Many New Zealand education providers offer scholarships to international students.
A scholarship looks great to employers on your CV. The financial help may mean you can focus on your education without having to work while you study.
Read the advice and tips on this page from other international students to improve your chance of securing a scholarship.
Finding a scholarship
Check your education provider’s website to see what scholarships are available for your course of study.
Scholarships can be highly competitive but not all are based on academic achievement - some consider factors such as country of origin, area of study or leadership potential.
Increase your chances of success by finding a scholarship that matches your qualifications and by allowing yourself plenty of time to apply.
Interested in contributing to the development of your country? The Manaaki New Zealand scholarship provides opportunities for scholars from developing nations to grow their skills and knowledge for their home country's social and economic development.
Career success
A scholarship marks you out as an exceptional high-achiever and can make you a more attractive job candidate after you graduate.
University scholarships and scholarships from other types of education providers give you a unique selling-point on your CV that can help you stand out from the crowd.
Hear from scholarship students
Sagar Sanghvi
Sagar’s scholarship helped him study a master’s in analytics. He also has an internship doing natural language processing.
Hannah Vu
Hannah gained a scholarship to study for a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Canterbury, where she now works.
Colin Murchison
Study abroad student Colin needed funding to study in New Zealand, so he applied for all the scholarships he could find.
Laura Schnelle
Laura, from Germany, overcame the odds and applied for a scholarship that supported her study in New Zealand.
Receiving the scholarship really felt like a miracle for me. My idea of living and studying in one of the most amazing countries in the world actually turned into a plan.
Laura Schnelle from Germany, Study Abroad student at the University of Canterbury
Tips for a successful application
Most scholarships have non-negotiable criteria and requirements. Check that you fit all the criteria before you take the time to apply.
If you aren’t sure whether you meet all the criteria for a scholarship, contact the organisation that manages the scholarship to discuss your circumstances.
“If you decide that a scholarship would be helpful to cover some costs, reach out to your programme adviser or the school you will be attending in New Zealand.” Emily Watkins, from the United States
Scholarships are highly competitive, so you should start looking for funding opportunities as soon as you decide to study in New Zealand.
Gathering together all the documentation required to apply for a scholarship can be time-consuming. Start planning well ahead of the advertised due date, particularly if you require other people to supply you with references or documentation.
If you wish to apply for more than one scholarship, apply for them all at the same time, to save time. Complete a separate application for each scholarship and make sure you use the correct application form for each.
“My top tip for international students would be to pursue lots of scholarships and to not be afraid to apply.” Taylor Lindsey from the United States
You may be asked to provide lots of detail in your scholarship application. This may include information about your study plans, academic performance, financial circumstances, field of study and referees.
Make sure you have sourced all the required information. Before sending your application, double-check to ensure you haven’t forgotten to include anything.
“Many scholarships are big on personal experiences, including what you want to learn or feel you will learn while you are abroad is helpful.” Samantha Ross from the United States
Some scholarships request “certified copies” of academic information or other documents. You may need to provide a certified translation if the original is not in English.
Certified copies must be stamped or endorsed as true copies of the original by someone authorised by law to take statutory declarations in your country.
In New Zealand, people authorised to certify copies of documents include lawyers and Justices of the Peace.
Ask a friend or family member to proofread your application to ensure it makes sense, reads well and doesn’t contain any spelling or grammatical errors.
You may have to wait for a while to hear whether your application has been successful. If you’re still waiting to hear, chances are that the selection process isn’t yet complete.
I was working on a whale-watching boat in Iceland when I started the application process, and it seemed very difficult to get everything done. It might be tempting to hold off applying for a scholarship because it's such a lot of work, but it's worth trying.
Hendrik Schultz | PhD student from Germany
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