[mike82]

Hi all,

when we arrive next year my partner is going to complete her Midwifery degree in university.

We were wondering if New Zealand has things like bursaries and student loans etc?

Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks:)

[Crystal Lil]

Hi Mike

Your partner would be eligible for student support once she had permanent residency - otherwise she would be considered an international student and international fees are usually exorbitant. For citizens and permanent residents, there are student loans (which don't add up to that much once you've paid your fees out of them) but the government recently promised to waive the interest on the loans for people who stayed in NZ after they finished studying, so that's something. I would reckon that a student loan would be difficult to live on without earning a supplementary income. There are also benefits that your partner could apply for, but they are means tested and they would take your income into account (if you were living together, that is), and there is a really low threshold for eligibility.

I think you can find more information on the IRD website (www.ird.govt.nz) or just google student loans. Your partner should have a look at the websites of the institutions she is considering studying at. They usually have information about what scholarships and bursaries they offer. Again, some of the scholarships will only be open to citizens and permanent residents of NZ. However, if midwifery is one of the professions on the skills shortage list, there might be incentives for overseas students to come and train here.

Good luck!

Lil.

[mike82]

Hi Lil,

thanks for the advice. I will get Gem to have a look on the web and see what we can come across.:cheers