Scholarships in New Zealand for Indonesian Students

New Zealand's flagship scholarship programme, Manaaki New Zealand, has an official bilateral partnership with Indonesia's own government, confirmed directly by Indonesia's Ministry of Higher Education. Indonesian PhD students also benefit from a detail most guides overlook entirely: New Zealand charges international PhD candidates domestic tuition rates, dramatically lower than the international rates charged at bachelor's or master's level. This page lists what's genuinely available, organised by source and study level, with current application status.

Government Scholarships in New Zealand

New Zealand's government scholarship landscape is now largely consolidated under a single flagship programme, worth understanding before assuming older, separately branded schemes are still active.

Manaaki New Zealand Scholarships

• Level: Undergraduate, postgraduate diploma, Master's, PhD, plus short-term training and English language programmes
• Coverage: Full tuition, a living allowance of NZ$615/week (approx. Rp 5,381,250/week), an establishment allowance of NZ$3,000 (approx. Rp 26,250,000), medical and travel insurance, and travel to and from your home country
• Eligibility: Indonesia is explicitly on the eligible Asian countries list, confirmed directly through a bilateral partnership between MFAT and Indonesia's own Ministry of Higher Education. Applicants must be 18 or older (no upper age limit, though under 40 is preferred), postgraduate applicants need at least 1 year of full-time or 2 years of part-time relevant work experience
• A genuinely Indonesia-specific benefit: if you're a preferred candidate whose English score is close to but not quite at the required level, Indonesia is one of only three countries (alongside Cambodia and Lao PDR) eligible for up to a full year of English language training in your home country before starting, most other eligible countries only receive up to one semester
• Current status (as of August 2026): the 2027 tertiary intake closed 10 April 2026 (originally scheduled for 31 March, extended by MFAT). The next cycle (2028 intake) is expected to open around March 2027, though MFAT sets this fresh each year, so treat this as an estimate, not a confirmed date
• Note: this appears to have absorbed or superseded the separately branded "New Zealand ASEAN Scholar Awards" referenced in some older guides, current official sources point to Manaaki as the single relevant government pathway for Indonesian applicants
• Not a fit if: you're not aligned with your country's designated priority development sectors, Manaaki explicitly prioritises study fields relevant to Indonesia's development needs, a study choice unconnected to these priorities is a genuine disadvantage in selection, not a minor detail

MFAT-Administered Regional and Field-Specific Awards

• Level: Varies
• Coverage: Varies
• Note: Some regional or subject-specific MFAT-linked programmes exist beyond the core Manaaki scheme, but these change periodically, confirm current active programmes directly with Education New Zealand rather than relying on a static list

Undergraduate Scholarships in New Zealand

Undergraduate scholarships in New Zealand run almost entirely through individual universities rather than a single national scheme, worth knowing before you go looking for one central undergraduate portal.

Converted at approximately 1 NZD = Rp 8,750 (August 2026). 

Master's Scholarships in New Zealand

Master's-level funding in New Zealand splits between coursework and research degrees, worth knowing which type of Master's you're pursuing before scanning this list.

Notably, University of Otago allows Manaaki scholars to hold both the government scholarship and a university-level award simultaneously, with combined value reaching up to NZ$65,000 (approx. Rp 568,750,000), worth checking if this stacking applies at your target university.

MBA Scholarships in New Zealand

MBA-specific funding in New Zealand is more limited than the broader Master's category above, and one commonly cited scholarship needs a correction.

• Note on the "Forte Fellowship Program": this is a global scholarship for women in MBA programmes, administered by the Forte Foundation, not a New Zealand-specific scholarship. It may apply if you're pursuing an MBA at a Forte member school, but it isn't tied to New Zealand institutions specifically, treat it as a separate, broader funding source rather than part of New Zealand's own scholarship landscape.

MBA-specific scholarships beyond the general Master's list above are limited in New Zealand, check directly with your target business school for programme-specific funding.

PhD Scholarships in New Zealand

This is where New Zealand's genuine advantage lies, and it's a structural one, not just scholarship availability.

The detail most guides miss entirely: international PhD students at New Zealand universities pay domestic tuition rates (NZ$6,500 to 9,000/year, approx. Rp 56,875,000 to 78,750,000) rather than international rates, which can run NZ$22,000 to 32,000/year (approx. Rp 192,500,000 to 280,000,000) at bachelor's or master's level. This applies regardless of whether you also hold a scholarship, making a New Zealand PhD genuinely one of the more affordable doctoral options globally, even before factoring in scholarship funding.

Not a fit if you don't already hold, or aren't close to securing, a confirmed supervisor and research proposal; PhD scholarships in New Zealand assume this groundwork is already in place, not something to sort out after applying.

How to Apply for Scholarships in New Zealand

The process differs meaningfully between the Manaaki government scholarship and university-specific awards.

1. For Manaaki, apply directly through MFAT/Education New Zealand first. You select your preferred institution and courses within the scholarship application itself; no separate university admission offer is required at this stage.
2. For university-specific scholarships, most are assessed automatically as part of your admission application; check whether a separate scholarship application form is genuinely required or if it's bundled into admission.
3. Prepare documents: academic transcripts, proof of English proficiency (though for Manaaki specifically, English test scores aren't required until you're shortlisted), a valid passport, and recommendation letters.
4. Submit well before the deadline. Note that Manaaki's portal can close early for high-volume countries, sometimes within two weeks of opening; apply as soon as the window opens rather than waiting.
5. If shortlisted, respond promptly. Manaaki prefers candidates who are close to the required English score and may be offered language training rather than being disqualified outright, but only if you engage with the process on time.

Tips to Apply for Scholarships in New Zealand

A few practical details worth knowing beyond the basic application steps.

• Apply the moment the window opens, not near the deadline. Manaaki's portal has closed early for high-volume countries in past cycles, sometimes within two weeks; waiting until close to the deadline is a genuine risk, not just a suboptimal strategy.
• Connect your study choice explicitly to Indonesia's development priorities. Manaaki gives priority to subjects aligned with your country's specific development needs (renewable energy, agriculture, disaster risk management, and similar fields are commonly prioritised for Indonesia); a study plan unconnected to these priorities is a genuine disadvantage in selection.
• Don't assume you need admission before applying to Manaaki. Unlike many scholarships, you don't need a Letter of Place or formal offer at the Manaaki application stage; you select your preferred institution and courses within the scholarship application itself.
• Ask about stacking scholarships if you're admitted to Otago. Manaaki scholars there can combine the government scholarship with a university award, worth checking if similar stacking exists at your target university.
• Budget PhD study separately from bachelor's or master's costs. With domestic tuition rates applying regardless of scholarship status, a self-funded PhD in New Zealand may be more affordable than a scholarship-dependent bachelor's or master's elsewhere; factor this into your overall planning.

Minimum Requirements Before You Apply

Rather than a generic checklist, here's what actually gets checked first, and where applicants most commonly fall short.

• Age and experience requirements are specific, not general: Manaaki requires you to be 18 or older (no upper limit, though under 40 is preferred), and postgraduate applicants specifically need 1 year of full-time or 2 years of part-time relevant work experience, not just a completed degree.
• English proficiency isn't checked at the application stage for Manaaki: this catches some applicants off guard; don't assume you need test scores ready on day one but do prepare for the shortlisting stage where it becomes decisive.
• Field-of-study alignment matters more than raw academic merit for government scholarships: Manaaki explicitly prioritises subjects tied to Indonesia's development needs; a strong GPA in an unrelated field is a weaker application than a solid GPA in a priority field.
• University-specific undergraduate and Master's scholarships generally require no separate application: most are automatically assessed during your admission process; don't spend time hunting for a form that may not exist.
• PhD applicants need supervisor and proposal groundwork before applying: this is assumed, not something scholarship providers will help you develop after the fact.

Tracking Manaaki's early-closing windows, aligning your study proposal with Indonesia's actual development priorities, and knowing which university scholarships require a separate application versus automatic consideration. This is exactly where most students either succeed efficiently or lose time chasing the wrong process. AECC's counsellors follow these deadlines and priorities directly, and can help you build a genuinely competitive application, all at no cost to you.