Inland Revenue

How it differs from other loans

  1. The student loan is an unsecured loan. You do not have to provide an asset (e.g. a house or a car) as security that can be seized if you don’t make payments.
  2. Glossary: unsecured loan
    Glossary: asset

Myth busters

What if I am made bankrupt?

Your Student Loan will be written off. However bankruptcy has serious personal and financial consequences:

Glossary: bankruptcy

Paying it back

Once you earn over a certain amount a year (the 'repayment threshold' currently set at $19,084 before tax), you must start making repayments, even if you're still studying.

The government agencies

StudyLink is a service of the Ministry of Social Development responsible for Student Allowances, Student Loans and Unemployment Benefit Student Hardship.