Previous study assistance
If a student received a Student Allowance for tertiary study before 1 January 1999 (when MSD took over the delivery of Student Allowances), then this is included in the 120/200 week limit.
The lifetime limit was part of the Student Allowances Scheme from its inception in 1992. Under the previous 1991 Regulations the limit was 5 years.
When the Regulations were re-written in 1998, the limit of 5 years was replaced with the 200 week limit.
For study before 1 January 1999, the following rules are used to convert years of study into weeks of study:
- any course of 37 weeks or more must be treated as 40 weeks
- any course of less than 37 weeks is treated as the number of actual weeks the student was paid the allowance
The 120 week limit for those aged 40 and over was introduced for study starting on or after 1 January 2014.
Other Government assistance received by the student currently or in previous years may also count towards the 120/200 weeks.
Other Government study assistance
Other study assistance provided by the government, in the form of allowances or salary for full-time tertiary study, may also count towards the 120/200 weeks, including:
All Public Service, Railways, and Post Office full-time study awards before 1966 | National Library Studentship | |
Armed Forces Officer Cadetship | Nursing Bursary | |
Bilateral Aid (Colombo Plan) | Occupational Therapy Bursary | |
Boarding Bursary | Ordinary National Bursary | |
Bursary in Agriculture | Pharmacy Bursary | |
Bursary in Architecture | Physiotherapy Bursary (at a Polytechnic) | |
Bursary in Engineering | Post Primary or Secondary Teacher Bursary | |
Bursary in Fine Arts | Post Primary or Secondary Teacher Studentship (old conditions) | |
Bursary in Home Science | Public Service, Railways and Post Office full-time study awards after 1965 (full or part salary) | |
Bursary in Science | Rehabilitation Bursary (old scheme) | |
Dental Bursary | Rural-Field Cadetship | |
Dietetic Bursary | Social Science Bursary | |
Fees and Allowances Bursary | Standard Tertiary Bursary | |
Full-time Bursary | Teachers College Studentship | |
Guidance Counsellor Study Award | Teachers Study Award | |
Iwi Transition Awards | Teachers University Studentship | |
Māori or Polynesian Scholarship | Technical Institute Bursary | |
Medical Bursary | Tertiary Study Grant | |
Mining Bursary | War Bursary | |
National Boarding Bursary |
If, in any particular case, it is unclear whether and/or how to include other government assistance in a student's maximum entitlement, contact the Operational Policy and Practice Team in National Office.
For more information see:
Legislation
- Maximum periods of allowances regulation 20 Student Allowances Regulations 1998
- Previous allowances regulation 48 Student Allowances Regulations 1998
