Te ako i tāwāhi ina he pūtea taurewa ākonga tāku Studying overseas when I have a student loan

Studying with an overseas education provider

You can apply for your loan to be interest-free if the principal reason you are overseas is to study with an overseas education provider. You’ll need to provide evidence of:

• an Overseas Study Assessment from NZQA verifying that the course is equivalent to level 7 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework
• your full-time enrolment in the course
• the study start and end dates (or expected end date).

If we approve your application you will need to tell us your worldwide income - you may still need to make repayments while you are overseas. If you are applying for previous years, you will also need to give us your worldwide income for those tax years.

NZQA Overseas Study Assessment

Apply to keep my student loan interest-free overseas

Studying with a New Zealand education provider as part of an overseas exchange or agreement

You can apply for your loan to be interest-free if you are studying overseas under a formal exchange or agreement. You’ll need to provide a letter from your New Zealand education provider confirming:

• your study is equivalent to level 7 or above on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications
• you’re enrolled full time and your study counts towards a New Zealand tertiary qualification
• the start and end dates of your overseas study
• your overseas study is part of either a formal exchange programme approved by the New Zealand government, or a formal agreement between a New Zealand tertiary provider and an overseas tertiary provider.

If we approve your application you will need to tell us your worldwide income – you may still need to make repayments while you are overseas. If you are applying for previous years, you will also need to give us your worldwide income for those tax years.

Apply to keep my student loan interest-free overseas

Studying with a New Zealand tertiary education provider and completing postgraduate study overseas that is unable to be completed in New Zealand

You can apply for your loan to be interest-free if you are completing postgraduate study overseas that cannot be done in New Zealand. You’ll need to provide a letter from your New Zealand education provider confirming:

• your study is equivalent to level 8 or above on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications
• you’re enrolled full time and your study counts towards a New Zealand tertiary qualification
• your study can’t be completed in New Zealand
• the start and end dates of your overseas study.

Apply to keep my student loan interest-free overseas