NEW ZEALAND
Located to the south east of Australia and separated from the continent by a 2,000 miles stretch, New Zealand is one of the most famous tourist destinations. Nonetheless, it is also seen as up growing abroad study destination for the students from all around the world. New Zealand is home to the most beautiful natural environment with cutting edge education reputation. New Zealand Universities offer wide range of study opportunities at all level.
Safe yet modern
This country of just over 4 million people is an easy going and one of the safest places on this earth with high quality living conditions and a modern lifestyle. New Zealand has never seen war on its own shores and crime here is extremely low compared to America and Europe. The New Zealand government is also very stable and the New Zealanders are very outward looking and welcoming of new cultures.
British based education system
The New Zealand education programs and degrees are based on the worlds most recognized and accredited education system- The British System- without the same expense.
International recognition of courses and degrees
New Zealand qualifications are of a high quality and have a reputation around the world for being practical, modern and desired. All courses, programs and qualifications offered by New Zealand institutions are quality assured by the New Zealand government. Major employers around the world recognize New Zealand qualifications and employ New Zealand graduates.
Competitive Costs
New Zealand offers very affordable tuition fee compared with many other countries around the world. Competitive tuition fees coupled with a low cost of living represents a good value for your money.
Multiculturalism
New Zealand has a dynamic and harmonious multicultural society. Kiwis are friendly and pleasant and are opening their doors to offer you warm and welcoming environments. International students are highly respected in New Zealand and you will feel most welcome here.
Support Services
New Zealand has a long history of teaching international students and New Zealand institutions are sensitive to the needs of international students. The International Office in tertiary institutions provides a high quality support service to help you adjust to your new environment and successfully complete your studies.
Recreational wonderland
From the rugged mountains to the sandy beaches New Zealand is a land of great variety. This is also true of educational and cultural programs on offer to international students. Although New Zealand has a population of only 4.3 million and is similar in geographical size to the U.K. and Japan, its breath-taking scenery sets it apart from the rest of the world. New Zealand offers exciting landscape and recreational opportunities as well as great outdoors to treasure.
Work while you study
All students on a student visa can work up to 20 hours per week during semester and full time during vacations i.e. 40 hours. Many New Zealand institutions offer a student employment service called ‘Student Job Search’ to help you find work.
Opportunity to settle permanently in New Zealand
If you complete your course successfully, you automatically get a 12 months ‘Work Permit’ under the student visa policy. In most instances this permit will be done at your institution itself. This allows you to work full time in any job of your choice. However if you want to get a New Zealand Permanent Residency (PR), then you have to find a job that is relevant to the course that you have completed. Example: If you have completed a course in IT, then you have to find a job as a programmer, analyst, etc. This will immediately give you a 2 year’s work permit with all rights like free medical, etc. Upon receiving this 2 years work permit then you can apply for PR and normally will get it within 5-6 months. If you do not find a job that is relevant to your course, you can continue to work in any job for 12 months and try and recover some of the investment you have made towards your study in NZ. You will that way end up by recovering a bulk of the fees you have paid and also end up with an international experience which will come in handy if you have to return to India. There are plenty of jobs in NZ, and while it may not be easy to get one, if you are good enough, you will easily get one.
No personal visa interview and NO outright visa rejection
The Immigration Department of New Zealand NEVER rejects a visa application outright without giving you a chance to explain. Compare this with other countries who do not give you an opportunity to mention your side of the story. As long as you are able to explain clearly why you have chosen a particular course, there is no danger of not getting the visa. We will help you with the course selection that will enable you to create a good ‘Statement of Purpose’ (SOP) that will help the visa officer understand clearly and give a favorable decision
New Zealand’s education system is one best and most dynamic in the world. It has one of the best public funded education systems in the world. In fact it has the highest percentage of public funding in the world.
Education System in New Zealand is divided into levels.
What makes education in New Zealand so unique is based on several factors like the belief of the natives that everyone deserves to be education. This is reflected from the fact that even though there are many private schools in New Zealand, because of abundance of public funding many parents are happy sending their wards to use the public schools.
The second factor is that the education system focuses both on practical and academic achievements. The education system is open to letting students explore their interests with an open mind. This helps get students get ready for workplace or finishing secondary education.
Primary and Secondary Schools
Almost all primary and secondary schools have a set schedule, usually from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. They go to school throughout the year, with four different terms spread out evenly. The terms are as follows:
There is a two-week break between terms one and two, two and three, and three and four. Between term four and the following term 1, there is a 6 week summer break, lasting part of December and all of January.
There are three types of primary and secondary schools that you will see.
- State-funded, or public, schools. These schools are free, with minor costs for books, school supplies, and uniforms (if they are used; most New Zealand schools have them). The school that a child attends is based on where they live.
- State-integrated religious schools. There are a number of schools that are religious in nature (Catholic) which have been integrated into the public school structure. These are, of course, options for those who wish for their children to have a religious education. These schools are free, with minor costs for books, school supplies, and uniforms.
- Private schools cost anywhere from $4,000 to $28,000 a year. These may be religious, but they can also be more academically intense or provide options according to what a parent may want.
There are differences between primary and secondary school, but students must attend school from the age of 6 until they are 16. Here are some of the differences you will see.
- Primary school. From ages 6 to 12, a child attends primary school. Most primary schools have 23 to 29 students per teacher, sometimes less if it is a private or state-integrated school. Primary schools may include preschool, but there are also preschools that work on their own. Preschool is not required.
- Secondary school. Referred to as “high school” or “college,” secondary school has one teacher per 17 to 23 students; sometimes it is as low as 10 if it is a private or state-integrated school. Each secondary school uses a practical curriculum to help students get prepared for either the work world or higher education, and the curriculum is regulated by the Government’s Education Review Office. Some secondary schools will allow their senior students to take the Cambridge International Exam or the International Baccalaureate, which grant those credits and recognition in higher education programs worldwide..
- Private schools cost anywhere from $4,000 to $28,000 a year. These may be religious, but they can also be more academically intense or provide options according to what a parent may want.
Higher Education
Higher education is incredibly important, and we will explore it more in our sections that focus on the higher education systems. Higher education system in New Zealand is governed by NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority), which is a government body .There are eight universities throughout the country, along with 18 technology institutions and over 600 training schools which help with specialized skills. Five of the universities in New Zealand are considered to be in the top 50 of the world’s universities according to the QS World Top 500 rankings. New Zealand is known for its business, technology, engineering, medicine, and biological sciences, and the schools are world class. The higher education program is subsidized by the New Zealand government for permanent residents.
Like you would expect from the Kiwis, New Zealand’s higher education system is also quite laid-back. Even though you have to meet vigorous requirements and have to do particular tasks in order to stay on a student visa, it is nowhere near as intense as going into an Ivy League school in New England or the Group of Eight in Australia. You will get a great education without the cost of your mental health in the process, which is a great advantage no matter who you are.
As you can see, the educational system, from primary school all the way to college, is a big focus for Kiwis. This is why many people decide to allow their children to do exchange programs and why college students will spend their entire academic career in New England. The focus on education plays a very large role in the overall attitudes about education. It is considered to be important, and that attitude rubs off in every aspect of Kiwi life. You can achieve your goals, no matter what education you happen to pursue.
You can learn more about education in New Zealand in two places, first at The Ministry of Education’s website, where you can find more information about the way that the educational system is laid out and what laws and such are in place. The other place is Education New Zealand’s Study in New Zealand website, which can give you more information about those laws and about the schools around the entire country.
There are is a three tier system of education in New Zealand – Primary, Secondary & Tertiary or Post-Secondary. Post-Secondary includes universities, private institutes, colleges, and polytechnics & PTE.
Tuition fees for varies for different courses and universities & institutions. A bachelor’s degree can cost anywhere between NZ$ 18,000 and NZ$ 25, 000 approximately per year. The cost of studying a Diploma or Post-Graduate Diploma in New Zealand may cost NZ$ 10,000 to NZ$ 20,000 approximately per year, while cost of studying for a Post Graduate Diploma may be anywhere between NZ$ 15,000 and NZ$ 30,000. The estimated living cost or living expenses in New Zealand can be NZ$1012,000 and NZ$ 1215,000 approximately per year.
Here are some details of course fees for studying for a Bachelor’s/ Under Graduate Degree in New Zealand:
Cost of Living in New Zealand
New Zealand cost of living can vary anywhere between NZ$ 7,000 to NZ$ 12,000, depending upon the student’s lifestyle. International students need to explore the various options with regard to accommodation and food to bring down the living expenses in New Zealand. Student need to show NZ$ 15,000 for his living as per the Immigration Rules.
Some of the accommodation options for students studying in New Zealand include:
- Student Hostels/ Halls of residence: NZ$ 200 approximately per week
- Home Stay/ Private Board: NZ$ 180 approximately per wee
- Flat Accommodation: NZ$ 120 approximately per week along with a bond.
Health Insurance for Studying Abroad in New Zealand
All foreign students are required to have a health insurance while studying in New Zealand. Students can avail the medical insurance from his/her native country or through the institution they are studying at. The approximate cost to get a student health insurance in New Zealand can be around NZ$ 399 400 to 500per year. or NZ$ 33.25 per month.
Since the cost of education can turn out be fairly expensive, students should aim to get scholarships in New Zealand for their education and bring down the cost of studying in New Zealand.
New Zealand with a cost effective education system and cheap accommodation offers a huge number of courses for international students. The cost for courses differs from institute to institute and subject to subject. To attract more international students and strengthening its educational partnership with other countries, New Zealand offers many international scholarships. A wide variety of scholarships offered to international students in New Zealand are provided by the government, educational institutes, private funding source or foreign governments.
Applying for visas is often seen as complicated, our trained counselors at IEAVS are experts in guiding students through the application process.
To receive a student visa, you have to prove that you have enough money to pay for living expenses, education costs and travel for your entire stay in New Zealand
For your student visa you may also require:
- Offer letter:The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) offer letter to international students, which lists minimum course duration, course fees and whether the fees are applicable at domestic or foreign rates.
- Guarantee of Stay (for students aged under 18 years): A written document from an institution or person that states that the student has suitable accommodation arranged in New Zealand.
- Health and medical requirements: If you are staying in New Zealand for more than six months then you need to be screened for tuberculosis. For a longer stay, medical and X-ray certificates need to be provided.
- Work plans:If you plan to work after your studies in New Zealand then your IDP Education counsellor may be able to provide basic guidance about the visa options available, but you will need to contact a migration agent for further assistance.
- Proof of English:An IELTS score to demonstrate competency in English is necessary to apply for a student visa to study in New Zealand. You will need to meet IELTS score prerequisites to gain admission to the top universities in New Zealand. Some education providers do consider your English scores in year 12.
Earn while you learn
An international education can be a strain on a student’s budget. In New Zealand, most students enrolled in a course of 12 months’ duration or longer can work part-time for up to 20 hours a week during semester and during holiday periods.
This not only helps top up the bank balance, but also provides an excellent opportunity to integrate in the community and meet new people.
After graduation
With skill shortages across various sectors in the New Zealand labor market, graduates are in high demand in New Zealand. In particular, there is a strong demand for skilled workers in the health, information and communications technology, agriculture and farming, and engineering industries.
Students with skills in demand and who wish to stay in New Zealand long-term may apply for a Skilled Migrant visa, which will allow them to live and work in New Zealand permanently.