Applicants that have had a previous tertiary Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship and have:

• voluntarily withdrawn after accepting their scholarship due to unforeseen personal circumstances;   

• been downgraded on personal grounds;  

are not eligible to apply for a scholarship within two years of their scholarship end date.

Previous Manaaki Scholars who have been terminated on grounds of inappropriate conduct are permanently prohibited from applying for further Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships.

Eligibility for applicants with a previous Manaaki New Zealand ELTO or Short-Term Training Scholarship

Applicants that are within their stand down period are not eligible to apply for a Manaaki New Zealand tertiary scholarship.

Check visa requirements before you apply for a scholarship

You only need to apply for a student visa if we offer you a scholarship and you accept that offer. But before you apply for a scholarship, we strongly recommend that you check the student visa requirements on the relevant immigration website, linked below. Only those who qualify for a student visa can take up a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship.

When and how to apply for a student visa

Do not apply for a student visa unless you are offered and accept a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship. Once a student accepts the scholarship, they must start their visa application immediately at the relevant immigration website linked below. The visa application process can take two to three months, and it involves medical tests. If a scholarship recipient does not get a student visa, their scholarship will be withdrawn.

Student visa requirements and visa applications for study in New Zealand

If your scholarship application is for study in New Zealand, then you must meet these visa requirements: Student visa requirements and application form for New Zealand

Student visa requirements and visa applications for study at a Pacific university

Eligible citizens from Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu can apply for a scholarship to study at any campus of the University of South Pacific or Fiji National University. In most cases, your Study Visa/Permit will be lodged on arrival in the Study Country but we recommend you check the visa requirements on the immigration website of your preferred destination.

• Fiji immigration website: student visa requirements and application form

• Vanuatu immigration website: student visa requirements and application form

We reimburse some visa and medical costs

Most scholars have to pay for the cost of a visa application and any medical tests before they come to New Zealand, for which you will be reimbursed. Please keep all payment receipts, as you will need to show these to your university or education institution to get your money back.

Visa costs we will reimburse (if you show your payment receipts) - paid by High Commission or reimbursed by institution in New Zealand:

• Visa application fee and immigration levy

• Immigration medical check fee (maximum of one)

Visa costs we will not reimburse

• Travel to location where medical check occurs

• Travel to location where visa interview occurs

• Police clearance fee

• Courier fee for visa application

• Passport application fee

• Passport renewal fee

• Costs of fees for dependent’s visas

If you are not eligible, you can research other scholarships in New Zealand

If you do not meet all of the eligibility criteria, then you cannot apply for a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship.

The Study with New Zealand website lists other full scholarships available to international students.