Completed year 13 or attained at level 3 NCEA, 42 credits or more

Student Allowances are available to 16 and 17 year olds in tertiary study provided they meet the usual eligibility and entitlement criteria, and they have:

• completed year 13 study or
• obtained, at level 3 of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), 42 credits or more

If a student doesn't meet these additional criteria, they may still be eligible for a Student Allowance if they have:

• gained other equivalent qualifications or
• been accepted into a course that has equivalent Academic Entry Requirements

Where a student has not completed year 13 or obtained at level 3 NCEA (42 credits or more), they can complete and gain level 3 NCEA (with 42 credits or more) by undertaking tertiary study and gaining credits on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). This is effectively an alternative to gaining other equivalent qualifications - as described below.

Any student who believes that they have gained level 3 NCEA with 42 credits by undertaking tertiary study can apply for and receive their level 3 NCEA Certificate from NZQA. They can then be assessed for eligibility for a Student Allowance from the point they attained level 3 NCEA with 42 credits or more.

Where a student has not completed year 13 or gained at level 3 NCEA, with 42 credits or more, they can still be eligible for a Student Allowance if they have gained other qualifications that are equivalent (such as an overseas qualification or other qualifications on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework - NZQF).

If a student gains another qualification on the NZQF they will need to have gained at least 42 NZQF credits, at level 4 to meet the "equivalent" qualification requirement.

Once a 16 or 17 year old student has gained at least 42 level 4 credits on the NZQF, they can access a Student Allowance from that point. This may be at the end of the semester, completion of the programme or a point in time during the programme of study where the student has been awarded the required credits at level 4.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) determines an assessment of the 'equivalence' of tertiary qualifications in relation to the NZQF.

NZQA does not assess the "equivalent" status of secondary school qualifications. A student will need to obtain the required assessment from a suitably qualified and independent person. This person could be an academic or other educational professional who has the relevant skills and expertise.

For single 16 and 17 year old students entitlement to a Student Allowance is subject to the level of their parents' combined income.

Parents of 16 and 17 year old single students who get a Student Allowance will not be eligible to get:

• Working for Families Tax Credits for that student as they are no longer a dependent child or
• any other assistance available under the Social Security Act 2018 for that student as a dependent child