Study Guide to New Zealand
New Zealand’s education system is world-class, modern and responsive. In New Zealand, higher education focuses on the individual, challenges to traditional ideas are welcomed, and a climate of healthy, open debate helps you make your own discoveries.
College Fit
At the higher education level, students have a wide range of options when they choose a college or university. Although there are agencies that attempt to rank colleges and universities, the concept of “fit” is also important. The GPA (Grade Point Average) of admitted students is important, but majors offered, location, the number of students enrolled, and campus culture are all factors in a prospective student’s decision. Some colleges and universities are publicly funded, while others are privately supported.
Popular Universities in New Zealand
The top universities in New Zealand which are University of Auckland. University of Otago, University of Canterbury, Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University
Auckland is the centre of all renowned academic institutes. Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in cities like Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, and Napier-Hastings. Engineering, Business Studies, IT/Computing, Tourism & Hotel Management and Visual Communications are the popular courses Indian students pursue in New Zealand.
Safety : New Zealand has a low crime rate, few endemic diseases and a great healthcare system. It is a safe place for students; however, you should take some care with personal safety and possessions. Take copies of your important documents, like your passport and credit cards, and keep them separate from the originals. In an emergency, dial 111 for help.
Weather : Both the North and South Islands of New Zealand enjoy a moderate, maritime climate and temperatures. The country is located in the southern hemisphere. This means summer starts in December and winter begins in June. New Zealand has moderately high rainfall and many hours of sunshine throughout most of the country.
Auckland –The Auckland region enjoys a warm, coastal climate without any extremes. Summers in Auckland are generally warm with high humidity, while winters are mild and damp as it rains a lot in winter. The average temperature in summers is around 24°C to 15°C; in winters it’s around 14°C to 9°C.
Wellington – This region has mild weather, a temperate marine climate and is well known for being windy. The best weather in Wellington is from October to April. The average temperature in summers is around 20°C to 13°C; in winters it’s around 12°C to 6°C.
Christchurch – This region has temperate, bright and sunny days. The climate is relatively dry with lesser rainfall than in other places in the country. Temperatures in summer are often moderated by the cool sea breezes. Snowfall is usually expected once or twice a year. The average temperature in the summer season is around 22°C to 12°C; in the winter season is around 12°C to 3°C.
Queenstown – During winters, Queenstown has snow-capped mountains and bright, clear days while during the summers, days are warm and the weather is pleasant. Weather is the main reason why Queenstown is a popular holiday destination at any time of the year. The average temperature in summers is around 22°C to 10°C; in winters it’s around 10°C to 1°C.
Accommodation in New Zealand
Firstly, you need to decide whether you want to live in university-managed accommodation, or with a private landlord. Choosing university-managed accommodation can also give you a catered or self-catered option. Catered accommodation offers the benefits of your meals being cooked for you and a degree of certainty with meal costs.
If you have an idea about what you prefer, the accommodation office at your university will be able to tell you what accommodation they have available – so that’s the place to start. If you are thinking of renting from a private landlord or if your chosen university can’t offer you anything in its own residential facility, the accommodation office should be able to provide you a list of private properties and landlords in the area.
Admission Requirements in New Zealand
These vary between study programs and levels. For each course, Indian students will need to meet a minimum English language requirement. Along with that, a minimum academic record of 75% and above in Class XII will be required. Foundations and Diploma programmes are available for students who have secured at least 75%. Students should have completed 18 years of age before joining a degree programme.
The following documents also need to be submitted:
If you have work experience then two letters of recommendation from the employer/manager who know you well and can comment on your professional abilities
Statement of Purpose
Resume
Photocopied score reports of GMAT / IELTS / TOEFL
Portfolio (in case of students applying for art and design courses and architecture programmes)
Others (Certificates/achievements at the state and national level and extracurricular activities)
Timeline for New Zealand Universities
Most of the colleges in New Zealand accept online applications. You will have to visit each college's website to apply. In most cases, you will have to make an account on the college website to provide your basic information, submit the scanned version of your documents, and pay the application fee. You will be informed about the application process and stages through this account. Please refer to the website of the colleges of your choice to know the process of applying.
Application Fees
All colleges require that you pay an application fee while applying. The fee amount will differ depending on the college and course being applied to, so check with individual colleges about their application fee.
How to Apply for Admission to New Zealand?
The common steps to applying for admission are given below for reference:
Search for colleges and courses
Contact schools and visit websites for information
Narrow down your list of schools
Take the entrance exams like GMAT, GRE, TOEFL, IELTS
Write SOPs and ask for LORs
Apply to the colleges which fit your interests
Appear for interviews for the colleges that shortlisted you
If accepted, apply for a student visa
SOP: A Statement of Purpose (SOP) is your introduction to the college and admission officers. It is always written in the first person and describes the reason for applying to a particular college. It needs to highlight why you are a perfect fit for the college and why the college should accept you. The style of writing could differ from formal to casual, but it is important to remember that it should reflect your personality as well.
Essay: Essays are also required to be submitted by a prospective student. Essays are an important part of the university admissions process. Students may be required to write one or two essays, along with a few optional essays too. Common topics include career aspirations, strengths and weaknesses, skills, experiences, and reasons for considering a particular school
LOR: A letter of recommendation (LOR) is a reference letter written by a third party describing the qualities, characteristics, and capabilities of the prospective student to recommend him to the college in terms of that individual’s ability to perform a particular task or function. The third party could be a professor, direct manager etc.
Intake Seasons in New Zealand
New Zealand generally has two intakes i.e. January and July, with few universities offering multiple intakes in September and November. You should start your admission process around six months before the application deadline. Typically, most universities have three deadlines during one intake. It is up to the convenience of the students which deadline to aim for. You should be done with your language and aptitude tests by three months before the deadline. The last three months should be dedicated to filling out the application form properly.
Language Exams
International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Pearson Test of English (PTE) are all standardised language tests, which are required to be taken for the purpose of getting admission to colleges.
Cost of Studying in New Zealand
The tuition fee varies according to different universities, courses and the city in New Zealand. The tuition expenses in New Zealand might be up to 10.78 Lacs per annum for an undergraduate course. And if you are thinking of applying for a post-graduate course, the cost would be approximately 11.5 Lacs per year.
Scholarships in New Zealand
Merit-based and need-based fee waivers in the form of scholarships in New Zealand are awarded to international students. Candidates with strong academics, good performance on standardised exams and extracurricular achievements would be eligible for scholarship awards and financial assistance. To benefit from these opportunities, one has to make sure to send all the required documents by particular deadlines. In addition to this, the presentation of the application is also important because one is judged by the image one projects.
Documents required: Here is a list of the documents usually needed for a scholarship application, although the requirements may differ:
Academic records and photocopies
A recent CV
A letter of intent, which acts as a cover page
Certificate of language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS scores)
Letters of Reference (LOR)
Loans in New Zealand
Student eligibility criteria: The first thing is to be aware of whether you are eligible to apply for the loan or not. The general eligibility criteria that are followed by all the banks are:
You should be an Indian national
You must have a strong academic record
You must be seeking admission to a professional, technical or another course of study. Most banks maintain that the selected course should be job oriented
You must have secured admission to a foreign university institution
You must be above the age of 18 years or else your parents can avail of the loan
Eligibility of course: You may not get a loan on every course. Here are the kinds of courses that qualify for the education loan.
For Graduation: Job-oriented professional or technical courses offered by reputed universities
For Post Graduation: MCA, MBA, MS or even diplomas
Loan amount: If your total fee is Rs 10 lakh, the bank may offer to give a loan of 80% of the amount and you will have to put in the balance of 20%. This is called the margin amount. The maximum loan amount banks offer for studies abroad is generally around Rs 20 lakh. If your tuition fee amount is Rs 30 lakh, you’ll have to manage the rest of the funds by yourself. Some banks charge a processing fee, while others don’t. It may be a fixed amount or a percentage of the total loan amount. So if the bank charges you 1% as a processing fee, that will be an additional cost you’ll have to cover.
Documentation required: You will have to provide the acceptance letter sent by the university reflecting that you have been selected for the course and the schedule of fees. You will also need to show the mark sheet of the last qualifying examination to show your academic record.
All banks have different requirements for documentation, so you need to confirm with the bank first.
Repayment: Repayment starts only after the course period. If the student gets employed within one year after completion of the course, the repayment should start immediately after the expiry of one month from the date of employment.
If you do not secure a job within a year of completing the course, then repayment starts irrespective of whether or not you are employed. The loan is generally to be repaid in 5-7 years after the commencement of repayment. If the student is not able to complete the course within the scheduled time, an extension of time for completion, of course, he may be permitted for a maximum period of two years. Generally, you will get up to a maximum number of 10 years to repay the loan.
Student Visa in New Zealand
If you want to attend a university or college in New Zealand you will need a student visa. The following documents will be required for application purposes:
Valid passport – Your passport must be valid for at least three months beyond your period of stay in New Zealand
Completed Student Visa Application Form (INZ 1012)
Application fee payment receipt, as you are required to pay Rs 5,194 or 100 NZD before your interview
An offer of place – You need to have an offer of place from a New Zealand institute/university. The forms are usually issued after the tuition fees have been received
Letter from your current institution confirming your status as a study abroad student
Health insurance receipt
You may be required to show Health and Character certificates, to prove that your intention of staying in New Zealand is genuine
Two passport-sized photographs
Student Visa Application Process in New Zealand
The average time taken by the New Zealand High Commission for the visa procedure is anywhere between 8 to 12 weeks depending on the individual’s background. So the students need to apply for their visas at least three months prior to their course commencement.
As an international student, you must complete your course within the minimum course duration listed on your acceptance letter. If you do not yet have a job offer, you may apply for a Post-study work visa. Visas granted are valid for up to 12 months and allow you to work in a temporary job while you look for a job in your field.
New Zealand Work Permit
You can work part-time for up to 20 hours per week if your programme of study meets one of these criteria:
It is at least two years in duration
It leads to a New Zealand qualification that qualifies for points towards an application for a Skilled Migrant visa.
It is a tertiary institution, and the main purpose is to develop English language skills – you must also have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall band score of 5.0 or above in the general or academic modules.
You may work full-time during all vacations if you are enrolled in a full-time programme of study of at least one academic year’s duration. If your full-time programme of study has a duration of at least eight months, and is a minimum of two semesters, but is less than 120 credits, you can work full-time over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
Visa for Spouse in New Zealand
In most cases, the spouse and dependent children of a student will be granted a visa for the same duration as their partner or parents' stay. Spouses of students on Work Visa can work full time in NZ. However, the dependents of students on visas have no work rights.