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New Zealand The published round covers students commencing full-time study in 2026, and no deferrals are accepted. The 2027 schedule of programmes and amounts is normally published on op.ac.nz ahead of the new academic year — confirm the current figures for your programme before you commit

Otago Polytechnic International Scholarship

Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin is a vocational institute rather than a research university, and its international scholarship reflects that: modest, precise and applied straight to your tuition bill without any application form. The awards run from NZD 2,000 to NZD 4,000, roughly LKR 380,000 to LKR 760,000 at 190 rupees to the New Zealand dollar. The amount is fixed by programme rather than by your grades — NZD 2,000 on the Postgraduate Diplomas in Applied Management, NZD 3,472 on the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying), the Bachelor of Information Technology and the Graduate Diploma in Information Technology, and NZD 4,000 on the Master of Applied Management routes. The credit is applied directly against tuition for up to 120 credits. Two features make this unusually straightforward for a Sri Lankan applicant. There is no separate scholarship application, no essay and no referee — Otago Polytechnic considers every eligible enrolling student automatically and applies the deduction once enrolment is confirmed. And because it is tied to specific programmes, you know before you apply exactly what you will get. Set against that, three limits are worth stating plainly. It only covers seven qualifications, and on the two bachelor's routes it applies to the first year only. It is for new students commencing full-time study, not for anyone re-enrolling. And it cannot be combined with another grant, scholarship or fee concession — so if an agent is already offering you a discount, check which is actually worth more before accepting either.

Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin

University-funded

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Value

NZD 2,000–4,000 (LKR ~380k–760k)

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Application

None — applied automatically at enrolment

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Coverage

Tuition credit, up to 120 credits

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New International Students — Sri Lankans Eligible

The award is open to new international students commencing full-time study, with no nationality restriction. Sri Lankan citizens qualify on the same terms as any other international applicant.

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Only Seven Named Programmes

Eligible qualifications are the Postgraduate Diplomas and Master of Applied Management (Business Information Systems and Business Management streams), the Bachelor of Construction in Quantity Surveying, the Bachelor of Information Technology, and the Graduate Diploma in Information Technology. Anything else at Otago Polytechnic falls outside the scheme.

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First Year Only on the Bachelor's Routes

On the Bachelor of Construction (Quantity Surveying) and the Bachelor of Information Technology the deduction applies to the first year of study. Years two and three are charged at full international rates, so build your three-year budget on the undiscounted fee.

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Cannot Stack with Another Award

You are excluded if you already hold another grant, scholarship, award or fee concession from the institution or an external body, with narrow exceptions for corporate or private sponsorship. If you are being offered a separate agent or partner discount, compare the two figures in rupees and choose one.

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Stay Full-Time to Keep It

Recipients must remain enrolled full-time across the academic year. Dropping to part-time, deferring or withdrawing puts the credit at risk, and the award explicitly cannot be deferred to a later year.

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Choose one of the eligible programmes

Check the current year's published list before you apply — the scholarship attaches to the qualification, not to you, so choosing a non-listed programme means no award regardless of your grades.

Apply for admission to Otago Polytechnic

Apply directly through the polytechnic's international application process with your Sri Lankan transcripts, certificates and English evidence. IELTS requirements differ by level — generally around 6.0 for undergraduate entry and 6.5 for postgraduate — so confirm the score for your programme.

Enrol and let the credit apply itself

There is no scholarship form. Once your enrolment is confirmed, the deduction is applied directly to your tuition invoice. Check the invoice shows it, and query it immediately if it does not.

Apply for your New Zealand student visa

Sri Lankan applicants apply online through Immigration New Zealand with the offer of place, evidence of funds for tuition and living costs (NZD 20,000 a year is the standard living-costs benchmark), and a medical and police clearance. The reduced tuition figure should be reflected in your offer before you submit.

Plan for post-study work rights

Post-study work eligibility in New Zealand depends on the level and length of your qualification and on whether it appears on the relevant occupation lists. Confirm what your specific programme leads to rather than assuming a blanket entitlement.

Why Otago Polytechnic?

Otago Polytechnic sits in Dunedin, a compact South Island student city where accommodation costs run well below Auckland's — a decisive factor when you are funding study in rupees. Its teaching is applied and industry-facing, with strong construction, IT and applied management portfolios and small class sizes. It also operates a campus in Central Otago and a presence in Auckland. New Zealand's vocational sector went through a national restructure under Te Pūkenga, so verify the current legal entity and programme approvals on the official site rather than relying on older third-party listings.