Payments, Allowances and Fees

As a recipient of a TeachNZ scholarship, you may be eligible for an allowance payment and to have your course fees paid.

Course Fees

Upon accepting any scholarship we will pay your fees for the year of study your scholarship starts in. These fees can only be paid once you have sent us a confirmation of enrolment.

If your scholarship covers more than one year of study, we will need to assess your academic results to ensure you are eligible for fees payments in the following academic year.

To be eligible for your course fees you must continue to pass at least 50% of your study within each academic year. As long as you pass at least half your papers you’re eligible to have your course fees paid the following year, up to the minimum required to complete your qualification.

Please note that 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 tertiary provider will refund what you’ve paid – either onto your Student Loan or direct to you if you paid the fees yourself.

Allowances

To receive allowance payments you need to be a full-time student (or have ‘limited full-time status’ from StudyLink) and pass all of your academic year. If you don’t pass all of your studies, you may fall into default of these payments.

‘Full time’ is equivalent to 0.8 EFTS / 96 credits of study and covers the year in which you are awarded your scholarship. We cannot retrospectively pay any fees and allowances you may have already accrued.

You may also be eligible for payments if:

• TeachNZ considers that your failure to pass is because of exceptional circumstances beyond your control; or
• you resit a failed paper or pass a paper of equivalent EFTS value at your own expense in the same study year.

Your allowance payments may be considered an income by the Inland Revenue Department. 

Payment Schedule

Allowances are paid on different schedules depending on whether you are an undergraduate, a graduate or hold a Te Waka Whakarei or Te Tipu Whakarito Career Changer Scholarship.

Undergraduate

If you are an undergraduate recipient we will assess whether you are eligible for an allowance payment at the end of each academic year.

If you are eligible, the payment will be made within 6 weeks of us receiving your payment application, in most circumstances.

Graduate

You should receive payment of the first instalment four-to-six weeks after we receive your completed contract. The second instalment of will be paid in your second semester of study, after TeachNZ has had confirmation from your Tertiary Provider that you are still enrolled.

Career Changer

If you hold a career changer scholarship, you can receive an allowance that is paid in fortnightly instalments across your academic year.

The payments most often run from February to November, a payment schedule for this year can be downloaded on the right hand of this page.

Please be mindful that you will not receive any payments in December and January.

If you have recently received a career changer scholarship and are eligible for the allowance, we will work with StudyLink to start your payments on the first scheduled date, or to the nearest scheduled date within 6 weeks of receiving your confirmation of enrolment, in most circumstances.

If you are a career changer recipient returning for a second or third year of study, your payments will start on the first scheduled date for that year of study, or to the nearest scheduled date within 6 weeks of receiving your confirmation of enrolment, in most circumstances.

Should you pass all of year of study the allowance supported you through, you may fall into default of the payments made.

Your allowance payments may be considered an income by the Inland Revenue Department. 

Please note that any payments you may have missed will be reimbursed in full value when you receive your first payment.

Payment Value

The value of each allowance payment is dependent upon which scholarship you are a recipient of.

Undergraduate - Te Huarau,Te Tipu Whakarito and Kupe Scholarships

If you are an undergraduate your allowance payment(s) are divided into equal instalments across the years of study you receive a scholarship for.

Graduate - Te Huarau,Te Tipu Whakarito and Kupe Scholarships

If eligible, the allowance of $10,000 or $15,000 (Kupe) will be paid in two instalments of $5,000 or $7,500 (Kupe). You should receive payment of the first instalment four-to-six weeks after we receive your completed contract. The second instalment of will be paid in your second semester of study, after TeachNZ has had confirmation from your Tertiary Provider that you are still enrolled.

Undergraduate and Graduate Te Huawhiti Career Changer and Te Waka Whakarei Career Changer Scholarships

If eligible, you will be paid an allowance of $30,000 per year. The allowance will be paid in fortnightly instalments directly into your bank account for a maximum period of 3 years if you are an undergraduate and 1 year if you are a graduate.

Payment Application

For any payments (fees or allowances) to be processed, TeachNZ must assess your full transcript of results at the end of your academic year.

In February each year, we request results digitally from your academic provider. If you have your results prior to this, you can send them in using the correct format to TeachNZ for assessment.

Note: those classified as a TeachNZ Scholarship mid-year recipient must provide TeachNZ with your full results.

It is your responsibility to make sure TeachNZ receives your full transcript of results should your academic provider not do so. Failure to submit your results could jeopardize your scholarship.

When sending in results, one of the following will be acceptable:

• An original academic transcript (accepted via post only)
• A copy of the original transcript certified by someone such as a JP, school principal, police officer or solicitor, accepted via post or email.
• A printout of your final results from your online student account verified by someone at your education provider’s registry office, accepted via post or email.
• A printout of your final results from your online student account certified by someone such as a JP, school principal, police officer or solicitor, accepted via post or email. The certified printout MUST contain the following in order to be accepted: ‘Original results seen online; this is a true and accurate copy.’
• A digital copy of your transcript emailed or faxed directly to us from your education provider.
• eQuals results emailed directly to us at teachnz.admin@education.govt.nz.

Please note: Only certified copies will be accepted via email to teachnz.admin@education.govt.nz. Certified copies are those which have been stamped on every page. All original documents MUST be posted, and will be returned upon request.

Need more help?

Remember, we're here to help. If you have any questions, you can email us on teachnz.admin@education.govt.nz or call us during business hours on 0800 165 225.