Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships Programme

Benefits & funding

• Full tuition, including student services and laboratory fees.
• An approximate living allowance of NZ$615 per week, paid fortnightly for the scholar only.
• A one-off NZ$3,000 establishment allowance after arrival.
• Return economy airfares plus comprehensive medical and travel insurance.
• Eligible postgraduate students may seek additional thesis-research funding.
• A NZ$1,000 reintegration allowance after returning home and up to NZ$1,000 in tutoring support when needed.

Eligibility

• Citizenship must be from Fiji, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam. The currently open Foundation intake is for Samoa only; the other tertiary routes are closed for this cycle.
• Study level depends on citizenship: Fiji is postgraduate only, Timor-Leste is the only eligible Asian country with an undergraduate route, and the current Samoa Foundation intake is undergraduate.
• General applicants must be 18 when signing the scholarship offer; Samoa Foundation applicants may be 17 when they commence. There is no maximum age, although applicants under 40 are preferred.
• Postgraduate applicants need relevant experience equivalent to one year full-time or two years part-time. School leavers in their final year, and those applying in the academic year immediately after high school, do not need work experience.
• Applicants normally must have lived in their home country for the two years before applying. Diplomatic assignments, their dependants and overseas study are stated exceptions.
• The proposed course must match the applicant’s country-specific priority subjects, and the applicant must be likely to meet Lincoln’s academic and English-entry requirements.
• Scholars must return home and contribute to their country’s social or economic development for at least two years after study.

Application process

1. 1
   Check the official country route, permitted qualification levels and priority subjects.
2. 2
   Complete the online eligibility check, then apply for the scholarship first and nominate Lincoln University and preferred courses; an admission offer is not needed at this stage.
3. 3
   Upload the academic transcript and grading scale, except for the Samoa Foundation intake.
4. 4
   If shortlisted, provide verified English translations of academic documents and complete the required selection and English-language steps; PhD applicants also need evidence of a suitable supervisor or active discussions.
5. 5
   If named a preferred candidate, apply formally to Lincoln University, obtain the admission offer, apply for a student visa and complete the scholarship contract.

Program timeline

1. General tertiary scholarship application period stated by Lincoln; this round is closed.

   February–March 2026

2. Interviews typically take place.

   May–July 2026

3. Samoa Foundation applications opened at midnight.

   4 August 2026

4. Samoa Foundation applications close at midday New Zealand time.

   4 September 2026

5. Expected start for scholars applying for New Zealand study in the preceding cycle.

   Semester 1, 2027