New Zealand Development Scholarships for Africans, Asians, Latin Americans and The Caribbeans

Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following NZDS Scholarships eligibility criteria before their application will be considered against the selection criteria, including any region-specific criteria. Applicants are expected to continue residing in their home country during the Scholarship application and selection process.

Candidates must meet all the scholarship eligibility criteria including:
Be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of commencing your scholarship.
Be a citizen of the country from which you are applying for a scholarship and have resided in that country for at least the last two years.
Agree to return to your home country for a minimum of two years on completion of the scholarship.
NZDS are for POSTGRADUATE study in New Zealand and are available to candidates from specific African, Caribbean and Latin American countries, and from Bhutan, Jordan, Mongolia, Nepal and Timor-Leste.

NZDS are also available for UNDERGRADUATE study to candidates from Timor Leste.

Eligible groups
Citizens of the following countries:
Africa: COMMONWEALTH - Botswana, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia. NON-COMMONWEALTH - Algeria, Angola, Dijbouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gambia, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Zimbabwe
Asia: Bhutan, Jordan, Mongolia, Nepal, Timor-Leste
Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela
The Caribbean: Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago.
Participating Institution(s)
Approved New Zealand institutions of higher learning

Field(s) of study
Any field that will assist development of the student's home country. This may be studies related to agriculture, education, health, rural livelihoods, governance, human rights, or economic development, depending on the human resource development training needs of the home government. 

Number of awards 
Varies per country - several are awarded

Sponsorship duration
Available for Postgraduate Certificate (6 months), Postgraduate Diploma (1 year), Masters Degree (1 – 2 years), AND PhD (3-4 years)

Scholarship benefits
Covers financial support for tuition, living costs while in New Zealand, and airfares. The partners of students are eligible for a work visa that allows them to live and work in New Zealand for the duration of their partner’s study.

Method of Application 
Applications may be made online or via a paper application. Eligible countries should apply online, however, only selected countries are able to apply using a paper application.

Make sure you are fully prepared before you begin your online application. Complete all the steps in the Getting Started section. Make sure you read the Application Guidance - especially the section about Online applications. The online application process has four steps, all completed on an online application site. The site will explain each step in more detail.

It is important to visit the official website (link to it is below) for complete details. 

DEADLINES:
Applications open Thursday 1 February 2018 - 12.00am NZ time; and close Wednesday 14 March 2018 - 12.00pm NZ time

PLEASE NOTE:
The online application portal is under heavy stress in the days before applications close, so don't leave your application to the last minute.

The scholarship is funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme - the New Zealand Government’s overseas aid and development programme. They are managed by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

Application Deadline: 14 March 2018 
Open to International Students: Yes