Is my course or programme eligible for fees-free?

A course or programme needs to meet the following criteria to be eligible for fees-free:

Course criteria (provider-based study)

To be eligible for fees-free, a course must be:

1. funded by the TEC from either:
   1. the SAC level 3 and above fund, or
   2. grants under s321 of the Education Act 1989 for tertiary provision that is part of a qualification or training scheme on the NZQF at level 3 or above, or
   3. the Youth Guarantee fund and leads to the award of a qualification on the NZQF at level 3 or above, and
2. not part of a school learning programme or secondary-tertiary programme.

Programme criteria (industry training)

To be eligible for fees-free, an industry training programme must be:

1. at NZQF level 3 or above, and
2. approved by NZQA, and
3. comprised of at least 120 credits (which includes all New Zealand Apprenticeships), and
4. not part of a school learning programme or secondary-tertiary programme.