Eligibility and entry requirements
You can receive New Zealand Scholarship monetary awards if you meet the eligibility and entry requirements in the Assessment Rules 2023.
Go to section 5 of the Assessment Rules 2023
Go to Schedule 1 and section 8.3 of the Assessment Rules 2023
To be eligible to receive your NZ Scholarship award, you must be studying at a 0.4 full-time equivalent or more and not enrolled in a secondary school.
If you're unsure, ask your study provider or StudyLink if you are eligible.
On this page
When to apply for your Scholarship prize
You should submit your application as soon as possible to make sure you're paid quickly.
You must apply for your NZ Scholarship payment by 1 April in the year after your Scholarship results are released
For example, if you sat NZ Scholarship successfully in 2023, and your results were released in 2024, you must apply to receive payment before 1 April 2025.
The Assessment Rules say you must apply by 15 January the year after your results are released, but to make it easier for students, we will accept applications for payment up to 1 April.
How to collect your Scholarship payment
1
Log into the NZQA learner portal
Use your email address and password to log into your NZQA account
Log in
2
Select View Awards
View Awards is a link on the right-hand side of your profile. Click on this link to see your Scholarships information.
3
Apply to accept your award
Find the 'apply or decline award' link. Follow the instructions to accept your prize.
StudyLink account
You'll need to have a StudyLink account, because StudyLink make the payments.
Once you've applied for payment through your Learner login, Studylink will send you information through the post or online if you have an account. You'll need to return any forms or records to StudyLink for payment.
Deferring your payment
You may defer, or delay receiving your New Zealand Scholarship payment for up to 1 year after you leave school.
To defer your payment, notify NZQA through the learner portal by 1 April the year after you get your results
Subsequent deferments
Subsequent deferments mean any time you apply to NZQA to defer payment, after your first request to defer payments.
For another deferment, you need to provide evidence of extraordinary circumstances. Circumstances are usually limited to illness, although requests are considered on a case-by-case basis through the Manager – Secondary Examinations.
How NZ Scholarship is paid
The first payment for New Zealand Scholarship awards happens on the morning of the award ceremony in early May
If all information you provided is received and processed prior to the ceremony day, you should expect payment on that day.
How the money is paid
New Zealand Scholarship money is paid into your chosen bank account from StudyLink.
You don't need to spend the money on course fees. You can choose how you spend this money.