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Children's Bursary

Children's Bursary may be able to support you while you study.

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Who can get this

You may be able to get this if:

  • you live in NZ, and
  • your parent has either:
    • Qualifying Service before 1 April 1974, or
    • Qualifying Operational Service in Viet Nam.

Qualifying Service explained

One of these must also apply:

  • You get a Children's Pension.
  • Your parent receives Weekly Income Compensation.
  • Your parent receives a Veteran's Pension.
What you can get

Children’s Bursary is for study:

  • with a tertiary education organisation
  • at a secondary school.

Payments

Payment is made once a year, in each year of study covered.

Payment rate depends on your circumstances, and on the type of study:

  • secondary or tertiary
  • part or full-time for tertiary study.

Course providers can confirm if a course is part or full-time.

If you change from part to full-time in the same year, we may pay the difference between the rates.

Children's Bursary payment rates

Ongoing study

You can stay on Children’s Bursary up to whichever comes first:

  • end of the year you finish study, or
  • end of the year you turn 23.

For ongoing payment, we’ll need a completed disclosure form each year. This is to confirm you’re still on an approved course of study. We’ll send the form to you.

If you're over 18 and studying full-time you'll receive Children's Bursary until 31 December. This can continue into the next study year if you intend to study full-time. You'll need to provide us with Conditional Acceptance letters from the tertiary institute you'll be studying at for payment to continue.

How to apply
  1. Fill out the Children's Bursary application form.
  2. Send the application form and any supporting information to us.

Download the Children's Bursary application form [PDF, 791 KB]

If you're under 16 your guardian can fill out the application form for you.

What happens next

After you apply we'll:

  1. contact you to confirm we've received your application
  2. start the decision-making process
  3. inform you in writing once a decision has been made.

How we make decisions

Find out more

Contact us for more information

We strive to be transparent. If you want to know how this entitlement is administered you can read the full policy.

Children's Bursary policy [PDF, 736 KB]