Fees-free level 1-3 study

For study starting on or after 1 January 2014, students under the age of 18 at study start date, who undertake fees-free study at level 1 or 2 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, are not eligible for any component of a Student Loan.

Students who reach the age of 18 during that period of study will not be able to access a Student Loan for that level 1 or 2 course during that period of study.

Those students under the age of 18 years whose fees-free level 1 or 2 study started in 2013 and carried over into 2014 were able to access Course-Related Costs and Living Costs, if eligible.

The period of study referred to above is the period of study covered by the student's application.

For study starting on or after 1 January 2014, the level 1 and 2 fees-free provision was extended to include students up to the age of 24 years, and to level 3 study.

Also, if eligible, students who are 18 years of age or over at study start date, are able to borrow Living Costs and/or Course-Related Costs.

From 1 January 2013, all students undertaking fees-free study at level 1 or 2 (and from 1 January 2014, all students undertaking fees-free study at level 3) on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework have not been able to access the compulsory fee component of a Student Loan.

For Student Loan purposes, a student can be studying a combination of level 1-3 fees-free programmes and other programmes that are not fees-free. Therefore, they may be eligible for a Student Loan to pay fees for any study that is not fees-free.