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56 Comments

  1. Beatriz Says:

    Hi,

    I’m interested in applying for a 6-month exchange to Japan and I was just wondering how much it would cost. Could you please send me an up-to-date fee sheet for the exchange to Japan?

    Thanks :]

    Beatriz

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Beatriz

    Our latest fee sheet shows a fee of $4500 for a one-semester exchange of approximately five months. To this you must add airfare, daily transport to school, lunches and pocket money.

    Ian

    Reply



  2. Ben Says:

    Hey There,

    I really want to go on a student exchange but I know my parents will be worried about my later life. I am 15 and are currently doing NCEA Level 1. If I go on a full year exchange next year will this affect my higher education?? Also any tips on brining the subject about an exchange up to my parents?

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hey there to you too.

    Going on exchange is a life changing, positive experience if you can manage it. The effect on your later life is invariably good and we can provide evidence of this from parents of returning students. We won’t send you if we don’ty think it will turn out well.

    You need to be between 15 and 18 when you go and people go at all stages of their school career. If you want to persuade your parents, check out our Rough Guide which is written mostly for parents. If you’ve researched what you want to do quite thoroughly and have worked out most of the costs, you should have a good chance of winning your parents over.

    Ian

    Reply



  3. NZIIU Says:

    Hi Sam

    It sounds like you need the six week programme which starts soon after the end of NCEA and returns around 18 January. We can organise a longer programme if you would like one. Just let me know your preferred dates.

    Ian

    Reply

  4. Sam Says:

    Hi,
    I am very keen to do an exchange at the end of this year to France but I would need to go after exams had finished and get back before uni starts. How flexible are the dates of the exchanges?
    Thanks,
    Sam

    Reply

  5. Darius Says:

    Hi,

    I’m just wondering if its possible to choose an area in the States if you know a school that is willing to accept you? And is it possible to get a scholarship there?

    Thanks, Darius

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Darius

    It is usually impossible to go to a particular area much less a particular school but we can always enquire. I doubt that schools in the US would supply a scholarship for an exchange student. You’d have to ask them. We have some scholarship money still available at the moment and you can apply for it at the end of your application process.

    Ian

    Reply



  6. Paige Says:

    Hi I was just wondering if you have any kind of scholarships available for students wanting to go to Japan.Thank you.

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    We have scholarship money available for all programmes. Awards are usually for $2000 to $4000 and they are based on our perception of a student’s financial need and of a student’s likely success on exchange. You apply at the time of your interview. Awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis until the pot is empty.

    Ian

    Reply



  7. Ben Says:

    I was wondering when the Malaysia page will be finished. I am keen to do some research before I ask my parents.

    Reply

    Ben Reply:

    Also why on the application form when it asks “Where Would You Like To Go” does it have a list of almost every country but then you claim you only have 16 destinations???

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    I’m not quite sure what you mean. We have regular exchanges every year to Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Brazil. We occasionally send students to Ireland, the Netherlands, Argentina, China and the USA. We have the ability to send students to a range of other places including Belgium, Austria, Hungary, Thailand, and Malaysia but very rarely get enquiries about them.

    Ian

    Reply





    NZIIU Reply:

    We get almost no interest in exchanges to Malaysia and have not sent anyone there for several years. However, we have the capacity to make arrangements for you if we are sure of your intentions. We can certainly make arrangements for you in Thailand.

    Reply



  8. Ben Says:

    Kia ora,

    Im a 15 year old from New Zealand. I was wondering if I am allowed to go on an exhange tripe even though I am enroled with The Correspondence School. Ofcourse I will attend High School on the exhange but because I dont attend one now does this affect me?

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Ben

    You’re eligible. You’re the same as everyone else and your application will be judged on its merits.

    Ian

    Reply



  9. Annabel Campbell Says:

    Hello I’m Annabel, I am 14 at the moment but am looking to go to Germany next year for 3 months. How much would this cost? Is there any kind of scholarship I could apply for? Thanks, Annabel.

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Annabel

    As long as you’re 15 when you go there’s no problem. Sometimes we accept 14 year olds if they’re close to 15 and seem able to cope. Have a look at the Germany page and look for Information for students to get an idea of costs.

    We have scholarships available and expect at least one to cover all of the fee. You’d only have to find pocket money and the airfare. Your school should have information and there’s some on the website. Drop me an e-mail if you need more help.

    Ian

    Reply



  10. sheridan Says:

    heya i really am interested in goind to america next year for 5/6 months frm late jan (in 2011)
    but u want to no how likely it is that ill get to go considering u sed in another reply further up the page that only around to go every yer. im yr 11 at the moment so wen i go ill be starting yr 12. do u thnk this will be difficult with credits and all and then coming back to my school half way through the yer… like would it be hard to settle back when i come back to nz. also wondering how much would it cost me on top of the fee to get flights there like cod u give me a brief num? and do we get pocket money or do we need more money to spend? alsoo am i aloud to get a part time job? and is it too early to apply for an application form now for next yer? thanx

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    We have no full applications for the USA at the moment despite a lot of people showing interest. We can’t send you in Year 13, your only chance is in Year 11 or 12. August 2011 is fine and it’s a good idea to get started straight away so that you can be high up in the queue. The fees are quoted in the USA Information section. Airfares are hard to predict a year in advance. There may be a domestic airfare as well as the international one.

    You have to find pocket money, money for lunches and for transport to school.

    Write to me directly if you have further questions. ian@nziiu.co.nz

    Ian

    Reply



  11. NZIIU Says:

    Hi Karina

    You need to apply with an exchange organisation in Indonesia. We do not deal directly with students in other countries. Our scholarships are for NZ students going to other countries. At the moment we do not have links with any exchange organisations in Indonesia but I’m sure you can find one. You might find it easier to go to Australia.

    Good luck!
    Ian

    Reply

  12. karina Says:

    I am Karina
    I am student in Indonesia, I am 17 years old. I am very interested about NZ. I really want becoming exchange student in NZ but I don’t have a lot of information about that. Would you mind to help me to give me how I can be exchange student in NZ??
    and I also need scolarship to be exchange student in NZ.

    Reply

  13. Fenella Says:

    hey, i was just woundering if i was to young to host a student. i am 20 and my partner is 26. we own a home in south Taranaki(manaia) in new zealand.my partner works full time and i am full time at home. We are realy intrested and having another member in our little family (all our animals).
    thanks

    Reply

  14. Saskia Says:

    Hi
    I’m interested in going on a year exchange to Germany after I finish year 13.
    I am very passionate about learning German and learned the basics at intermediate school, once a week for two years. However my current high school never had German so I have been learning it on my own – my mum is an ex-German teacher. It says that you require two years of German. Is that high school German? Would it be unlikely for me to get some sort of scholarship having not learnt it at high school?
    Also you say that exchange students do not travel around. Other exchange programmes have day trips etc within their chapter, does NZIIU do this?

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Saskia,
    You can go to Germany as a gap year student when you are 19 and can turn 19 while on exchange, but you must apply while still enrolled at school in NZ. So please keep an eye on the application deadlines for exchanges to Germany on our website, and apply early.
    It is a requirement that you need two years of German at least, so it is good that you are still learning it on your own. It will increase your chance of getting accepted into our programme but does not guarantee you a scholarship. The scholarship is need based. However, we offer a lot of scholarships to exchanges to Germany. These are offered in Term 1 by our German affiliate through us and pay for about half of the total cost, which is really amazing. Please let me know if you’d like us to send you information on these.

    Reply



  15. Kaz Says:

    Hello I was wondering if the host families are all suitable for hosting people and looking after them efficiently because one of the main worries I have with going on an exchange is that that the family could have a history/ be involved in domestic violence, abuse, criminal offences etc. How would you ensure the family is fit enough to host the student?

    Reply

  16. Jess Says:

    Hi I want to do an exchange in America. What is the regular amount of time exchanges go for and what is a rough cost of an exchange to America?

    Reply

  17. NZIIU Says:

    It depends on where you want to go to. We don’t guarantee your placement in either the school or the family but we’ll consider it.

    Reply

  18. Libby Says:

    If I already have a place to stay and a specific school that I want to go to…can I still do this program?

    Reply

  19. kelsey Says:

    thanx alot for ur response.
    so im really hopefully goin to Italy as soon as posible (15) and are just wondering if u have any helpful tips dat may increase my chances of going and anything i could start doing now that would help me if i do get to go to italy.
    chers

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Start learning Italian! It’s very important.

    Ian

    Reply



  20. kelsey Says:

    hay
    im just wonderin how old to have to be to be able to do exchange
    thanks heaps

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Kelsey, you have to be between 15-18 when you go but you can apply early when you’re only 14. You can also apply and go when you’re 18 and turn 19 while you’re overseas, like most gap year students are.

    Reply

    kelsey Reply:

    ohk
    thank u heaps

    Reply





  21. Amy Says:

    Hi,
    I am interested in going to America and I read that only a few people a year get to go, so I was wondering how much chance of getting in there would be.
    Also, as I am interested in going at the start of year 12, my parents are concerned about NCEA level 2.
    How would I go about getting the necessary credits and knowledge for passing NCEA? And is there any way I could transfer test and exam results from the American school to my NZ school??
    Thanks

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Amy

    Current interest in the USA is not high so your chance of getting into our yearly quota is good at the moment. It’s good that you are planning to go in Year 12 as that is the last year at high school in the USA and you will be in classes with your age-peer group.

    Studying in the USA is easier than trying to keep up in a country where you don’t know the language when you arrive. Because of this, you are likely to come back to NZ with enough relevant course knowledge and skill to go straight back into class as though you had never gone on exchange. You would need to organise this with your school before you left so that you could be reasonably sure of being able to sit Level 3 Achievement Standards at the same time as the the classmates you have now. A lot will depend on how good a student you are. I suggest you talk to your teachers about what you’re hoping to do.

    Crediting work done in the US to the NZ system is sometimes tricky but may not be necessary if your school is helpful and if you plan to complete Year 13 when you return.

    Ian

    Reply



  22. Tori Says:

    hi,
    just wondering how much would a 6 month exchange to Italy cost overall? And do you have to be fluent in the language?
    Thanks,
    Tori.

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Hi Tori
    The fee for a semester from September 7 to January 19 (approximately) is 4075 Euros. To this you have to add your return airfare and about 200 Euros a month in pocket money and expenses. The exchange rate is now about $NZ2.2 to one Euro so you’re looking at quite a bit of money. On the other hand, your parents won’t be paying for your maintenance while you’re away so that will pretty much take care of the pocket money.
    Ian

    Reply



  23. NZIIU Says:

    Hi Kelsey,

    The scholarships that we offer are need based. First, you would need to go through the same application procedures. Then after the interview if we determine that you need any financial support from us, we will inform you how much you are entitled to. The scholarships range in value from $2000 to $4000. You also need to prove to us that you will be a successful exchange student.

    Reply

  24. kelsey Says:

    hi,
    thanks for answering my question last time
    i have decided that i would like to go to germany for a semester or 6 months, i really would like to go however i have next to no money at the moment
    what are the likes of getting scholorships etc to fund the majority of the trip?

    Reply

  25. NZIIU Says:

    Hi Jusma,
    We provide student exchanges only for NZ residents who attend a high school in NZ. If you live in another country you need to apply to a local organisation.

    Reply

  26. lusma Says:

    welll,as you know indonesia is one of tropical country and I stay there.here we are very dificult to get scholarship and to follow student exchange.but I hope by this program I can get it easily.do you stiil have spain destination for student exchange?

    Reply

  27. NZIIU Says:

    Yes, we still offer Ireland but it’s quite expensive. Irish families get paid to host. When you add the current exchange rate against the Euro (slightly better today) it’s beyond what most people are willing to pay. If you want to know more, send an e-mail to ian@nziiu.co.nz.

    Reply

  28. Rachel Says:

    Hey, do you still provide Ireland as a destination?

    Reply

  29. rosie Says:

    Hi just wondering once you have sent in you intial application, how long it takes to get a reply and whether you accept everyone or are there limited places in all programes?

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Once you have sent in your initial application, you should receive the full application form from us within a few days. The full application form takes a while to complete as you need to do a medical examination, get references from your teachers and etc. Some people take up to 5 or 6 weeks to complete it. Once we receive your full application form and if we think everything looks good, we’ll visit you at your home with one of your parents present for an interview. You will be able to know whether you get accepted or not almost straight away. We try to send everyone that applies but with occasional turn downs. We don’t have limited places apart from exchanges to USA where we only have a quota of about 2 students per year.

    Reply



  30. Cheny Says:

    Hey, I was wondering if you offer a short term scholarship to Japan. I would really like to go and gain experience and knowledge but don’t have alot of money.
    thanks.

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Our shortest exchange to Japan is for three months departing in early January. Every exchange requires an airfare, host family, host school, and insurance so there is a set of basic costs that have to be covered even for a very short exchange. However, our prices to Japan are very reasonable.

    Reply



  31. kelsey Says:

    hey, I’m wondering what the price that you state includes
    is it just for schooling?
    and are flights a whole seperate cost?
    and how much money approx would you say I would need extra or spending (just general spending like clothes and food etc) if i go on a 10 month or 1 year exchange to Europe or America
    if you know could you let me know please? i just need a rough estimate
    Thanks : )

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    The price is what it costs us to arrange a host family with full board, a host school, your visa and insurance. You pay extra for the airfare (you have a domestic airfare as well in the USA), school lunches, transport to school and pocket money. There are sometimes extra costs at school because you are accepted as a local student. Check the information sheets for each country to see what might be required. In Europe we recommend that you have 200 Euros available for each month of your stay. Some spend less than this and others spend a lot more. It’s good to have enough money available as it would be disappointing to go to that much trouble and to miss out on an interesting occasion because you were short of $5.

    Reply



  32. ari Says:

    hi, i am a 14 year old. and would really like to go on a short student exchange programme to italy, but as i have’nt got the most money, how would i get a scholarship, i am very eager to visit a new culture !
    thanks.

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    We have three month exchanges as standard programmes but can arrange shorter ones. You can go when you’re 15 and should start learning Italian as soon as possible. The more language you have on arrival the more you will understand, the sooner you will connect with other people and the better time you will have. You apply for one of our needs-based scholarships at your interview. The process of applying is quick and simple. For more information, e-mail ian@nziiu.co.nz

    Reply



  33. Johny O'Donnell Says:

    Hi there was just enquiring as to the approx price on a 6-8 week stay in Italy

    Reply

    Ian Reply:

    These are not part of our standard offerings but we can arrange short exchanges. The fee for a three month programme is currently about 2800 Euros plus the airfare. It’s hard to be specific because the exchange rates keep changing. We’re currently reviewing the prices of our Italian exchanges and a new fee sheet should be on the website by the end of the week. A shorter stay would probably be only a little less than this because the procedures are very similar. Drop an e-mail to ian@nziiu.co.nz telling me exactly what you’d like (how long for and when you want to go)and I’ll get more specific information.

    Reply



  34. Sian Says:

    HI there

    I am interested in becoming a host for students but am looking for finanical assistance. Do you get paid from the students from your programme to stay with me?

    Cheers

    Sian

    Reply

    NZIIU Reply:

    Yes, we pay host family for hosting our students. If you’re interested in hosting for long term, please contact Sue on sue@nziiu.co.nz and if you’re interested in the short term ones, contact Kristin on kristin@nziiu.co.nz, to give them your details.

    Reply





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