No essays, tests, just record a video to get a New Zealand scholarship

New Zealand school representatives advise Vietnamese parents and students at an event organized by the New Zealand government in 2024.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

NZUA is a government scholarship program exclusively for Vietnamese people living in Vietnam, who have completed Vietnamese or international high school, and are between the ages of 16-19 at the time of application. There are a total of 14 scholarships, each worth 15,000 NZD (233 million VND), allocated to 8 New Zealand public universities and this is the first year this program has been implemented in our country.

Education New Zealand (ENZ) has just announced that it will officially accept applications for the NZUA scholarship from May 1, with the deadline being August 31. The scholarship results are expected to be announced in October and the award ceremony and scholarship certificate awarding ceremony will be held at the end of November 2025. In the first year of implementation, the program will "create maximum conditions for Vietnamese students" to access scholarships, ENZ emphasized.

Accordingly, candidates can choose any major and can apply for the school's own scholarship at the same time. Because, if they are accepted for the NZUA scholarship, some schools allow students to combine it with their own scholarships from the school. In case the candidate fails the NZUA scholarship, the school can also grant a separate scholarship. That is also the reason why ENZ advises candidates to carefully study the school's policies to optimize the possibility of receiving the scholarship.

Another point is that the NZUA government scholarship does not require applicants to do essays or aptitude tests, but will "focus on the story behind each individual". That is why the organizers require applicants to submit a video of up to 1 minute and 30 seconds in length, presenting their aspirations, personal strengths, study and development plans if they receive the scholarship, and their understanding of New Zealand.

In addition, the application must include a Year 12 transcript with an average score of 8.5 or higher, an international English certificate equivalent to IELTS 7.0, an offer letter from a New Zealand university for a full-time undergraduate program in New Zealand and a scanned copy of a valid passport. All will be submitted through ENZ's online application portal.

Information about the New Zealand government's undergraduate scholarship program for Vietnamese people

PHOTO: ENZ

In addition to the financial value, NZUA candidates also benefit from open policies for international students in New Zealand. Specifically, you are allowed to work 20 hours/week during the semester and up to 40 hours/week during the holidays. In addition, with the post-study work policy (PSW), students who complete a bachelor's program in New Zealand can stay in this country to work for 3 years.

According to statistics from ENZ, 69,133 international students will enroll in education providers in New Zealand in 2023, an increase of 67% compared to 2022, with the majority concentrated in universities. Of these, 1,736 are from Vietnam, an increase of 10% compared to the previous year but still about half the record (3,042 in 2019), with the largest concentration also in universities (1,120) and then secondary schools (308).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khong-can-bai-luan-kiem-tra-chi-quay-video-la-co-the-nhan-hoc-bong-new-zealand-185250422132436983.htm