Ministry of Education Bulletin 30/03 – Tertiary Students (Domestic)

We are making sure we hear your concerns and will regularly update you with answers to some of your main questions, what support is available and some tips for your wellbeing during these times. If your question is not answered here today, we will provide an answer as soon as possible in the coming days.

Wellbeing is a continuum and you are likely to find yourself at various points on the continuum during this time. As well as resources on the COVID19 website, there is lots of useful information online at The Mental Health Foundation NZ and the Health Promotion Agency.

What is available to support me financially right now? (Domestic students only)

• You will continue to receive your weekly StudyLink payments if you remain enrolled – so please stay enrolled. Staying enrolled also means you will be eligible for any additional support for students in the future.
• StudyLink’s contact centres are experiencing very high demand, so we do ask that people only call for an immediate and essential need so we can make sure those who need it most can get through.
• If students need extra help during this time they can find information about emergency assistance on the StudyLink website here.
• Answers to questions about Student Allowance and Living Cost payments can be found on StudyLink’s website.

If my academic performance is affected? (Domestic students only)

• If any of the actions taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in New Zealand impact your ability to complete or pass your course, your provider and StudyLink will take this into account if you apply for a Student Allowance or Loan again in the future.

I am worried about rent increasing or being evicted from my flat

• There is now a freeze on rental increases. Your landlord cannot increase your rent unless you were advised before the lockdown period.
• Your tenancy cannot be terminated during the lock-down unless both you and your landlord agree.
• To find out more, see here.

Post-graduate students

• If you received a scholarship, contact the organisation that gave you the scholarship to discuss your situation. You could ask if the scholarship can be changed to provide continuing support for your studies once you are able to start again. This might include whether the scholarship can be used over a longer period, or can be held for later use if you need to stop study for now.
• If you have a research deadline, contact your provider to work through the implications for your research. They may not have an answer immediately, and the answer will likely depend on your circumstances and the type of research you are doing.
  

Things change quickly so stay up to date by following the links below:

• For health advice, refer to the Ministry of Health’s website.
• For official Government information about COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), including health advice and travel restrictions visit the All-of-Government website.
• For more advice for students, visit the Ministry of Education website.