Money matters

Most students fund their exchange through a combination of scholarships, loans and personal savings. For more information on costs at individual universities please visit our Exchange partners.

Tuition fees

When you go on exchange for at least one semester you will be enrolled as a University of Auckland student. That means you will pay tuition fees here and not additional tuition fees at the host university. However there are other costs such as airfares, living costs overseas, accommodation, course materials etc, which are your responsibility.

Health insurance

You must have comprehensive health and travel insurance to cover your entire time abroad. Many exchange partners require students to purchase a mandatory health insurance package to meet student visa requirements. If your university doesn't offer a mandatory insurance policy you're free to choose one yourself.

StudyLink

If you are eligible to receive a StudyLink allowance or loan at The University of Auckland, then you may apply to take it with you while on exchange.

You should:

Call StudyLink on 0800 88 99 00 or visit www.studylink.govt.nz to get the appropriate application forms (including the "Overseas Study Application Form").
Complete the forms early to ensure that you will be paid on time.
Once you have been enrolled in the exchange programme bring your completed Overseas Study Application Form to the Auckland Abroad Student Exchange Office to verify and sign the document. Our office will also email the form to the IRD. Eligibility for student allowances and loans is based on the duration of your programme and the total EFTS of your programme (ie, full-time status).

If you have any questions about StudyLink allowance and loans, please call the University on +64 9 923 4422 or complete the Student Financials Enquiry Form.

Interest-free loans for students on NZ exchange programmes
The Minister of Revenue, Peter Dunne, has announced that the government is to extend interest-free loans to people studying full-time overseas as part of formal exchange programmes. To qualify for an interest-free student loan, borrowers must generally be in New Zealand for 183 or more continuous days. However, the loan provision does not currently include students enrolled with a New Zealand provider who are studying overseas as part of a formal exchange programme.

For the exemption to be granted, a student's New Zealand tertiary provider must certify that the study is full-time and towards a qualification of a minimum of level seven on the New Zealand Register of Quality Assured Qualifications. For this reason our office will email IRD the Overseas Study Application Form. If you were to be charged interest, please email us and request an IRD letter as a proof of full time studies while on exchange. Email aucklandabroad@auckland.ac.nz.

We advise you to monitor the Inland Revenue Student Loan website for further updates: www.ird.govt.nz/studentloans.

Auckland Abroad awards and grants

360° Auckland Abroad Exchange Travel Awards
The main purpose of these awards is to assist University of Auckland students with the costs of studying overseas while on an approved student exchange.

360° Auckland Abroad Exchange Universitas 21 Awards
The main purpose of these awards is to assist University of Auckland students with the costs of studying overseas while on an approved student exchange at a Universitas 21 (U21) institution.

360° Auckland Abroad Exchange Financial Assistance Awards
The main purpose of these awards is to assist students who have demonstrated the academic potential to succeed and who will face significant financial need in pursuing their studies while on a 360 Auckland Abroad exchange at an approved exchange partner institution.

Auckland Abroad Special Grant
The main purpose of this grant is to provide additional funding for exchange students studying at targeted exchange universities. Every year the target universities change.

Other funding

University of Auckland Study Abroad Scholarships (Languages and Literature)
Faculty funding for exchange
List of funding by countries

The scholarships and grants listed above are just some of the options that could help defray the costs of your exchange.

We encourage you to look closely at these and also to consult the University’s scholarships website for other relevant funding. See Scholarships and awards.

Flights

It's a good idea to shop around for airfares. In many instances, the airline or travel agent can reserve a booking for you without a deposit for a period of time; however, we strongly recommend that you do not actually purchase your airline tickets until you have received the official letter of acceptance from the host university. Be aware of any fees that may be charged to alter a booking.

STA Travel understands the dilemma faced by exchange students and will book your flights early. While you will need to pay a deposit of $150, this is fully refundable if you are not accepted by your host institution. STA Travel offers a $500 travel bursary to contribute to the travel costs of one Auckland Abroad exchange student each semester.