Eligibility for student loans and allowances
Find out your eligibility for a student loan or allowance.
Student loans and allowances are offered by StudyLink, and they make the assessment of your eligibility for student loans and allowances. The guides below will help you calculate your EFTS (Equivalent Full-time Student) points, if StudyLink requests it from you.
Residency requirements for Student Allowances and Student Loans
To be eligible for a student allowance or student loan you need to be either:
- a New Zealand citizen, or
- an ordinarily resident in New Zealand and either
- have been living in New Zealand for at least 3 years, and have held a residence class visa for 3 years, or
- be a refugee protected person, or
- be sponsored into New Zealand by someone in your family who, at the time you were sponsored, was a refugee or protected person
For more information, please visit StudyLink's Ordinarily resident page.
More information on eligibility requirements can be found at Student Loan.
For any further questions, please contact StudyLink.
What can a student loan cover?
A student loan can cover the cost of your tuition fees, as well as other expenses you may incur during study.
Living costs
To be eligible for the living costs component of the student loan, you must be full-time for the period of your enrolment.*
Please note, StudyLink's definition of 'full-time' is calculated differently to the University's definition. For StudyLink's full-time definition, please visit StudyLink's Full-time definition page.
If your enrolment looks correct, it could just be a matter of timing. StudyLink may have checked your enrolment with the University before you had enrolled into all your courses.
Ask StudyLink to re-check your enrolment details with the University just in case.
If you have checked all of the above - that you are enrolled in enough points for the period of your enrolment and that StudyLink has the most up-to-date information already - then you should check with StudyLink in case there is some other reason why they have declined your application.
*If you can get a student allowance, you may not be eligible for a student loan for living costs.
EFTS for the standard academic year
| Enrolment period | Number of weeks | Minimum points for full-time status | Minimum EFTS for full-time status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer School only |
7 weeks | 21 points | 0.175 EFTS |
| Summer School and First Semester only |
26 weeks (including inter-semester and mid-semester breaks) | 78 points | 0.650 EFTS |
| First Semester only |
18 weeks | 48 points | 0.400 EFTS |
| Second Semester only |
18 weeks | 48 points | 0.400 EFTS |
| First Semester and Second Semester |
38 weeks (including inter-semester and mid-semester breaks) | 96 points | 0.800 EFTS |
| Summer School, First Semester and Second Semester |
46 weeks (including inter-semester and mid-semester breaks) | 96 points | 0.800 EFTS |
Please note
- Some programmes may start and finish on dates other than the ones listed above, including:
- Some Medicine courses
- Some Education courses
- Some masters courses
EFTS for the Graduate School of Management
| Enrolment period | Number of weeks | Minimum points for full-time status | Minimum EFTS for full-time status |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Quarter only |
11 weeks | 33 pts | 0.275 EFTS |
| Second Quarter only |
11 weeks | 33 pts | 0.275 EFTS |
| Third Quarter only |
11 weeks | 33 pts | 0.275 EFTS |
| Fourth Quarter only |
11 weeks | 33 pts | 0.275 EFTS |
| First and Second Quarters |
23 weeks (including inter-semester break) | 69 pts | 0.575 EFTS |
| Second and Third Quarters |
23 weeks (including inter-semester break) | 69 pts | 0.575 EFTS |
| Third and Fourth Quarters |
23 weeks (including inter-semester break) | 69 pts | 0.575 EFTS |
| First, Second and Third Quarters |
35 weeks (including inter-semester breaks) | 96 pts | 0.800 EFTS |
| Second, Third and Fourth Quarters |
35 weeks (including inter-semester breaks) | 96 pts | 0.800 EFTS |
| First, Second, Third and Fourth Quarters |
47 weeks (including inter-semester breaks) | 96 pts | 0.800 EFTS |
How to calculate your EFTS by points
To calculate your EFTS for a period of study, you can:
- View your unofficial transcript to see how many points you were enrolled in for the period of time you are checking. For more information, see How to view your unofficial transcript.
- Convert your enrolment points into EFTS according to the table below:
EFTS Value
| Number of points you have enrolled in | EFTS Value |
|---|---|
| 10 points | 0.0833 EFTS |
| 15 points | 0.1250 EFTS |
| 20 points | 0.1667 EFTS |
| 30 points | 0.2500 EFTS |
| 60 points | 0.5000 EFTS |
| 120 points | 1.0000 EFTS |
Part time
You may qualify for StudyLink to pay your tuition fees if you are enrolled in least 30 points in the same academic year.
Part time in a full-year programme
You may qualify for StudyLink to pay your tuition fees if you are enrolled for more than 32 weeks continuously in one academic year.
10 point courses
You must enrol into more than three 10 point courses to be eligible for a student loan, due to rounding.
Limited Full time Status
You can request Limited full-time status from StudyLink for certain circumstances or when you are studying less than full time to complete your programme.
For more information, please see Limited full-time.