Learners must be one of the following:

• New Zealand, Cook Island, Niue or Tokelau citzens.
• New Zealand permanent residents who are currently resident in New Zealand.
• Australian citizens and permanent residents who have a New Zealand permanent residency stamp and who are currently resident in New Zealand.
• Refugees with refugee status who are directed to study as part of residency requirements

Learners must be one of the following:

• Registered with Work and Income, aged 18 or 19, with low qualifications and have left school in the last 26 weeks.
• Registered with Work and Income as an unemployed job seeker for at least 26 weeks, and have low qualifications
• Registered with Work and Income for fewer than 26 weeks, or a client of Work and Income with low qualifications and assessed by Work and Income as being at risk of long-term unemployment
• A youth client aged 16-20 (inclusive) who has been registered as job seeker for at least 13 weeks and has been assessed by Work and Income as lacking foundation skills and meeting one of the following sub-criteria:
  - Obtained School Certificate passes in 3 or more subjects.
  - Holder of 40 credits or more but fewer than 240 credits on the NQF.
• Registered with Work and Income, granted refugee status and hold high qualifications
• Youth learners who have done Youth training in the last 3 months and have been granted approval to enter Training Opportunities to complete their training.
• Registered with Work and Income, aged less than 18 with low qualifications, have left or been exempt from school and granted approval by the TEC
• Learners re-entering the Training Opportunities programme within six months retain eligibility if they have fewer than 240 credits.

Training Opportunities eligibility changes
Tertiary Education Commission (2005)