Fees

Introduction

This guide is to help explain how your fees are calculated, the different fees that are charged, and how and when to pay your tuition fees.

The figures supplied will also assist you in making fair cost comparisons between courses and institutions.

Tuition fees increase each year and the fees in this guide are for 2025.

Domestic fees

The tuition fees listed below are for domestic fee paying students only. Tuition fee schedules for international students are in the International fees section of this guide.

Australian students should visit the Australian students section to determine if you are considered a domestic fee paying or international fee paying student.

The Government has confirmed Fees Free for the first year of study will finish at the end of 2024. A final-year Fees Free scheme will replace first-year Fees Free starting from 1 January 2025.

If you are a domestic student who is new to tertiary education in 2025 you may be eligible for fees-free for your final year of study or training.

If you are eligible for the final-year Fees Free scheme you will need to arrange payment of your fees to the University of Otago and apply for your entitlement through the IRD on completion of your qualification from 2026 onwards.

Please visit our 'Fees-free study at Otago' page for further information

Each figure listed in the table below represents the tuition fee for a normal full-time course comprised entirely of papers from the specified subject area. For example, the fee for a normal full-time course made up entirely of papers from Computer Science, Design, Geography, Information Science, Music and Science will be $8,291.00.

Many students will, however, enrol for papers from a range of subject areas, and may enrol for less or greater than 1.0 EFTS (equivalent full time student) in a given year.

As a result, your actual tuition fee is calculated on the basis of fees for each paper that you include in your course. The fee for each paper is calculated according to the fee for its subject area multiplied by its EFTS 'value' (the proportion of 1.0 EFTS it represents).

Tuition fees may change from year to year. If your programme extends beyond a calendar year (January–December), you will be required to pay the tuition fee applicable to each enrolment year.

To make it easier to find out the tuition fees for available papers in 2025, we have compiled all tuition fees by paper code into a document which is available for you to download.

Download the 2025 Domestic and International Tuition Fees (XLSX)

Tuition fees bands for subject categories

The main fee bands listed below, with associated fees (GST inclusive) are for New Zealand citizens or those who hold a New Zealand residence visa; and are residing in New Zealand for the duration of their programme of study.

Tuition fees for subject categories (per 1.0 EFTS)

Example tuition fee calculations

Example 1:

A first year student enrolling for a Health Sciences first year course (all papers are 18 points)

Example 2:

A student in the second year of a BCom/BA double degree course.

Example 3:

A part-time BCom student

For detailed paper information please refer to individual papers under their subject headings

Student Services Fee

The University of Otago is required by Government regulation to ensure a range of support services are available to students. These are funded through the charging of the Student Services Fee.

The Student Services Fee is compulsory; however, there are certain exemptions that may apply. Please refer to the University of Otago website for more information on the exemptions and for a more detailed overview of the Student Services Fee.

Student Services Fee page

The Student Services Fee for students enrolled at the Dunedin campus is calculated on the number of EFTS in an academic year a student is enrolled in, based on $11.52 per 0.01 EFTS or $1,152.00 per 1 EFTS. This is capped at 1.05 EFTS of on-campus study per academic year.

Below is a table showing the 2025 Student Services Fee charges (GST inclusive) based on various EFTS a student may be enrolled for at the Dunedin campus:

Below are the compulsory Student Services Fee charges (GST inclusive) for 2025, for students who are not enrolled at the Dunedin campus:

Students enrolled for courses taught entirely at a distance are not charged the Student Services Fee.

The Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) membership is voluntary in 2025 and there is no charge for membership.

Administration fees

The following non-refundable fees (GST inclusive) may be charged (where applicable):

Payment of fees

The University issues your invoice via the 'My Account' page in eVision with all the information you need to organise payment. Once your fees have been paid and you've completed course enrolment, you're officially enrolled.

Fees should be paid, or student loan arrangements finalised, before you begin your studies.

Note: Tuition fee invoices are displayed in a student's eVision portal, the University of Otago does not post printed invoices to students.

Tuition fee due dates

Please see below for the due date for payment of tuition fees:

A late payment fee of $100.00 will be charged if accounts are not paid by the due date.

If a student increases their programme of study during the year by adding one or more papers, the additional tuition fee for those papers is payable 20 days from when the change of course is registered.

Method of payment

Fees must be paid in New Zealand Dollars and can be paid by any one of the following means:

1. Internet banking (NZ bank account holders)

Internet banking via Bill Pay is possible from all major New Zealand Banks.

Please ensure you add your name and student ID as the payment reference.

2. Convera

For International students we recommend using Convera's payment portal, for you to pay your tuition, accommodation and insurance fees. Convera offers a simple and secure way to pay your fees online and allows for you to track your payment.

Pay your fees with Convera

3. Telegraphic Transfer

If you are not able to make your payment through Convera, you can make payment via telegraphic transfer to the University of Otago bank account:

Please ensure you add your name and student ID as the payment reference.

4. Government Student Loan - StudyLink

The Ministry of Social Development administers the Student Loan Scheme.

Visit the StudyLink website for applications

Please apply for your Student Loan early. After your loan is pre-approved, StudyLink contacts the University to request your enrolment and tuition fee information provided you have selected the 'Pay fees' option in your application. These details can be confirmed to StudyLink once you have completed Course Declaration.

StudyLink will pay the tuition fees from an approved Student Loan directly to the University. It is important that you keep track of your application via your MyStudyLink and make sure that your Student Loan is finalised by the time you commence study.

Note: Student loan does not cover administration fees such as Admission fees, late fees and Final Exam Only fees. This means that you will personally need to arrange payment for any of these fees incurred.

5. Payment at AskOtago (Dunedin campus only)

Payment by EFTPOS and Credit Card is available on the Dunedin campus at the AskOtago Counter located in the Link (by the Central Library).

Please note payment by Credit Card will incur a non-refundable 2% surcharge

Each bank has a set daily transaction limit for the amount that can be processed by EFTPOS per day. To find out more about daily transaction limits please contact your bank.

Please note that the University of Otago can no longer process a cash payment for tuition fees on campus. If you wish to pay your tuition fees with cash you will need to go to a ANZ branch to deposit your payment into the University of Otago Tuition bank account.

6. Scholarship

If your tuition fees are to be covered by a University of Otago scholarship and it has not been applied to your fee account, it means that the internal processing has yet to be completed.

7. Third party payments

If you receive a tuition fee account and your invoice should be directed to a third party such as your employer; please contact the Student Finance Office for assistance.

Changes of course

If you wish to add, drop, or change papers, and have completed the course approval declaration, you will need to complete a change of course.

Visit the Changing your course page

The 2025 deadlines for making changes to your course are below:

If you add a paper to your enrolment, any additional fees incurred are payable 20 days from when the change of course is registered.

If you delete a paper from your course of study by the due date you will be entitled to a refund of tuition fees for that paper, (excepting the $100.00 Tuition Refund fee if all papers are deleted).

If the last day to delete has passed, you can withdraw from a paper. However, there is no refund of fees for withdrawn papers, and your liability for any unpaid fees will remain.

For more information, see:

• Adding, deleting and withdrawing from papers page
• Changing your course page

The deletion and withdrawal deadlines for non-standard date papers shall be one-third and two-thirds of the way through the paper respectively, normally calculated based on the start date and end date of the paper.

See the paper database for these dates in relation to a specific non-standard date paper

Deletions or withdrawals after the deadlines noted above will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances which are beyond your control and which prevent you from completing your course.

Learn about withdrawing under exceptional circumstances

Refund of fees

A student may be deleted from enrolment in papers up until 11:59pm on:

If a student deletes in full and has completed the Course Approval process, tuition fees paid will be refunded in full, less a Tuition Refund fee of $100.00.

A student may withdraw after these dates, and may receive up to a 50% refund of tuition fees in exceptional circumstances only (sundry and administration fees are non-refundable). In these cases, withdrawal must be completed by 11:59pm on:

Withdrawal under exceptional circumstances refers to withdrawal after the usual deletion or withdrawal deadlines, in the event that you are prevented from successfully completing a paper or papers due to unexpected and exceptional circumstances such as sudden and significant illness.
Learn about withdrawing under exceptional circumstances

If you elect to use a Government Student Loan to pay your University fees, and those fees are paid by StudyLink to the University out of your student loan, and you subsequently become eligible for a refund of all or part of your University fees, the University will make the refund directly to StudyLink (to be credited against your student loan balance). This is consistent with the provision in your student loan contract with StudyLink.

Note: If you are enrolled in a programme and the University has incurred costs on your behalf for external clinical placements, then these additional costs must be met by you, and will be deducted from any refund.

Fee enquiries

For further information about fees:
Log an enquiry with AskOtago

Revenue Management Office
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand
Tel +64 3 479 9006

Australian students

Australian citizens and permanent residents pay the same fees as New Zealand citizens if they are studying in New Zealand. If they are studying distance learning papers from outside of New Zealand they will need to pay international fees. They are also not eligible to apply for the New Zealand Student Loan or Allowance unless they have been living in New Zealand for at least three years and are normally living in New Zealand.

Please ensure that you add your name and student ID as the payment reference.

Note: International students from sanctioned jurisdictions should see additional information on information sharing for the purpose of processing payments.

Tuition Fee Due Dates

Please see below for the due date for payment of tuition fees:

A late payment fee of NZ$100.00 will be charged to accounts not paid by the due date.

If a student increases their programme of study during the year by adding one or more papers, the additional tuition fee for those papers is payable 20 days from when the change of course is registered.

How to obtain a tuition fee receipt for student visa purposes

Tuition fee receipts are not automatically generated. To request a tuition fee receipt for student visa application purposes:

Request a tuition fee receipt

Tuition fee receipts cannot be issued until your payment has been received into the University of Otago bank account. Due to this we encourage new students to make payment well in advance of their student visa application deadline to allow the Revenue Management Office time to supply a receipt.

Tuition fees for International PhD students

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students are eligible to pay tuition fees at the New Zealand domestic level. International PhD students must be resident in New Zealand during their study, apart from approved temporary absences overseas for the purposes of doctoral research, to be classified as domestic fee paying students.

Dependants of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students will be treated as New Zealand domestic students for the purposes of fee payment at primary (approximately 5–12 years of age) and secondary (approximately 13–18 years of age) schools.

Refund Policy for International Students

If the University withdraws an offer of a place or is unable to provide the course, all tuition fees paid are fully refundable. If, however, an offer is withdrawn on the basis of incorrect or incomplete information supplied by the student, the University reserves the right to retain up to 10% of the course fee.

A student who has received a conditional offer of a place but fails to meet the conditions of the offer will have the course deposit and any tuition fees refunded in full.

A student who has not been required to secure his/her place with a deposit, must provide written notice of withdrawal from courses by 11:59pm (NZ time) on:

If a student deletes in full and has completed the Course Declaration process, tuition fees paid will be refunded in full, less a Tuition Refund fee of NZ$100.00.

Fee Protection Policy

The University is governed by the Public Finance Act, the Education Act, and University Council regulations in regard of student fees. An individual fee account is maintained for each enrolled student. In the event that the University is not able to offer an academic programme for the semester intake indicated on the student's Offer of Place, all funds will be refunded to the student. Further information on the University's refund policy for international students can be found above.

Change of Status

International students who are granted New Zealand residency while enrolled may be eligible to pay domestic fees for the current and subsequent years (see below). Proof of change of residential status can be demonstrated only by presenting an original passport and letter confirming eVisa approval.

To be considered for a refund of fees to the equivalent domestic fee level, the date of award of the residence visa (as printed on the eVisa approval letter) must be prior to:

Award of the residence visa after these dates will mean ongoing charging at the international tuition rate for the duration of the paper(s). New and current international students with pending New Zealand residency are advised to seek advice from the University about their situation:

New students:
Email international.admissions@otago.ac.nz

Returning students:
Log an enquiry with AskOtago

2025 domestic and international tuition fees document

Download the 2025 Domestic and International Tuition Fees (XLSX)

International PhD students are eligible to pay tuition fees at the New Zealand domestic level. Students must be resident in New Zealand during their study.