New Zealand Development Scholarships – Public category New Zealand Development Scholarships

The NZDS-Public scholarships scheme is a bilateral scheme available to individuals from selected partner countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The selection criteria is determined by the partner government and NZAID.

Shortlisted applications, mostly from public sector employees, are endorsed for a scholarship by the partner government. Employees from civil society or private sector organisations may apply for the NZDS-Public in some countries depending on country-specific selection criteria. The levels and fields of study available for study in New Zealand are determined according to the partner country’s human resource development training needs.

ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligibility to apply for a New Zealand Development Scholarship (NZDS) is restricted to citizens of countries where NZAID offers the NZDS.

Applicants must meet the following NZDS eligibility criteria before their application will be further considered against the selection criteria, and any criteria specific to their home country or region (see the relevant country information sheet).

To be eligible for a NZDS, applicants must:

• be a citizen of a NZDS participating country (i.e. permanent residents of a participating country are not eligible to apply)
• be residing in their country of citizenship, preferably for at least two years prior to application
• not have citizenship or permanent residence status of New Zealand, Australia or another developed country1, except where:
  • their country does not issue passports and they hold a New Zealand passport, i.e. NZDS-Public applicants from the Cook Islands or Tokelau), or
  • they are dual citizens of Samoa and New Zealand, and the applicant has been schooled, and their parents are living, in Samoa;

• not be married or engaged to be married to a person who holds, or who is eligible to hold, citizenship or permanent residence status of New Zealand, Australia or another developed country, except where their country does not issue passports and they hold a New Zealand passports (i.e. the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau), or dual citizens of Samoa and New Zealand;

• be aged 17 or over before the scholarship start date (Note: some countries have upper age limits. Please check the relevant country information sheet.)

• be applying to commence a new qualification and not be seeking funding for one already commenced in New Zealand or another country2
• not have completed, or nearly completed, a qualification at a similar level (i.e. applicants must apply for a higher level qualification than any previously attained), unless strong developmental relevance is demonstrated
• satisfy the admission requirements of the New Zealand education institution at which the qualification is to be undertaken, including English language proficiency criteria
• (for those applying directly from secondary school) have completed their senior schooling in their country of citizenship
• (for in-service applicants) have been working in their home country, preferably for at least two years prior to application
• have worked for two years in their home country since completing their highest qualification gained to date
• be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to their home countryï's public, private or civil society sector (as relevant), and to the development of their home country in general
• be able to take up the scholarship in the academic year for which it is offered.

VALUE OF SCHOLARSHIP

The New Zealand Development Scholarships (NZDS) and Commonwealth Scholarships schemes fund tuition and enrolment fees, an establishment allowance, a basic stipend, approved scholarship-related travel, some course-related costs, and medical and travel insurance.

See the Summary of allowances and entitlements for the value of these entitlements.

Establishment allowance: Paid on arrival in New Zealand to assist with immediate costs, such as: accommodation (for example temporary accommodation, accommodation bond, rent in advance, etc), purchase of suitable clothing, some course expenses, and utility bonds (such as electricity, telephone) and household items, if moving into rental accommodation. A lesser amount is paid each full semester of subsequent years of study.

Stipend: Paid fortnightly to cover routine expenditure on day-to-day costs, including: accommodation (rent or board), food, living expenses (e.g. telephone, electricity etc), transport, personal items and course-related costs (e.g. stationery, field trips, workshops etc). Adjusted stipend: A student and his/her partner who is also a NZDS or Commonwealth Scholarship recipient will receive the same stipend as an individual NZDS or Commonwealth student with dependants. Both students are eligible to receive the study-related allowances.

Dependants' funding: Where a student’s study programme is 18 months or longer, and the student has at least 12 months remaining of the qualification to complete, the student can apply to NZAID for their immediate family members to join them in New Zealand. To assist the student in supporting dependant family members while they are in New Zealand, an accompanied stipend rate may be paid to the student. Eligibility criteria must be met before any NZAID funding for dependants is approved, including that the dependants must be listed on the original NZAID application form.

NZAID funding may not cover all living costs. NZDS and Commonwealth Scholarships students and their families must carefully consider the costs of supporting a family in New Zealand, as New Zealand is likely to have a much higher cost of living than their home country. NZAID students may need to supplement the stipend with their own funds to cover items on top of basic day-to-day living expenses.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Please visit http://www.nzaid.govt.nz/scholarships/nzds/