The Victoria University of Wellington Study Abroad Scholarship is a cash award for international students who come to Wellington on the University’s Study Abroad and Exchange programme. The University’s Scholarships Office runs it and makes up to 15 awards each trimester.
Recipients spend at least one trimester studying on the Wellington campus alongside degree students, choosing courses across most faculties. The money is a one-off stipend rather than a fee reduction, and it reaches the student’s account once enrolment is settled.
Award holders also agree to help promote the programme, taking part in marketing activities and representing the University as brand ambassadors.
Benefits & funding
- Up to NZ$1,000 per recipient, paid as a one-off stipend.
- Up to 15 scholarships awarded each trimester.
- Paid into the student’s account after enrolment and after the final course withdrawal date, roughly two weeks into the trimester.
- Tenure is one year; the award cannot be deferred to a later trimester.
- Recipients must stay fully enrolled as international Study Abroad students, keep satisfactory academic progress, and may be asked to repay the stipend if they withdraw early.
Eligibility
- Open to international students of any nationality who intend to enrol in the Study Abroad and Exchange programme for at least one trimester.
- Applicants must have applied to study abroad at the University and hold an Offer of Place by the scholarship deadline.
- A minimum grade point average of 2.7 out of 4 is required.
- Study must begin in the trimester and year named in the Offer of Place letter.
- A valid passport and a current New Zealand international student visa are required.
- Entry to the Study Abroad and Exchange programme normally requires at least one completed year of bachelor’s study at a recognised institution; gap-year applicants must meet the undergraduate entry requirements of the country where they finished high school.
- Students enrol full time on a minimum of 45 points and a maximum of 60 points per trimester, and may study for one trimester, two trimesters, or a full year.
- Online and distance courses are closed to Study Abroad and Exchange students, and some faculties restrict individual courses or ask for a portfolio, audition, or writing sample.
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High School · Bachelor Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Apply to the Study Abroad and Exchange programme and secure an Offer of Place before the scholarship closing date.
- 2Open the scholarship page and follow the Apply online link, which normally appears about one month before the closing date and leads to the CommunityForce application system.
- 3Prepare a motivational statement on how the Study Abroad experience will benefit the applicant personally, academically, and professionally — either a PDF or Word document of up to 300 words, or a YouTube video of up to two minutes.
- 4Submit the completed online application by 4:30 pm on the closing date: 16 January for Trimester 1, 1 May for Trimester 2.
- 5A selection committee of the Associate Director, International Recruitment and Business Development and the Senior International Recruitment Manager assesses experiences, attributes, backgrounds, and academic achievement.
Program timeline
Partner nomination deadline for Trimester 1 study abroad places
15 October
Study Abroad and Exchange application deadline for Trimester 1
1 December
Scholarship application normally opens, one month before closing
Around 16 December
Scholarship deadline for Trimester 1, 4:30 pm
16 January
Partner nomination deadline for Trimester 2 study abroad places
15 April
Study Abroad and Exchange application deadline and scholarship deadline for Trimester 2
1 May
Around two weeks into the trimester
Stipend paid, after the final course withdrawal date