Te Amaru–Disability Services Access Awards

Scholarship level: Current students
Closing date(s): 17 November
Tenure: One year
Award for: Living with a disability; Facing financial hardship; Domestic
Number offered: Approximately 15
Value: Between $500 and $1500

History and purpose

The Te Amaru—Disability Services Access Awards were established in 2020 to provide financial assistance to students whose disability affects their income or creates additional financial costs. The Awards support disabled students who have demonstrated good academic progress and have at least one year remaining in their programme of study.

Who is eligible?

Applicants must:

  • be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
  • be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate programme and intending to re-enrol at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in the year following application
  • have demonstrated satisfactory academic progress over at least one trimester
  • demonstrate a strong commitment to completing a qualification.

Selection criteria

Selection will be based on the extent to which applicants meet the eligibility and selection criteria, with preference given to students experiencing financial hardship.

Application process

A completed online application must be submitted by 4.30 pm on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Any required supporting documentation (including references) must also be received by 4.30 pm on the closing date in order for the application to be considered.

Applications will normally open one month prior to the closing date. If no application link is provided below, check back again closer to the closing date. Contact us if you have any queries.

Apply online

Please email disability@vuw.ac.nz if you need assistance with this application form.

Scholarship specific documentation

  • Complete the Personal Statement section, outlining the impact of disability/ies on finances and studies, and study plans for the following year.
  • Proof of your income (details of specific documents required are on the online application).
  • Recent bank document showing the balances in all your accounts. This is the homepage of your internet banking, that lists all your accounts and the amounts in each. A screenshot is accepted but please make sure this is a full-page screenshot and there is no cropping to the page.
  • Last two weeks of transactions from your everyday spending account. If you cannot access a statement with the last 2 weeks included, you can screenshot these transactions. Please make sure this is a consecutive 2 weeks and no days are missing.

Selection process

Recipients will be selected by panel comprising staff from Te Amaru—Disability Services and Student Finance.

Conditions

  1. A completed online application, including all required supporting documentation, must be submitted by 4.30 pm on the closing date.
  2. All offers of the Awards are conditional upon the recipient enrolling  for study the following year by 17 November 2026 and having at least one year remaining in their programme of study.
  3. The Award cannot be deferred to a later year.
  4. The Award may be held in conjunction with other scholarships.
  5. Recipients may be asked to complete a short questionnaire to help evaluate the impact of the Award on their studies.
  6. At the discretion of the Deciding Authority, the terms and conditions of the Award may be modified in exceptional circumstances or to avoid hardship.

Contact

Te Amaru—Disability Services
Phone: +64 4 463 6070
E-mail: disability@vuw.ac.nz