Bonded Merit Scholarship responsibilities

Bonding requirements

As part of the Budget announcement made on 28 May 2009, the Government has decided to relax some of the Terms and Conditions of the Bonded Merit Scholarship. Previously, once you completed your qualification you were to be bonded to remain in New Zealand for a period equivalent to the length of your scholarship, up to a maximum of four years.

The Government has now removed your bond obligations. This means:

• If you have gained the qualification that your scholarship was paid for and are currently bonded, you can leave New Zealand without having to repay any of your scholarship.
• If you are currently studying to complete the qualification your scholarship has been awarded for, you won't have an obligation to remain in New Zealand once you gain your qualification.
  

However, if you travel overseas while studying and this travel breaches the Terms and Conditions for continuing eligibility to the scholarship, you may lose your right to any future scholarship payments.

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Maintaining a B Grade average

You need to maintain a minimum of a B grade average to continue to receive the scholarship.

• If you don't maintain a B grade average due to acceptable reasons beyond your control you will continue to be entitled to the Bonded Merit Scholarship.
• If you don't maintain a B grade average for reasons within your control, but pass over half of your course and choose to continue in the degree, you will not be entitled to any further scholarship payments. You won't have to repay the scholarship and you won't be bonded once you have gained your qualification.
• If you don't maintain a B grade average for reasons within your control, but pass over half of your course and choose not to complete your degree, you will not be entitled to any further scholarship payments but you won't have to repay any scholarship you have received.
• If you don't maintain a B grade average for reasons within your control, and don't pass over half of your course, you will not be entitled to any further scholarship payments but you won't need to repay any scholarship you have received.

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Part-time study

From the second year that your scholarship is paid you may be able to study part-time with Limited Full-time approval if you are unable to study full-time. You will need to complete a Limited Full-time application. If you study part-time, and you're not eligible for Limited Full-time status, you will not be eligible for any further scholarship payments but you won't need to repay any scholarship payments you have received.

To be eligible for Limited Full-time status you must be:

• completing your qualification or
• unable to study full-time due to illness or disability or
• studying part-time due to circumstances beyond your control which temporarily prevent you from studying full-time, e.g. accident
• studying part-time because it's in your best interests.

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Postponement

You can postpone your study for up to one year, after you've completed the first year in which your scholarship is paid.

You will not receive the scholarship payment for the year in which you're not studying, but you may be able to receive it when you return to study. You must return to study in the first semester of the year following your approved postponement.

If you take more than one year off you will not be eligible for any further payments of the scholarship. You won't need to repay any scholarship money you have received.

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Withdrawal

If you withdraw from your study and don't intend to return, you will not be eligible for any further scholarship payments. You won't be required to repay any scholarship you have received.

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Overseas study

You can study overseas, with permission from your education provider, while receiving the Bonded Merit Scholarship. You will need to complete an Overseas Study application form before you commence your overseas study. If you leave New Zealand and study overseas without approval, you won't be eligible for any further Scholarship payments but you won't need to repay any scholarship you have received.

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Changing courses

After you're awarded a Bonded Merit Scholarship you may be able to change courses, but your new course must be a Bachelor or Post Graduate course.

If you've changed education providers but are continuing in your original qualification, for example you were studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Auckland and you are now studying a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Otago, you may not need to complete a Bonded Merit Scholarship Transfer application - call us to discuss this.

If you've changed your qualification you'll need to complete a Bonded Merit Scholarship Transfer application. If you change your study and your application for a transfer is declined you will no longer be eligible for the scholarship but you won't have to repay any scholarship payments you have received.

If you change your course you might not be able to continue to get the scholarship. You must tell us about any changes in your course and StudyLink must approve that change. If StudyLink does not approve the change, the scholarship will not continue but you won't have to pay back any scholarship payments you have received.

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Terms and Conditions

When you applied for your Bonded Merit Scholarship you signed an Agreement to the Terms and Conditions of the scholarship. As part of the Budget announcement made on 28 May 2009, the Government has decided to relax some of the original terms and conditions of the Bonded Merit Scholarship.

Recipients of the Bonded Merit Scholarship were sent a letter outlining these changes and they are outlined above under 'bonding requirements' and 'changing courses'.

We recommend you review the original Terms and Conditions of your scholarship taking into account the changes. Make sure you review the Terms and Conditions relevant to the year in which you were awarded a scholarship.

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