The Government has announced that Fees Free for the first year of study and training will finish at the end of 2024 and be replaced with a final-year Fees Free scheme starting from January 2025 with the following parameters:

• Learners entering their final year of study or training from 1 January 2025 and who have not received first-year Fees Free may be eligible for the new final-year Fees Free scheme.
• Eligibility will include provider- and work-based study or training at Levels 3 and above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework.
• Repayment will be made after the learner completes their qualification, with refunds starting from 2026.

We are working through detailed policy design and implementation for the final-year Fees Free scheme. Once decisions are made, we will update tertiary education organisations via the TEC website and Fees Free Focus.

• Sign up to the Fees Free Focus newsletter for policy, process, and reporting updates.

First-year Fees Free will continue to operate until 31 December 2025 under transition settings.

Find out more about the end of the first-year Fees Free scheme:

End of first-year Fees Free policy 

Information about first-year Fees Free

End of first-year Fees Free policy – the settings for the end of the first-year scheme and the transition rules for learners with remaining first-year entitlement

Payments and reporting – Fees Free – how we make payments and how you report to us

Eligibility criteria and what Fees Free covers – the Fees Free eligibility criteria, how to check learners’ eligibility, and what fees the policy covers

Fees Free interactions with other funds – how Fees Free interacts with the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) and Youth Guarantee (YG), as well as student loans, student allowance and scholarships

Statutory declarations – Fees Free – what to tell learners about finding out their eligibility

Learner marketing toolkit – Fees Free – material for tertiary education organisations, targeted at learners starting study or training in 2024

Carrying over Fees Free entitlement – how learners can use their Fees Free entitlement across years

Guidance – Fees Free – FAQs, information guides and other resources to help you understand Fees Free

Who to contact                                                                             

If you have any questions, please contact your Relationship Manager or Advisor, or the Customer Contact Group on 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz.

For information on Fees Free for learners, see FeesFree.govt.nz. Learners can also call 0800 601 301 or email customerservice@tec.govt.nz.