The New Zealand Government, New Zealand Universities and colleges provide a number of scholarships for international students. These scholarships are highly competitive and usually in recognition of academic excellence. These scholarships include full tuition fees, a living allowance, an establishment allowance, medical insurance when you are in New Zealand, travel to and from your own country and New Zealand at the start and end of your scholarship, travel insurance, travel home during your scholarship (one or two trips home are allowed, depending on the length of your scholarship), and help with research and thesis costs for many postgraduate students, depending on the eligibility of an applicant, type of scholarship and program of study.

New Zealand’s flexible education system has study options to suit every budget. Tuition fees for international students vary depending on the type of course, where you study and how long you study for. In general, fees for undergraduate level ranges from NZ$ 22,000 to 32,000 per year and for graduate level it ranges from NZ$26,000 to 37,000 but fee for medicine and veterinary sciences are higher. No application fees will be charged for offer letter from any education provider and most importantly tuition fee will need to pay only after receiving visa approval letter or AIP (Approval in Principle) from Immigration New Zealand.

Student need to provide financial evidence to cover living expenses while studying in New Zealand as a compulsory part of student visa application. But if student get scholarships or any family member or sponsor has agreed to accept financial responsibility during their stay in New Zealand, they may not be required to show proof of funds. Any student applying in New Zealand for more than one year, they need to prove that they have at least NZ$ 15,000 to support themselves for the first year. If anyone applying for less than a year, they must have at least NZ$ 1,250 for each month of study to support their living expenses.

Living costs will depend on student’s lifestyle and which part of the country student live in. But, student may be able to offset some of the costs by working. Most student visas have a right to work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during scheduled holidays. But for the student of Masters by research or PhD, they are allowed to work full-time.

International students have the same legal minimum rights and entitlements as anyone else working in New Zealand. Wide ranges of industries offer part-time and casual work for international students, some educational institutions also offer part-time teaching work, tutoring or carrying out administration duties to their students. Working while studying can be a good way to gain New Zealand work experience, such experiences are helpful to develop skills such as communication, teamwork, timekeeping, interpersonal skills and workplace-relevant skills.