Every qualification has its tuition fee listed on its programme page. This is the cost of your study. However, there may be additional costs such as tools, uniforms and equipment. Check the programme information page for the most up-to-date information about costs.

Ways to fund your study

Fees Free* - your first year fees are free

For domestic students, if this is your first time doing tertiary study, or your first tertiary study was covered by the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship initiative (TTAF), you may be able to get up to $12,000 of your fees covered for one year's study or two years' training. 

All the details and criteria are on the Fees Free website and you can check whether you're going to be able to access Fees Free by entering your National Student Number (NSN).  

If you are eligible, we’ll organise your fees with the Tertiary Education Commission when you're enrolled to study with us.

Check whether you can access Fees Free funding here >

* Please note: The Government has advised that they intend to change the Fees Free policy from 2025. The details of the change are yet to be confirmed. We'll update this information as soon as we can with any new details. The Fees Free policy for 2024 is unchanged. 

Youth Guarantee Scheme

The Youth Guarantee is a funding scheme for domestic students 16–24 years old (or 15 if you’ve got an early leaving exemption letter). If you haven't already studied at Level 2 or Level 3, you can enrol in programmes at these levels, full-time or part-time, cost-free.

We have various Level 2 and 3 programmes available under this scheme which can prepare you with practical skills for work. When you study any of these, the Youth Guarantee Fees Scheme covers your tuition fees and the material and equipment costs of your programme.

Free Fees for Level 2 programmes 

We offer free fees to domestic students that do not already hold a Level 2 or higher qualification for our Level 2 programmes (English Language, Foundation Skills and Land Skills). Some restrictions may apply. 

He Toki Trades Training 

If you are Māori or Pasifika, are 16-40 years old, and want to learn and earn in a practical, hands-on environment, consider our He Toki pathways. With He Toki, you'll be supported to gain a Level 3 certificate in carpentry or electrical pre-trades. You'll get a unique and empowering learning experience that has te reo, tikaka and mentorship at the heart of everything. And the programme is free for full-time learners.  

StudyLink loans & allowances

You can apply to StudyLink for a student loan, a student allowance and course-related costs. This is only available for domestic students.

Student Loan

You can get a Student Loan to pay your study fees, your course-related costs and your living costs. If none of the other options on this page are relevant to you, you should consider applying to StudyLink for a student loan to pay for your study.

Note: You have to pay StudyLink back for any money you borrow for fees, living costs and course-related costs — but not until you have a full-time job.

Student allowance

You may be eligible for a Student Allowance. You don’t need to repay a Student Allowance as it is not considered part of your loan. Check the criteria for an allowance before you apply for Student Loan living costs. This is important to ensure that you don’t borrow more than you need to.

The StudyLink website has an eligibility test and further information about the options available to you.

Check your eligibility with StudyLink