Nepal and New Zealand have shared a close bond ever since  Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa’s successful 1953 ascent of Everest. New Zealand is a land that welcomes Nepalis, and the country is increasingly becoming a popular education destination for Nepali students.

Qualifications from New Zealand are ranked amongst the best in the world as guarantees of practical and theoretical competency in graduates. The recent introduction of Post Study Work (PSW) and part-time job facilities by New Zealand authorities have increased the country’s popularity among those seeking foreign degrees. The country has eight government-run universities, 18 polytechnic schools and 100 private colleges and is mostly known for the quality of its technical education.

All of these academic institutions are regularly inspected by the Education Review Office (ERO), a government quality assurance agency. Nepali students applying to colleges in New Zealand must have at least a 6.0 IELTS score or a 550 TOEFL score besides having a sound academic background. However, there are many universities which assist students in reaching the required English-language level competency. As in Australia, there is a legal provision in New Zealand to secure students’ investments.

Payments to academic institutions can only be made once a student visa has been confirmed. College tuition for graduate and postgraduate studies range from NZ$ 11,000 to NZ$ 18,000 per year while the annual cost of living has been fixed at NZ $10,000 by The New Zealand High Commission. Mahesh Babu Timilsena, managing director at Kangaroo Education, says there are numerous options for accommodation—halls of residence, hostels and dormitories (single or double bedrooms) to choose from. “There is also the option of sharing a flat with friends or the ‘home stay’ alternative, both of which will amount to NZ$ 600 per month.” Students can work fulltime on vacations and up to 20 hours per week on college days. The average per hour wage is NZ$ 15. PSW facilities are available to international students for one to two years depending on their graduating courses and education consultants believe all costs of study can be recovered during the PSW period.

source: the kathmandu post,28 march 2014