The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is
an international programme under which member governments offer scholarships
and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries.
As part of the programme New Zealand offers Commonwealth
Scholarships for Master’s and PhD study.
Commonwealth Scholarships awardees can only study at these
New Zealand universities:
- Auckland University of Technology
- Lincoln University
- Massey University
- University of Auckland
- University of Canterbury
- University of Otago
- Victoria University of Wellington
- University of Waikato
Field(s) of study:
Scholarships will be
awarded in agreed priority study sectors to meet countries’ or regions’ human
resources development needs and training priorities, as set by the New Zealand
Government and nominating agencies. The priority study sectors are: leadership
and governance, economics, public sector governance and reform, environmental
studies, education, health, agriculture & fisheries, biosecurity & food
safety, infrastructure & utility and human rights & gender.
Target group:
Students of
participating developing Commonwealth country can apply for this
scholarship:
Africa:
Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius,
Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa,
Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
Americas:
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St.
Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and
Tobago.
Asia:
Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka
Pacific: Cook
Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands,
Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu
Scholarship value/inclusions:
The New Zealand
Commonwealth Scholarships scheme funds tuition and enrolment fees, an
establishment allowance, a basic stipend, approved
scholarship-related travel, some course-related costs, and medical and
travel insurance. Each Scholarship provides:
a. Travel:
International, and New Zealand domestic, air travel at the start
and end of the scholarship for awardee, and reimbursement of awardee’s
visa costs. In addition, a reunion travel entitlement may be available to
awardees who have left dependants in their home country.
b. Tuition Fees and
other compulsory institutional course costs.
c. Postgraduate
research and thesis allowance: An allowance of NZ$1,500, and a return
economy airfare to awardee’s home country for overseas fieldwork, if
research component is 50% or greater.
d. Medical and
Travel Insurancee. Establishment allowance: NZ$3,000 paid on arrival in New
Zealand to meet text book costs and to assist with other set up costs in
New Zealand. At the beginning of each additional study year NZ$1,000 will
be paid to cover the full year.
f. Living Allowance:
The annual rate of NZ$21,580 (NZ$415 per week) is paid fortnightly and is
a contribution to living costs for day-to-day expenses, including accommodation
(rent or board), food costs, utility expenses (telephone,
electricity etc.), transport, personal items, and
course-related costs (stationery, field trips, workshops etc.).
Eligibility:
To be eligible to be
considered for a Commonwealth Scholarship an applicant must:
a. have citizenship
of a participating developing Commonwealth country; permanent residents of a
participating country are not eligible to apply;
b. be residing in
their country of citizenship, preferably for at least two years prior to
application;
c. not have
citizenship or permanent residence status of New Zealand or Australia, or
another developed country, except where their country does not issue
passports and they hold a New Zealand passport (i.e. the Cook Islands, Niue or
Tokelau);
d. not be married or
engaged to be married to a person who holds, or who is eligible to hold,
citizenship or permanent residence status of New Zealand, Australia or another
developed country, except where their country does not issue passports and they
hold a New Zealand passport (i.e. the Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau);
e. be applying to
commence a new qualification and not be seeking funding for one already
commenced at PhD or Masters level;
f. satisfy the
admission requirements of the New Zealand university at which the
qualification is to be undertaken, including English language criteria;
g. have been working
in their country of citizenship, preferably for at least two years prior to
application;
h. hold a first
degree of upper second class Honours (or above); or a second class degree
and a relevant postgraduate qualification, which will normally be a Master’s
degree;
i. be available to
commence their academic studies in New Zealand at the start of the New Zealand
academic year in February 2014;
j. have already
secured admission to their preferred New Zealand university; evidence of
admission (eg. a letter of offer) is required with the application form; a
conditional letter of offer from a New Zealand university is sufficient to
allow an application to be accepted;
k. have a planned
programme start date (in the letter of offer) at the start of the New Zealand
Academic year in February 2014; offers for a planned start date for Semester 2,
2014 cannot be accepted.
Application instructions:
Applicants must
submit their applications to the Nominating Agency in their country (see
contact link below). It is essential that each applicant includes with
their application a letter of offer from their preferred New Zealand
university.
Each
Nominating Agency will set their own country deadline for the
receipt of applications. Nominating Agencies are aware that their
nominations must be received by Universities NZ in Wellington, New
Zealand no later than 31 July 2013.
It is important to
read the New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarship Information Booklet
and visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on
how to apply for this scholarship.
Contact
Each Commonwealth government has designated a national
agency for the operation of Commonwealth Scholarships.
Please contact the national agency in your home country
for more information about applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship in another
Commonwealth country. Please note, however, that not all national agencies will
be invited to nominate candidates for all Commonwealth Scholarships offered.
Official scholarship webpage: http://www.aid.govt.nz/funding-and-contracts/scholarships/types-scholarship/commonwealth-scholarships
