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Call us on 0800 222 733Scholarships, grants and awards
Scholarships, grants and awards are a great way of funding your tertiary education. Here’s some information about what’s out there and how to get it, along with some links to get you started.
What types of scholarships, grants and awards are there?
- Could you study for free? It's worth finding out
To get a scholarship, you need to meet certain criteria, which can be based on things such as:
- area of study
- academic merit
- community service or involvement
- ethnicity
- financial hardship
- the industry or trade
- leadership
- the region you grew up in, or where you plan to study.
Scholarships can apply at different education levels, such as diploma or Masters degree, and also vary in what they cover. For example, some may cover tuition fees only, while others cover all course costs and some of your living expenses.
There are thousands of scholarships, grants and awards, so you should take a good look to see what you can apply for. There may be more opportunities than you think.
Where can I get more information on scholarships?
Look up scholarships on the BreakOut database
BreakOut is a searchable database that holds information on more than 3,800 funding schemes that cover study, professional development, research, travel, arts, sport, and community projects.
The database is provided by the Funding Information Service.
You can use BreakOut for free at:
- over 200 secondary schools
- most universities and many polytechnics
- public libraries
- Citizens Advice Bureaux
- some community centres.
- Funding Information Service website - find out where you can access BreakOut for free
Where else can I go for help?
- Talk to your careers adviser – they can tell you what scholarships, grants and awards you might be eligible for. They can also help you with application forms.
- Talk to education providers, course co-ordinators and lecturers about options if you are already studying.
- Check with sports, community, religious and other interest groups that you’re involved in, or that are active in your area.
- Look at the education provider, government and industry scholarship further down the page.
- For Māori and Pasifika students, we also have specific advice and information - see the links below.
Scholarships from universities, polytechnics and wānanga
Many universities, polytechs and other education providers offer their own scholarships, grants and awards. There's often a scholarships officer or career adviser who can tell you what scholarships you may be eligible for (whether they're offered by the university or by someone else).
Tertiary education providers may also have a list of scholarships on their websites, including eligibility criteria and application forms. Check out the education providers listed below – the list isn't exhaustive, but it's a good place to start.
Universities
- Auckland University of Technology website - scholarships office information
- Lincoln University website - scholarships database
- Massey University website - scholarships database
- University of Auckland website - scholarships database
- University of Canterbury website - scholarships office information
- University of Otago website - scholarships database
- University of Waikato website - scholarships office information
- Victoria University of Wellington website - scholarships information
Adam Goldwater won so many scholarships during his university horticulture studies that he has trouble remembering them all. Find out how Adam learned about these scholarships, and how they helped his study.
Adam Goldwater, Horticulture Student
Polytechs and institutes of technology
- Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology website - scholarship and awards information
- Eastern Institute of Technology website - scholarship information
- Manukau Institute of Technology website - grants and finance information
- Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology website - scholarship information
- Otago Polytechnic website - scholarship information
- Southern Institute of Technology website - scholarship information
- Telford Rural Polytechnic website - scholarship information
- Unitec website - scholarship information
- Waikato Institute of Technology website - scholarship information
- Wellington Institute of Technology website - scholarship information
Scholarships, grants and awards provided by government, industry bodies or interest groups
Government agencies offer or administer a large number of scholarships, grants and awards. The NZ Government website is a good place to search, as it covers all Government departments and agencies.
Funding from industry or interest groups
If you're interested in training in a specific industry area, you should see if that industry has an industry training organisation (ITO). ITOs usually provide training and job information to hands-on industries such as agriculture.
Some also offer scholarships, or have information about where you can get scholarships related to that area of work.
Many of the links below relate to a specific type of job or area of study. Many of these listings are also for graduate students.
- Ministry of Science + Innovation website - information on funding for research in science and technology
- Fulbright New Zealand website - information on postgraduate study and research awards to the US
- Royal Society of New Zealand website - information on funds for students and teachers in the fields of science, technology, maths and humanities
- TeachNZ website - information about scholarships for students wanting to train as teachers
- Workbridge website - provides funding to help people with disabilities enter training and employment