Auckland city waterfront with Sky Tower and high-rise buildings beside the harbour.
New Zealand 2026 cycle: Semester 1 applications opened 9 Sep 2026 — close 21 Oct 2026

University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship

The University of Auckland International Student Excellence Scholarship awards up to NZD 10,000 (approximately LKR 1.9 million) as a first-semester tuition credit for new international undergraduate and postgraduate students. Up to 50 awards are made bi-annually — across both intakes. Sri Lankan applicants are eligible, with selection based on academic merit, your application letter, and a referee endorsement.

University of Auckland

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Value

Up to NZD 10,000 (≈ LKR 1.9M)

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Duration

First-semester tuition credit

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Awards

Up to 50 per year (bi-annual)

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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GPE 6.00+

A grade point equivalent of at least 6.00 from your prior qualifications. For Sri Lankan A/L candidates, this typically means strong A/B grades; transfer applicants need a solid GPA in their current programme.

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Unconditional Offer

You must hold an unconditional offer to study at the University of Auckland — or a conditional offer if you're attending the English Language Academy (ELA) — for the intake you're applying for.

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International Full-Fee Student

Open to new international students paying full international fees. Domestic NZ students and existing Auckland enrolees are not eligible.

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Application Letter & Referee

Selection committee reviews your application letter (academic motivation, achievements, career goals) alongside endorsement from a teacher or academic referee — not just raw grades.

account_tree Application Process

1

Apply for admission first

Submit your University of Auckland application via Apply Online (apply.auckland.ac.nz). Wait until you receive an unconditional offer before applying for the scholarship.

2

Open the scholarship application

For Semester 1 2027 entry (the main intake), applications open 9 September 2026 and close 21 October 2026 on the Auckland scholarship portal.

3

Submit application letter & referee endorsement

Upload a one-page letter explaining your motivation, achievements, and career goals, plus a referee endorsement on the prescribed form.

4

Outcome & credit

Decisions are communicated within ~6-8 weeks of the closing date. The NZD 10,000 is applied as a credit against your first-semester tuition once you enrol.

Why University of Auckland?

Auckland is consistently ranked NZ's top university by QS, with particular strength in business, engineering, biomedical sciences, and architecture. Largest student population in the country at ~46,000.

#65

QS World Ranking 2026

46,000+

Total Enrolment

NZ #1

National Ranking

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