Fees Free And Studylink
Final year fees free
The Government has announced that final-year Fees Free will end at the end of December 2026.
The Tertiary Education Commission has confirmed that further details and specific arrangements are still being worked through. We will share more information for students as soon as it becomes available.
If you are completing your qualification in 2026
Your eligibility is not changing. The Tertiary Education Commission has confirmed that learners completing an eligible qualification or programme in 2026 can apply for their final-year Fees Free entitlement within 12 months of completion, up to 31 December 2027.
If your final year of study falls in 2027 or later
The Government has indicated that final-year Fees Free will not continue beyond 2026.
Specific arrangements for students in this position are still being worked through, and we will update you as soon as we have further detail.
If you are considering enrolling
Talk to our team about your options. Student loans and allowances through StudyLink, our payment options, scholarships, and student support services are unaffected by this change.
Official information
For Government information on Fees Free, visit ird.govt.nz/fees-free.
For questions about your situation, contact our student support team.
Youth Guarantee Funded Courses
A great way to start. If you're not sure what to do, take the first step with a Level 2 Foundation course or one of our excellent Level 3 courses. If you are aged 16-24, the Youth Guarantee scheme gives you the chance to study free for up to one year.
Places in these programmes are limited and often fill really quickly. To avoid disappointment it is best to get your application in as soon as possible!
FInd out more about this scheme here.
Frequently Asked Questions
From 2025, Fees Free covers the final year of study or training for the first qualification an eligible learner completes. To find out which of our courses are eligible under the Final Year Fees Free Scheme, you can chat to one of our course advisors. To understand if you are eligible as a learner, we recommend you review the eligibility criteria which you can find on https://www.ird.govt.nz/fees-free
When you enrol, you will need to arrange payment of your fees. You may wish to apply for a student loan to help you cover the fees, our course advisors would be happy to help you with this process. You don’t need to do anything else until you complete your first eligible qualification, at which point you will be able to make a claim through myIR on the Inland Revenue website. This is available from early 2026.
The “final year” of provider-based study covers up to 1 EFTS (120 credits), or up to $12,000 including GST (whichever you reach first). The “final year” of study may also be the first year of study, where a qualification is 120 credits or less. If you didn’t use the $12,000 entitlement for the final year of your first qualification or programme, you won’t be able to access Fees Free again for a second qualification or programme.
If you’re eligible, Fees Free covers the fees for the final year of tertiary study or training in the first qualification you complete after 1 January 2025, up to $12,000 including GST. Fees Free will cover only the final year of one qualification or programme. Final-year Fees Free covers tuition fees, compulsory course costs and student services fees for provider-based learners.
Send us a message and one of our course advisors would be happy to chat with you. Alternatively, there is more information provided by Inland Revenue on the Fees Free website - https://www.ird.govt.nz/fees-free