Applying for a student loan with StudyLink
Find out how to apply for a student loan with StudyLink and when your loan is transferred through to us to manage.
To apply for a student loan, you'll need to contact StudyLink who are part of the Ministry of Social Development.
StudyLink will process your student loan application and manage your loan for the first year. After that, your loan is transferred to us to manage. We collect your student loan repayments and apply any interest charges and/or interest write-offs.
The first year of your loan
During the first year of your loan, you'll need to contact StudyLink if you want to make a repayment or find out your balance. At the end of the year (31 December) StudyLink will send you a final statement of your loan balance. If you disagree with the amount, you need to talk to them before 28 February when they transfer your loan to us.
At the end of February
StudyLink transfers your loan to us on 28 February following the year your course finished.
Example
If you study from March 2010 to November 2010 your loan account will be transferred from StudyLink to us on 28 February 2011.
Any repayments made to StudyLink are taken off your loan balance before it's transferred to us.
If you have a dispute about your loan balance with StudyLink, your loan may not be transferred in February, but at a later date.
After your loan has been transferred to us
We're responsible for collecting your loan repayments. You'll get a letter from us in March to tell you the amount that's been transferred over from StudyLink.
You'll also get statements from us twice a year, in May and October, showing your total loan balance.
Every year you take out a new loan with StudyLink, this will be transferred to us and added to your total loan balance.
StudyLink's organisation and services
Thinking about studying? Find out more about StudyLink and how they can help you.
StudyLink is a service of the Ministry of Social Development.
StudyLink provides financial support to students which involves assessing and paying student allowances, student loans, unemployment benefit student hardship and various other forms of additional support and as part of managing this support, StudyLink provides related guidance to students making financial and study decisions
Each year, StudyLink deals with around 8 universities, 20 polytechnics, 3 wananga, 227 private training establishments and more than 400 high schools.
Find out more about student loans, and other options to help fund your study at studylink.govt.nz.
Back to Guide to student loans
Date published: 21 Jan 2011
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