Existing Scholarship holders

How to apply for 2012 fees and allowance payments if you have a TeachNZ Scholarship

Changes to scholarship payments from 2012

From February 2012 TeachNZ will have a new automated system to process scholarship payments. This change will mean that TeachNZ will now be able to automatically pay your allowance and fees payments, if you’re eligible, without the need for you to supply an academic transcript or other documentation.

We will attempt to pay your fees and allowance payments based on the information we currently hold for you. However, you need to let us know if there are any changes to your study, contact or bank account details.

Please refer to the Scholarship Payments guide or read the Scholarship Payment FAQs for more information.

We sent a letter out to all scholarship recipients about these changes in early November 2011. We also enclosed all of the current contact and study information we hold for you, and your unique NSN number, for checking and returning if there were changes. If you did not receive a letter please contact us.

In some cases our new system won’t provide us with the information we need to assess your eligibility, so we will contact you to get what’s required.

Eligibility criteria for these payments remain unchanged. For more information about eligibility please refer to your scholarship terms and conditions.

Payment timing

With the new system, payments will be made from early February 2012. All payments should be complete by 16 March 2012. If we need further information from you we will contact you.

Early payment

If you would like your fees and/or allowance payment(s) paid before February 2012 you can apply for an ‘early payment’ using the new Scholarship Payments form. Standard processing time for those applying for an ‘early payment’ is 4-6 weeks from the time we receive your application. This excludes the Christmas / New Years fortnight.

To make sure your application is correct and you've included all required documents, check the Scholarship Payments guide here. This will help us to process it as quickly as possible. If your application is incorrect or incomplete the 4 - 6 week timing may be effected.

You must provide your academic transcript with the Scholarship Payment form, as in previous years. Remember to let us know if any of your other details have changed.

Please note TeachNZ cannot prioritise payments for one recipient over another.

Fees payment

TeachNZ cannot guarantee to pay your course fees by the due date. That means you need to pay the fees yourself by the due date each year - by StudyLink Student Loan or other means.

Once we have paid your fees, your education provider will refund what you’ve paid – either onto your Student Loan or direct to you if you paid the fees yourself.

How are allowances and course fees paid?

Allowances are paid into your bank account by StudyLink. Course fees are paid directly to your education provider by StudyLink. You will receive a notification letter once a payment has been made.

Have you completed your teaching qualification?

Congratulations! Our new system will tell us when you have completed your teaching qualification so you no longer need to provide us with evidence. We will confirm your bonding requirements by the end of May 2012.

Frequently asked questions

For more information about the changes to payments from 2012, read our FAQs here.

Changing your bank account

If you change your bank account at any stage while you hold a TeachNZ scholarship you need to provide us with certified bank evidence of your new account.

Please post us one of the following documents:

• Bank statement (original or copy stamped and signed by a bank teller)
• Encoded deposit slip (from your own cheque book)
• Handwritten deposit slip (stamped and signed by a bank teller)
• Print-out from your bank (stamped and signed by a bank teller)

Note: If you've changed your account recently please send us your new account information before 13 January 2012 so that we can process your payment in February 2012. If we recieve this information after that date we cannot guarantee that your payment will be made into your new account, so make sure that you leave your old account open until you receive your payment in 2012. (Refer to the Scholarship Payments guide or read the Scholarship Payment FAQs for more information).

Scholarship recipient obligations

Your obligations as a TeachNZ scholarship recipient are available to read here.

Schedule of allowance payments for Career Changer scholarship recipients

The schedule of allowance payments for Career Changer Scholarship Recipients can be found here.

How to contact us

TeachNZ is happy to answer any questions you may have, call us (free) on 0800 165 225, weekdays between 8:30am and 5pm or email teachnz.admin@minedu.govt.nz.

Our postal address is: TeachNZ, Ministry of Education, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140.