Guidance Counsellor Training Study Award

Overview

The study award includes:

• time off for part-time study for up to 4 years or full-time study for 2 years.
• core compulsory tuition fees.
• you continue to receive your normal salary from school while on study leave.
• a contribution towards course-related professional supervision costs.
• a contribution towards travel or relocation costs, subject to meeting the travel eligibility criteria. 

Leave

• The amount of leave awarded is based on the length of your course. If your application is successful, we will confirm the course dates with your tertiary provider.
• You need to check with your principal to see whether any fixed-term units and allowances will be paid while you are on leave.
• The study award funds relief costs to your school for the duration of leave.

Travel or relocation assistance

• To be eligible for assistance with travel or relocation, you must be travelling more than 100km return between your usual workplace and your study centre.
• You can claim a maximum of NZD$2000 per year if you are studying on the same island as your current school, or NZD$3500 per year if you are studying on the other island.  
• Travel or relocation assistance will be paid in 2 instalments: the first in March and the second in July.
• If you do not complete your study award, you may be required to repay travel or relocation contributions. 

To apply for a Guidance Counsellor Training Study Award, you must:

• be working in a state or state-integrated secondary school
• apply to study a Master of Counselling or Counselling Studies at an approved tertiary institute
• not previously had more than 190 days or 3 years’ consecutive study leave through a Guidance Counsellor Training Study Award
• provide evidence that you have the support of your employer.

If you are on a fixed-term contract or are a long-term relieving counsellor or teacher, you may still apply for a study award, as long as you are employed by a school during the term of the award. 

Study plan

You will need to give details about the qualification you are intending to work towards. This includes the:  

• name of this qualification
• tertiary institution  
• level of qualification (NZQA)
• paper code(s)
• paper title(s)
• credits/points

Written statement

Describe your proposed study, purpose of study award and how this furthers the Ministry of Education’s priorities in education.  

Benefits of study

Outline the benefits of the study or qualification to you personally and professionally, your students’ learning outcomes, your school, and the education sector, and how you might share your learning.  

Recent study

Outline the recent study or professional learning you have done in the last three years and how this links to the application  

Personal statement

Write a statement that includes how this study helps to address any major disadvantages you have experienced because of distance or professional isolation, the socio-economic status of your school or community, or specific requirements of your school.

You will have a 250-word limit to answer each question. You will also need to provide generic employment information.