Fees-free tertiary study

Victoria University of Wellington is pleased to be one of the New Zealand tertiary institutions to offer free tuition for eligible first time tertiary learners.

For 2018, tertiary education will be fees-free for eligible first time tertiary learners.

To meet the requirements for fees-free provider-based study, students enrolling at Victoria from 2018 must:

  1. Be allowed to work and live in New Zealand permanently, or be an Australian or New Zealand resident who has lived here for at least three years, a refugee or protected person, or a sponsored family member of a refugee or protected person; and
  2. Not be enrolled in school when your qualification starts, and either:
    1. Have been enrolled at school in 2017 or 2018, or
    2. Not have undertaken previous study or training of more than 60 credits, except while you were at school, and
  3. Enrol in an eligible qualification.

Students will need to have their National Student Number (NSN) to confirm their eligibility which they can do online at Fees Free.

More information about the eligibility criteria can be found in Fees Free's FAQs.

This policy covers tuition, associated mandatory fees and compulsory student service fees.

It does not cover students’ association fees, club memberships, course materials and late fees.

Students who still wish to apply for a student allowance or the two non-fees parts of a student loan—living costs and course-related costs—for 2018, will still need to apply to StudyLink.

StudyLink encourages prospective students to apply by 16 December 2017, and to provide supporting documents promptly (you can apply online). This will ensure that applications can be assessed in time for the start of the 2018 academic year.

Scholarship money can be put towards accommodation and living costs. If you have any queries about your scholarship, contact Victoria’s Scholarship Office.

If you are not eligible for free fees and still want to study at Victoria in 2018, you can apply to enrol online now.