New Zealand offers first university scholarships exclusively for Vietnamese students

New Zealand Universities Awards scholarships officially accept applications from Vietnamese students - Photo: ENZ

On April 22, 2025, the New Zealand Government announced the New Zealand Universities Awards (NZUA) undergraduate scholarship program, exclusively for Vietnamese students, starting to accept applications from May 1 to August 31, 2025.

Notably, NZUA is New Zealand's first government scholarship programme designed specifically for one country.

In the first year of implementation, the program will award 14 scholarships, each worth 15,000 NZD (equivalent to more than 230 million VND).

The scholarships are distributed at all 8 prestigious public universities in New Zealand, including the University of Auckland, University of Otago, University of Waikato, Massey University, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury, Lincoln University and Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

Scholarship applies for February 2026 intake.

Unlike other international scholarship programs, the NZUA scholarship is only for Vietnamese students living in Vietnam, who have completed high school (Vietnamese or international), are aged 16 - 19 at the time of application and are eligible to enroll in a full-time undergraduate program in New Zealand.

Candidates can choose any major, from engineering, medicine , law, business, communications to art, without being limited in their choice of major. This is considered a special advantage that helps Vietnamese students have maximum flexibility in their learning orientation and personal development.

One notable point of NZUA is the streamlined application process, which does not require applicants to write essays or take aptitude tests. Students only need to have an average grade of 8.5 or higher in grade 12 and an English level equivalent to IELTS 7.0.

The application package includes a grade 12 transcript, an international English certificate, a short video of no more than 90 seconds expressing study aspirations and future orientation, an admission letter from a university in New Zealand, and a valid passport.

After completing the application, students will submit it online via the NZUA scholarship portal. Results will be announced in October 2025 and the scholarship award ceremony is expected to take place in late November of the same year.

In addition to the NZUA scholarship, students can also apply for individual university scholarships. Some New Zealand universities allow for combined scholarship values ​​or offer additional scholarships if the applicant is not accepted into the NZUA but still has good academic standing.

Currently, New Zealand universities have applied a flexible admission policy for Vietnamese students: allowing them to apply for admission immediately after receiving their Grade 12 scores, without having to wait until they have a national high school diploma; or accepting predicted scores for students studying international programs such as IB or A-Level.

“We are looking forward to welcoming the first generation of NZUA scholarship recipients to New Zealand,” said Ben Burrowes, Education New Zealand (ENZ) regional director for Asia.

With a personalized learning environment and a comprehensive support system for international students, we believe that Vietnamese students will not only achieve their academic dreams, but also become confident global citizens, ready to face the changes of the world."

Job opportunities in New Zealand

Not only does the NZUA scholarship program provide financial support, it also offers many practical benefits to students. Students can work 20 hours per week during the semester and 40 hours per week during the holidays.

After graduation, students are allowed to stay and work in New Zealand for 3 years under a Post Study Work Visa, creating conditions to accumulate experience in an international environment and plan a long-term career.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/new-zealand-lan-dau-cap-hoc-bong-dai-hoc-rieng-cho-hoc-sinh-viet-nam-20250422171637443.htm