Scholarships and Financial Support for Anyone Studying to be an Early Childhood Teacher
Exploring scholarships, grants, and awards is an essential step for anyone considering early childhood teaching. These can significantly reduce the cost of study. But it is also equally important to think carefully about your financial situation, study load, and work options.
Finding Scholarships and Awards
A great place to start is Generosity New Zealand. Make a range of searches to see whether you’re eligible for any of the many awards available. Some scholarships apply to any field of study, so it’s worth browsing widely. You may also identify organisations to approach directly such as local Rotary clubs, churches, or employers of family members. To avoid paying a subscription fee, visit your local library or community centre, where access to the database is often free.
See below for details about other scholarships, such as TeachNZ scholarships, the Men in ECE Invitation Award, and Pacific student scholarships.
Planning Your Finances
Before committing to study, take time to work out what is affordable for you. Annual course fees typically range from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the programme if you are studying part- or full-time.
Contact:
- WINZ for childcare subsidies (if you have a young child)
- IRD for Working for Families entitlements
- Studylink for student allowances and loans
These agencies can help you understand what support you may receive if studying full‑time, and how much you can earn before allowances begin to reduce.
Study Pathways and Work Options
Completing your qualification quickly by for example, taking a one‑year graduate diploma course, means you can start earning a qualified teacher salary sooner. Some students manage full‑time work alongside full‑time study, but this can be stressful and may not be approved by all training providers.
Others choose to extend their programme over 18 months or two years, allowing them to work while studying.
Working in an early childhood centre while training is a popular option. It helps offset living costs, provides valuable hands‑on experience, and can be deeply rewarding. Approach local centres to see whether they welcome untrained teachers. Some employers also offer study support or discounted childcare.
Making Your Decision
Before enrolling, map out your finances and consider all your options. Then it can pay off to invest time in searching and applying for scholarships, grants, and awards.
Finally, think about whether the wage you’ll earn as a qualified teacher aligns with the sacrifices required to study. See: What does an early childhood teacher earn?
Men In ECE Invitation Award
The Men ECE Invitation Award is available for men at the entry point of training for an early childhood teaching qualification that will enable them to be employed as a qualified and certificated early childhood teacher.
TEACHNZ Scholarships
TeachNZ is the main option for training scholarships. If you apply for a TeachNZ scholarship you will have to stand out in some way as there are way more applicants than scholarships. But do not let this put you off.
Make use of the guide that accompanies the application form which shows applications are also assessed for qualifications, achievements, leadership and evidence of community support for you to become a teacher.
These days most people growing up or living in New Zealand have, in some shape or form, knowledge, understanding and experience with Māori or Pasifika. Think hard about it, for example, your Māori language vocabulary is growing and your pronunciation is excellent thanks to your Māori school friends or sporting mates.
The TeachNZ scholarships are not means tested so you are eligible to apply regardless of previous income or assets.
Pacific Education Foundation Scholarships
These scholarships are provided to Pacific students across any field of study:
- $5,000 available for full-time undergraduate students
- $10,000 available for full-time postgraduate students.
Eligible applicants must be of Pacific heritage, enrolled full-time at a New Zealand tertiary institution and actively involved in their community. Applications for 2027 study open 1 September 2026 and close 30 September 2026. Find out more and apply here: Pacific Education Foundation scholarships
