Eligibility criteria and what Fees Free covers

Eligibility criteria and what Fees Free covers

Last updated 28 September 2023
Last updated 28 September 2023

This page sets out the eligibility criteria for Fees Free for 2024. It also includes the amount, fees and costs covered by Fees Free.

To receive Fees Free, a learner must meet the learner eligibility criteria and enrol in an eligible course or training programme.

To confirm their eligibility status, learners need to enter their National Student Number (NSN) into the NSN checker tool at FeesFree.govt.nz.

Provider-based study means courses where a learner is studying on campus, or online.

Work-based learning means programmes where a learner is training in a workplace, or doing ‘on the job’ learning.

Provider-based study and work-based learning each have their own learner eligibility criteria and course/programme eligibility criteria.

Provider-based study

Learner criteria

To be eligible for Fees Free while enrolled in provider-based study starting in 2024, a learner needs to meet the residency and prior study and training criteria below.

Residency criteria

A learner must be one of the following:

1. a New Zealand citizen, or

2. a holder of a residence class visa and:

a. ordinarily resident in New Zealand and have held a residence class visa for at least three years while living in New Zealand; or

b. a person granted refugee or protected person status, or a family member granted a residence visa with the person granted refugee or protected person status; or

c. sponsored into New Zealand by someone in their family who, at the time of sponsorship, was a refugee or protected person; or

3. a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa; or

4. an immediate family member, without a residence visa and residing in New Zealand, of a person granted refugee or protected person status, as defined as:

a. the partner and any child in New Zealand, of a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa; or

b. the parent and any sibling in New Zealand, of a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa, who is a dependent child; or

5. a holder of the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or

6. a holder of a residence class visa who would have been eligible for the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or

7. a holder of a residence class visa who is a family member of a living person, where that living person is:

a. the holder of a Christchurch Response Visa residing in or outside of New Zealand; or

b. a New Zealand citizen residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:

i. was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or

ii. would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019; or

iii. would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been a New Zealand citizen on 15 March 2019; or

iv. was granted New Zealand citizenship after holding a Christchurch Response Visa; or

c. the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:

i. was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or

ii. would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 or on 15 March 2019; or

d. is the holder of a resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who held the resident visa on 15 March 2019 and who was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or

8. a holder of the Afghan Emergency Resettlement Resident Visa.

Prior study and training criteria

The learner must:

1. have been enrolled in a school in or after 2022, other than as an adult learneror

2. have not undertaken more than half a year of equivalent full-time tertiary education (0.5 equivalent full-time student (EFTS) or 60 credits) at Level 3 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF), including tertiary education at an equivalent level undertaken in any country.

The following do not count as prior study or training:

1. Tertiary education undertaken while enrolled in school prior to 1 January 2019 (except for tertiary education undertaken as an adult learner)

2. Tertiary courses undertaken as part of a school learning programme or secondary-tertiary programme on or after 1 January 2019

3. Credits achieved as part of any work-based programme that consists of fewer than 120 credits that are reported after 1 January 2018

4. Any courses or credentials funded by the TEC undertaken after 1 January 2023 that had zero tuition fees and zero compulsory course costs

5. Tertiary education and training funded through the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF)

6. Tertiary education undertaken through the Youth Guarantee Fund after 1 July 2020

7. Tertiary education undertaken through the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Fund after 1 July 2020

8. Tertiary education undertaken through the Refugee English Fund.

Course criteria

To be eligible for Fees Free, a course must be:

1. funded by the Tertiary Education Commission from:

a. the Non-Degree Delivery at Levels 3–7 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework and all Industry Training (DQ3-7) fund, excluding provision that would previously have been funded through the Industry Training Fund, or

b. the Delivery on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework at Levels 7 (Degree) and above (DQ7+) fund, or

c. grants under section 556 of the Education and Training Act 2020 for tertiary provision towards a qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) at Level 3 or above, or a micro-credential at Level 3 or above approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), and

2. not part of a school learning programme or secondary-tertiary programme.

Definitions of key terms

Adult learner

Equivalent full-time student (EFTS)

Intensive Literacy and Numeracy – Refugee English Fund

Māori and Pasifika Trades Training

New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF)

Ordinarily resident

Refugee or protected person

Residence class visa

School 

School learning programme 

Secondary-tertiary programme

Sponsored (immigration)

Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF)

Tertiary education

Undertaken study and/or training 

Youth Guarantee

Work-based learning

Learner criteria

To be eligible for Fees Free while enrolled in work-based learning starting in 2024, a learner needs to meet the residency and prior study and training criteria below.

Residency criteria

A learner must be one of the following:

1. a New Zealand citizen, or

2. a holder of a residence class visa and:

a. ordinarily resident in New Zealand; or

b. a person granted refugee or protected person status, or a family member granted a residence visa with the person granted refugee or protected person status; or

c. sponsored into New Zealand by someone in their family who, at the time of sponsorship, was a refugee or protected person; or

3. a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa; or

4. an immediate family member, without a residence visa and residing in New Zealand, of a person granted refugee or protected person status, as defined as:

a. the partner and any child in New Zealand, of a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa; or

b. the parent and any sibling in New Zealand, of a person granted refugee or protected person status prior to gaining a residence visa, who is a dependent child; or

5. a holder of the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or

6. a holder of a residence class visa who would have been eligible for the Christchurch Response (2019) Permanent Resident Visa; or

7. a holder of a residence class visa who is a family member of a living person, where that living person is:

a. the holder of a Christchurch Response Visa residing in or outside of New Zealand; or

b. a New Zealand citizen residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:

i. was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or

ii. would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019; or

iii. would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been a New Zealand citizen on 15 March 2019; or

iv. was granted New Zealand citizenship after holding a Christchurch Response Visa; or

c. the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who:

i. was a resident visa holder under the Immigration Act 2009 on 15 March 2019 and was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or

ii. would have been eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa had they not already been the holder of a permanent resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 or on 15 March 2019; or

d. is the holder of a resident visa under the Immigration Act 2009 residing in or outside of New Zealand, who held the resident visa on 15 March 2019 and who was eligible for a Christchurch Response Visa; or

8. a holder of the Afghan Emergency Resettlement Resident Visa; or

9. employed in a role specified on the Green List or within a Sector Agreement and

1. enrolled in a programme or credential approved for a tuition subsidy by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC); and

2. the tertiary education organisation (TEO) in which the learner is enrolled would be eligible to receive tuition subsidies in respect of the learner, and 

3. the learner has a signed training agreement and commences training on or after 1 January 2023.

Prior study and training criteria

The learner must either:

1. have been enrolled in a school in or after 2022, other than as an adult learner,
or

2. have not undertaken more than half a year of equivalent full-time tertiary education (0.5 equivalent full-time student (EFTS) or 60 credits) at Level 3 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF), including tertiary education at an equivalent level undertaken in any country.

The following do not count as prior study or training:

1. Tertiary education undertaken while enrolled in school prior to 1 January 2019 (except for tertiary education undertaken as an adult learner)

2. Tertiary courses undertaken as part of your school learning programme or secondary-tertiary programme on or after 1 January 2019

3. Credits achieved as part of any work-based programme that consists of fewer than 120 credits that are reported after 1 January 2018

4. Any courses or credentials funded by the TEC undertaken after 1 January 2023 that had zero tuition fees and zero compulsory course costs

5. Tertiary education and training funded through the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF)

6. Tertiary education undertaken through the Youth Guarantee Fund after 1 July 2020

7. Tertiary education undertaken through the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training Fund after 1 July 2020

8. Tertiary education undertaken through the Refugee English Fund.

Programme criteria

To be eligible for Fees Free, a work-based programme must:

1. be at NZQCF Level 3 or above, and

2. be approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), and

3. be funded by the TEC through the Non-Degree Delivery at Levels 3–7 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework and all Industry Training (DQ3-7) fund, where it would previously have been funded through the Industry Training Fund; and

4. comprise at least 120 credits, and

5. not be part of a school learning programme or secondary-tertiary programme.

Definitions of key terms

Adult learner

Equivalent full-time student (EFTS)

Green List

Māori and Pasifika Trades Training 

New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF)

Refugee English Fund

Refugee or protected person

Residence class visa

School

School learning programme

Secondary-tertiary programme

Sector agreement

Sponsored

Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF)

Tertiary education

Undertaken

Youth Guarantee

What Fees Free covers

Provider-based study

In a learner’s first calendar year of Fees Free study they can get up to $12,000 (including GST) for any Fees Free eligible study. There is no equivalent full-time student (EFTS) or credit cap.

Learners who undertake less than 1 EFTS (120 credits) and use less than $12,000 of Fees Free in their first calendar year of study can then carry over their remaining Fees Free entitlement (up to $12,000 or 1 EFTS) into future calendar years.

Carrying over Fees Free entitlement

Fees Free covers:

  • compulsory tuition fees
  • compulsory course costs that are charged to all learners enrolled in a course, which include (but are not limited to):
    • any compulsory costs associated with enrolment
    • examinations (including reporting of credits to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA))
    • field trips
    • any compulsory purchase of equipment or books through the tertiary education organisation (TEO)
  • student services fees.

Fees Free does not cover:

  • any administrative fees or charges (other than tuition fees or compulsory course costs) for additional services that are payable as a result of the specific circumstances of the learner. This includes (but is not limited to):
    • reassessment or remarking of examination results
    • examination relocation fees
    • fees associated with recognition of prior learning
    • fees associated with an application for selected entry programmes.

Learners will need to pay other optional and occasional fees such as student association and club memberships, some course materials, and late fees.

This aligns Fees Free coverage with current fee regulation and courses currently covered by the Student Loan Scheme.

Work-based learning

Eligible learners for Fees Free can have their fees paid for the first 24 months of an eligible work-based programme. Fees Free is capped at $12,000 (including GST) per learner.

The Fees Free policy covers fees for work-based learning, including fees:

  • for training and assessment
  • paid to organisations eligible for funding under the Non-Degree Delivery at Levels 3–7 on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework and all Industry Training (DQ3-7) fund
  • paid by learners or employers, and
  • directly related to individual work-based learners that are Fees Free eligible.