Financial help to study

TeachNZ Teacher Recruitment Scholarships

TeachNZ Teacher Recruitment Scholarships are targeted at areas of priority for teacher supply, in order to meet increasing demand for teachers in some areas over the next ten years. These areas are early childhood and Māori Medium teachers, secondary teachers of specific subjects, and teachers in rural areas.  It is important to note that these scholarships are available only for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.

From 2008, the Māori Medium and Secondary scholarships will be allocated across three categories:
• school leavers/undergraduates
• graduates
• career changers.

Numbers are capped and will be awarded in order of completed applications, where eligibility criteria have been met.  Every full-time student teacher who receives one of the new scholarships will receive course fees, an annual allowance and be bonded to teach.

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Early Childhood)

TeachNZ Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Early Childhood) aim to attract more people into early childhood teaching. There are two streams: stream one for low to middle income applicants and stream two for those people wishing to study either a Māori-focused or Pasifika-focused early childhood teaching qualification.  The 2008 application form can be downloaded below.

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Secondary Subjects)

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Secondary Subjects) aim to encourage more people into studying to become a secondary teacher in these subjects/areas of highest need: chemistry, home economics (added for the first time), mathematics, physics, and Māori language. The new ‘career changer’ scholarship is available to technology and te reo Māori applicants. From 2008 English and biology will no longer be target subjects.  The application form is now available and can be downloaded below.

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Technology)

The purpose of Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Technology) is to increase the number of technology teachers in secondary schools. These scholarships are available for school leavers, graduates and a new category, 'career changer'. The application form is now available and can be downloaded below.

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Māori Medium)

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Māori Medium) aim to increase the supply of teachers in both total immersion and bilingual settings in either primary or secondary schools. They are available to people of any ethnicity who are proficient speakers of te reo Māori.  The 2008 scholarships include a new ‘career changer’ category. The application form is now available and can be downloaded below. 

Teacher Recruitment Scholarships (Rural)

These scholarships aim to encourage people from rural areas into teaching in primary or secondary rural schools. The criteria remain the same as the 2007 criteria. For the latest details on these scholarships, view the application form below.

Secondary Subject Trainee Allowances (SSTA)

From 2008, the TeachNZ Secondary Subject Trainee Allowances will be replaced by TeachNZ Teacher Recruitment Scholarships for graduates. Existing SSTA recipients will continue to receive their second and/or third payments.

Other forms of financial help to study

Early Childhood Incentive Grants

These are awarded to chartered teacher-led services to help staff gain the Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) or another New Zealand Teachers Council-approved ECE teaching qualification that leads to registration as a teacher.
The incentive grants are intended as a contribution towards the costs services face when supporting staff to upgrade their qualifications.
Currently all Auckland services that meet the criteria will be allocated Incentive Grants. There are 500 Incentive Grants available for allocation across the remainder of the country. Each Incentive Grant is worth $2094.00 (GST inclusive).
For more information see the Ministry of Education's website or download the Incentive Grant form below.

Study Grants
These are available to qualified primary teachers and primary student teachers who wish to gain an early childhood teaching qualification. The $3000 grants are to assist these people to meet the costs of their study. ECE Study Grant application forms can be downloaded from the Ministry of Education's website and are also available from teacher education providers.

StudyLink
If you do not meet the criteria for any of the above secondary teaching incentives, you can still apply for Government financial support through StudyLink - administered by the Ministry of Social Development.
Support through StudyLink includes Student Allowances and Student Loan Schemes and the Training Incentive Allowance.

Student Loan support for qualified secondary and Māori Medium teachers

Loan Support Scheme
Secondary teachers of maths, te reo Māori and physics now receive a taxable payment of $2,500 in each of their second, third and fourth years of teaching as an incentive to remain in teaching.
From 2005, Māori Medium teachers - who teach in a total immersion setting: kura kaupapa Māori; wharekura; or total immersion classes in a mainstream school - are eligible to receive a taxable payment of $2,500 in each of their second, third and fourth years of teaching.
Teachers in hard-to-staff schools who teach all the current target subjects - biology, chemistry, English, maths, physics, technology and te reo Māori at the secondary level, will also be eligible to apply.
Having a student loan will not be a condition of payment but where a teacher has a student loan, the payment will be used to reduce the teacher’s student loan.
Recipients of the Secondary Subject Trainee Allowances are still eligible for this scheme, as are some Secondary Subject Scholarship recipients.

If you would like more information on scholarships, you can contact TeachNZ by:
• email at TeachNZ.admin@minedu.govt.nz or
• phone 0800 832 246 to request an information pack or
• phone TeachNZ scholarship administration on 0800 165 225