What costs do fully funded PhD scholarships in New Zealand cover, and what might they leave out for me?
30 Sept 2026 · Answered by Disha Roy Choudhury · 2 min read
Quick Answer
verified
University-funded PhD scholarships in New Zealand can cover tuition and provide a stipend of roughly NZD 32,000 to 35,468 per year. Coverage differs by university, and some awards do not pay for additional fees such as insurance or student levies.
University-funded doctoral scholarships in New Zealand can cover tuition and provide substantial living support. Coverage varies by university, and some awards leave out extras such as insurance or student levies.
Three doctoral funding options compared
| Option | What it provides | What may be left out |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | Up to NZD 35,468 (approx INR 19.30 L) per year as a tax-free stipend in 2026, plus compulsory tuition and student services fees; the compulsory health insurance for international students is also covered | Check the university's terms |
| Option 2 | NZD 34,128 (approx INR 18.57 L) per year plus a domestic tuition-fee waiver for up to 36 months | Student services fees and insurance |
| Option 3 | NZD 32,000 (approx INR 17.41 L) per year plus tuition fees for up to three years | Insurance and student levies |
Eligibility and fine print
- Option 1 is open to domestic and international applicants, and a New Zealand equivalent GPA of around 7.0 is an important benchmark for automatic consideration.
- Option 2 is open to international and domestic doctoral students and is selected on academic merit, research potential and the strength of the proposed project.
- Option 3 is competitive, based on academic merit, and consideration is generally part of the doctoral admission process.
- Otago and Victoria University of Wellington specifically exclude some additional costs, so read the fine print.
My Advice
Do not stop at the headline amount. Ask each university what is excluded, add up insurance and student levies as your own costs, and treat a strong PhD scholarship as major funding rather than a complete full-ride award unless it is written that way.
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