About the program 

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships 2025-2026 are fully funded scholarships for international students. These scholarships are available for undergraduate and masters. The scholarship holds full tuition fees, living allowance, medical insurance, travel allowance, and research and thesis costs for research students.

Studying abroad is more than just an academic pursuit; it’s a transformative journey that extends far beyond the classroom. Among the plethora of opportunities available, the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship stands as a beacon, offering a gateway to not only academic excellence but also an immersion into the captivating Kiwi lifestyle and culture.

Eligibility Criteria for Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships

To qualify for Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships, candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements below:

• Required Language: English.
• Eligible Countries: 
  • Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships are available to citizens from eligible countries. If your country is not on the list, then the New Zealand Government does not offer any academic scholarships to you.
• Work Experience:
  • One year of full-time work experience (i.e. 30 hours or more per week), OR
  • Two years of part-time work experience (i.e. up to 29 hours per week).
• Age Requirement: candidate must be 18 years old or older when start the scholarship
• Candidate must contribute to their country’s development:
  • The purpose of a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship is to invest in the  education of citizens from developing countries, enabling them to positively impact on their country’s development by sharing new skills and knowledge gained while on scholarship. The authority expect scholars to contribute to their country’s social or economic development for at least two years after completing their scholarship study. The authority also only select scholars who have been living in their home country for 2 years prior to applying for a scholarship. Preference is given in selection to applicants who can clearly describe on their application form, how they will improve their country’s social and economic development after their scholarship.
• Residency Requirements: Applicants must reside in their home country for two years prior to prior to commencing their study.
• Academic and English Requirement:
  • As part of the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships application process, you need to choose your preferred education institution and preferred courses. Scholarship applicants don’t need to apply for admission to their preferred education institution and courses until they are notified that they are a preferred candidate for a scholarship. However, scholarship applicants do need to check that they are likely to meet the minimum academic requirements and the minimum level of English required for their courses. Course entry requirements are set by your chosen education institution so you must check minimum entry requirements on their website before you apply for a scholarship.
  • Generally, to study for a postgraduate qualification, you must have at least:
    • an overall IELTS score of 6.5 and no band less than 6.0
    • a TOEFL score of 90 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21
    • an overall PTE Academic score of 58 with no communicative skills score less than 50
    • a Cambridge Academic English (advanced) overall score of 176 with no bands less than 169.
  • Generally, to study for an undergraduate qualification, you must have at least:
    • an overall IELTS score of 6.0 and no band less than 5.5
    • a TOEFL score of 80 on the internet-based test with a writing score of 21
    • an overall PTE Academic score of 50, with no communication skills score less than 42
    • a Cambridge Academic English (advanced) overall score of 169 with no bands less than 162.
• Visa Requirement: Student visa requirements and visa applications for study in New Zealand
  • If your scholarship application is for study in New Zealand, then you must meet these visa requirements: Student visa requirements and application form for New Zealand

How to Apply for Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships?

Eligible applicants can only start an application from the application opening date for their country.

• Step 1: Confirm your eligibility
  • Complete the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships online eligibility test to see if you are eligible to apply. If the Online Eligibility Test confirms that you are eligible, you will get an eligibility code (number).
• Step 2: Register for a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship account
  • If you are eligible you will see a “register” button on the webpage, click on this to start your registration for a Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Account. You will be asked to enter an email address (this will become your username for logging on again later). The system will run a check to make sure that this email address is not already being used. If the check passes, you will need to complete the rest of your account details and select ‘Register’. This is where you will enter your Eligibility Code that you have emailed to yourself or written down.
• Step 3: Set password for your Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship account
  • You will be sent an email to set a password to complete the registration process. Click on the link in the email which will take you to a screen where you will need to set your password. Remember to look in your spam folder, where automated messages are sometimes filtered.
• Step 4: Complete and submit your application before the closing date
  • Use your Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Account to access the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship online application system anytime between the opening and closing dates for your country. Check Deadlines here.

Application deadline

Deadline:  February 02, 2025

For more information, you could go to the Official website.