Manaaki Scholarship FAQ: 25 Questions Answered

No. There are no exceptions to the country list. If your country is not listed as eligible, you cannot apply for the Manaaki scholarship regardless of your qualifications. This is not a rule that gets waived on a case-by-case basis. The eligible countries are set by the New Zealand government based on its development priorities, and they can change between cycles. Check the eligibility page for the current list.

You must be at least 18 when you sign the scholarship letter of offer. There is no hard upper limit, but preference is given to applicants under 40 — the selection guidelines favour those who are 39 or younger when the scholarship starts. Being over 40 does not automatically disqualify you, but it does reduce your chances because younger applicants are prioritised. The reasoning is straightforward: the scholarship is a development investment, and younger graduates have more working years ahead to apply what they learned back home.

Only for a PhD. The progression rule requires your chosen course to be a step above your highest existing qualification. If you already hold a Master’s degree, applying for another Master’s at the same level will not be accepted. You would need to apply for a doctoral programme. This is one of the more commonly misunderstood rules, so read the eligibility criteria carefully before submitting.

No. School leavers and first-year undergraduate applicants are exempt from the work experience requirement. The work experience rule only kicks in for postgraduate applicants, who need at least 1 year of full-time employment or 2 years of part-time work in a relevant field. If you are applying straight out of secondary school or during your first year of university, you do not need any professional experience.

Potentially, but you must have resided in your home country for at least 2 years before applying. Exceptions exist for people on diplomatic postings for their home country (and their dependants) or those enrolled in a course of study overseas. If you have been living and working abroad on your own initiative for more than 2 years, you will likely be ineligible regardless of your citizenship.

No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Manaaki scholarship. You apply to the scholarship first. You do not need an offer from a New Zealand university at the time of application. Admission happens after you are selected as a preferred candidate: your preferred institution contacts you, and you apply for admission as a Manaaki preferred candidate. Do not waste time or money getting an offer letter before you have even been shortlisted.

No. The form questions are only visible during the application window, which for the 2027 round runs from 1 March to 10 April 2027. You cannot access them ahead of time. The best way to prepare is to read the guidance published on the official Manaaki site before the window opens, and to start drafting your responses based on what past applicants have reported. Our how to apply page covers what to expect.

The official site warns that the portal may close early for countries that send a large volume of applications, such as Indonesia and the Philippines. There are no extensions and no exceptions. If you are from one of these countries, do not wait until the last week. Apply as early in the window as possible. Once the portal shows your country’s intake is closed, that is final for the cycle.

You submit one application per cycle. Within it you set your study preferences — your preferred institutions and courses — but you cannot submit multiple applications for different programmes in the same cycle. If you want to try a different programme, that would be a separate application in a future cycle. Choose the programme that best aligns with your country’s development needs and your professional background. Trying to game the system by applying for whatever seems easiest to get into usually backfires during the interview.

You choose up to three qualifications from a searchable list, and applicants report that some programmes are hard to find. Use the filters and the * wildcard search described in the official guide to selecting study preferences. If your programme is still missing, ask through the official online enquiry form before the window closes. Some applicants pick the closest qualification at the same institution and level, but the official site does not promise a course change later, so do not rely on it. Explain the programme you really want in your written responses.

It covers the basics but is tight, especially if you are studying in Auckland or Wellington. The NZ$615 per week needs to cover everything: rent, food, transport, utilities, and personal expenses. A rough weekly breakdown: rent (shared accommodation) NZ$180–350, food and groceries NZ$80–120, transport NZ$15–50, utilities and phone NZ$20–40.

Dunedin and Palmerston North give the most financial breathing room. Auckland is the most expensive city in the country, and you will feel the squeeze there. Check the benefits page for a full breakdown.

Yes, but the scholarship provides zero financial support for dependents. All family costs — including travel, visa fees, insurance, accommodation, and living expenses — come entirely from your own resources. The living allowance is calculated for one person. If you bring a spouse and children, you will need significant savings or a working partner to make it work. Many scholars choose to come alone for exactly this reason.

Immigration New Zealand lets student visa holders work up to 25 hours a week during term and full time in scheduled holidays. The November 2025 Manaaki policy guidance still says 20 hours, so check the conditions on your own visa. Before you take any job, you must discuss it with the international scholarship office at your institution, which may advise you not to work or to work only a few hours. You must still study full time, and you get no extension if work makes you fall behind.

Budget carefully, choose an affordable city if you have the option, cook at home instead of eating out, and consider part-time work within the rules. The establishment allowance of NZ$3,000 helps with initial setup costs like bedding, kitchenware, and winter clothing when you first arrive. After that, you are on the weekly allowance. Some scholars also bring savings from home to cover the gap, especially if they are in Auckland.

Very competitive. The official site says it receives more than 15,000 applications every year. It does not publish how many scholarships it awards, so any success rate you see online is an estimate. The process is multi-stage: initial screening, psychometric testing, detailed assessment of your written responses, and then a 40-minute video interview. Each stage removes a large share of applicants.

The programme does not provide individual feedback on rejected applications, and does not answer emails asking for it. The volume is simply too high. Based on the official list of common reasons and what past applicants and assessors have shared, the most common reasons include: choosing a subject that is not a priority area for your country, failing to make a convincing case for development impact, low abstract reasoning scores on the psychometric test, and poor alignment between your chosen course and your country’s actual needs. Read our common mistakes page for a deeper look.

Yes, you can reapply in the next application cycle. There is no limit on the number of times you can apply. However, unless your profile has substantially improved — more relevant work experience, a stronger development case, a different and better-aligned programme — simply resubmitting the same application is unlikely to change the outcome. Use the gap year to strengthen the areas that likely let you down.

An online assessment with two components: abstract reasoning (pattern recognition and logical thinking) and a personality questionnaire. It is sent to applicants who pass the initial screening, and you have 10 days to complete it once the invitation arrives. The abstract reasoning section is timed and scored. Low scores on that section are a common reason for elimination at this stage. The personality assessment does not have right or wrong answers but contributes to your overall profile. See our psychometric test guide for more details.

Yes. Returning home for at least two years is a binding condition of the scholarship. You must leave New Zealand within 14 days of finishing your studies, and the two years start on the day you leave. During that time you may not apply to return to New Zealand to work, study or live, though short-term visitor visas are allowed. You also may not apply for a work permit or permanent residency in any other country. If your plan is to use the scholarship as a pathway to residency, this is not the right programme for you. See the after graduation page for the full details.

You owe the New Zealand Government a debt equal to the full cost of your scholarship. That includes tuition, airfares, allowances, stipends and other costs, plus GST. Under the Letter of Scholarship Offer, you clear the debt in one of two ways: go home straight away and stay for two years, or repay the full amount to MFAT. The same applies if you change your visa type without approval from Education New Zealand.

After you complete your two years at home, the scholarship’s visa restrictions no longer apply, and you can use any visa or residency pathway you qualify for. During those two years, you may not apply to return to New Zealand to work, study or live, or for a work permit or permanent residency in any other country. Short-term visitor visas for New Zealand are still allowed.

You receive a NZ$1,000 reintegration allowance and access to the global Manaaki alumni network. Honestly, the reintegration amount is minimal and will not go far. The alumni network is more valuable in the long run — it connects you with other graduates across the Pacific and Asia who have been through the same programme. But in practical terms, you should plan your return finances independently. The scholarship’s financial support effectively ends when you board your flight home.

It is the successor to the NZAID Development Scholarships, yes. The programme was rebranded as the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships, and the name change came with changes to the criteria, processes, and eligible countries. If you are reading advice from someone who went through the old NZAID process before 2019, be cautious. Some of that information is no longer accurate. Always verify current rules against the official website.

About 6 to 10 months from application close to final decision. For the 2027 round, the typical timeline is: application window 1 March – 10 April 2027; psychometric test invitations in April–May; video interviews in May–July; final decisions communicated around October–December 2027, with study starting in 2028.

There will be long periods of silence in between. If you have not heard anything by August or September, that does not mean you are rejected. Check the deadline page for more on the timeline.

The only official source is nzscholarships.govt.nz. Be cautious of third-party scholarship aggregator sites that publish outdated or incorrect eligibility information. Many of those sites still list countries that were removed from the eligible list years ago. If you read something on a blog, forum, or Facebook group that contradicts what the official site says, go with the official site every time.