Scholarships, Funding and StudyLink for Global Experiences
Get the low down on tuition fees, budgeting, funding and more.
Having a global experience is without a doubt life-changing, but we understand that the financial element can be overwhelming. This page helps to break down the costs involved and outlines what funding options you may have. Most students fund their global experience through a combination of scholarships, StudyLink and personal savings.
Global Experience Costs
Exchange Tuition
Exchange tuition fees are the same as your standard Waikato tuition fees as shown in the table below.
When you go on exchange for at least one trimester, you will be enrolled as a University of Waikato student. This means you will pay tuition fees here, not at the host university. However, you’ll be responsible for other costs including airfares, overseas living costs, accommodation, and course materials.
Undergraduate Exchange Fees:
| Domestic Students | International Students | ||
| One trimester | $4,275.00 | One trimester | $18,723.00 |
| Two trimesters | $8,550.00 | Two trimesters | $37,446.00 |
*Costs are based on 2024 tuition fees and are subject to change.
Postgraduate Exchange Fees:
| Domestic Students | International Students | ||
| One trimester | $4,920.00 | One trimester | $20,407.00 |
| Two trimesters | $9,840.00 | Two trimesters | $40,814.00 |
*Costs are based on 2024 tuition fees and are subject to change.
Internships
When you do an internship, instead of paying tuition fees, you pay a programme fee directly to the internship provider. This fee will vary depending on location, program type and program length. To help give you an indication of how much an internship may cost check out the price overviews for our internship providers on our Global Internships page.
Budgeting for your global experience
Exchange
The cost of an exchange programme will vary based on destination, accommodation, visa requirements, and insurance. If you plan to do a lot of extra travel, you will need to factor this into your budget as well.
Currently, we estimate that you will need $12,000 - $15,000 NZD to finance an exchange over one trimester. This estimate does vary from country to country though, so for a more detailed estimate please contact us. This estimate includes accommodation, flights, visa, and spending money. It does not account for any financial support you could receive through StudyLink or scholarships/awards, so the amount could be much less.
The biggest financial factor of an exchange is the accommodation, so make sure you have a look at the accommodation information on our programme pages to get the best estimate for what this amount would be. You can also look at hypothetical flights to get that estimate, and then it is a case of working on how much you will need to live week-to-week. We can help with this; there are many university-specific resources available for budgeting.
Internships
If you are going on an internship, your costs will differ from an exchange. This is due to providers often including accommodation in their programme fee. However, your flights will always need to be added on top. For a more detailed indication of what to budget for, check out our Global Internships page.
StudyLink
Eligibility for allowances and loans is based on the duration and total EFTS of your programme (i.e. full-time status).
While our global internships are non-credit bearing, if you are able to arrange credit through your division, you could also be eligible for student loan and/or student allowance support while on your programme.
University Scholarships and Awards
There are several Division-specific scholarships available for you to apply for as part of your Global Experience application. Make sure you read through the Eligibility and Regulations for each scholarship.
Applying for Divisional scholarships is done on the same timeline as your Global Experience application. You will need to apply for these through your MyWaikato portal. Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria and then ensure you get your scholarship application in at the same time you get your Global Experience application in.
The Global Experiences Travel Award is an initiative to help you with travel costs. While your tuition for exchange remains the same, we know the cost of an international flight can be expensive. The amounts range from $1000 - $2000 and are awarded to accepted students to help offset the cost of travel to your study destination. No extra application is required - students will be awarded and assessed based on the cost of their programme and considering any other scholarships awarded/available.
Conditions apply.
Partner Scholarships
Studying at the University of Newcastle gives you the chance to open up your world, expand your academic horizons and connect with people from around the globe. It also provides you with an authentic Australian adventure! Experience Newcastle - one of the most liveable cities in the world with a spectacular coastline, surf beaches, excellent cafes and restaurants, bars and pubs, boutique shopping and a diverse arts scene.
To celebrate the strategic partnership that exists between The University of Newcastle and the University of Waikato we will be offering two (2) students the opportunity to receive a $2,500 Trimester Exchange scholarship.
Eligibility
To be eligible for this scholarship, students must:
- Do an exchange over B Trimester 2025
- Be an undergraduate student
- Have a B+ grade average
- Have not previously undertaken a Waikato Global Experience
- Undertake papers in any of the following subject areas:
- Engineering
- Indigenous studies
- Social Sciences
How to apply
Any student who applies for a trimester exchange to the University of Newcastle in B Trimester 2025 will automatically be assessed for the scholarship.
Please see the Trimester Exchange page for more details on this process.
Other Scholarships
Prime Minister’s Scholarships are outbound scholarships funded by the New Zealand Government and administered by Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao. They support undergraduate or postgraduate students wanting to undertake a group or individual experience in Asia or Latin America. This means you could use the Prime Minister's Scholarship to fund your global experience!
The scholarships cover programme fees and/or tuition fees for offshore institutions (not NZ fees), flights, accommodation, visas, insurance, and a contribution towards living costs. Students participating in group programmes may be expected to provide a small contribution, towards the overall cost of the programme.
Anyone can apply for an individual programme, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Applicants can choose an opportunity of interest to them personally, such as a trimester exchange opportunity or a global internship in Asia or Latin America.
Applications for individuals wanting to apply for a programme in Asia or Latin America will open mid-July 2023 and close late August 2023. To learn more, please check out Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia and Latin America.
The travel window for these scholarships is 20 months after you have had confirmation you have been successful. This means if you plan to go on an exchange over A or B trimester, you should ideally be applying for a Prime Minister's Scholarship the August of the year before. E.g. You should apply in 2023 if you plan to go on an exchange over A or B trimester in 2024. You can read more about what is required in the application here.
Please note: you need to apply through the Waikato Global Experience programme for your exchange or internship to receive the funding.
If you are a Golden Key member you may be eligible for one of the Golden Key Scholarships.