Howieson and three Burnley team mates have not been offered new contracts with the English Premier League club.
Burnley academy manager Jason Blake said Howieson and the others released had ''been a credit to themselves'' this season.
''Their attitude and application has been excellent throughout training and matches.
''While some players are to be offered new contracts, it is difficult to tell others that they have been unsuccessful on this occasion.''
Howieson and the others had worked hard but their opportunities were limited by players ranked ahead of them, Blake said.
''Rather than provide them with a year of reduced access to matches, allowing them to achieve regular competitive games elsewhere would accelerate their development as footballers.
''Burnley Football Club will do all we can do to assist these players in finding another club and we thank them for their efforts and wish them every success in their future careers.''
At 20, Howieson still has plenty of football ahead of him, but he will be keen to find a team with which he can find regular action.
He was in the All Whites squad for the recent international against Korea, but he misses out on eligibility for the Fifa Under 20 World Cup, which Dunedin is jointly hosting, by nine days.
Howieson, who started with the Mosgiel club and attended Otago Boys' High School, has been associated with Burnley since 2011-12.
He scored two goals in an FA Youth Cup quarterfinal before making his full senior debut in 2012, when he became the youngest New Zealander (17 years and 103 days) to appear in the Football League, and the youngest Burnley player in a quarter of a century.
