Mokaraka Māori Women in Business Scholarship at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Study area(s): Business and Government
Scholarship level: Doctoral; Master's by thesis; Master's by coursework; Honours; Current students; Future students; School leaver
Closing date(s): 31 January
Tenure: One year
Award for: Māori; Women; Domestic
Number offered: One
Value: Up to $15,000

History and purpose

This Scholarship was established in 2024 through the generosity of Melanie Smith (Ngāpuhi), a London-based CEO. Its purpose is to support young Māori women studying in the Wellington School of Business and Government at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Who is eligible

Applicants must:

  • be of Māori descent
  • identify as female
  • be enrolled or intending to enrol, either full-time or part-time, in an undergraduate or postgraduate programme at Wellington School of Business and Government in the year of application
  • have a grade point average (GPA) or grade point equivalent (GPE) of at least 6.00 (see Note I).

Selection criteria

Scholarships will be awarded primarily on the basis of academic merit, with consideration also given to the applicant's personal statement.

Application process

A completed online application, including all required supporting documentation must be submitted by 4.30 pm on the closing date. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications open in October and close 31 January. If an application link is not yet showing, please check again closer to the closing date. Contact the Scholarships Office if you have any queries.

Apply online

Scholarship-specific documentation

  • School leavers: NCEA Level 2 and Level 3 results, or the equivalent qualification.
  • Returning students: Current academic transcript.
  • All applicants: A personal statement outlining study and career aspirations.

Selection process

Selection will be made by a panel comprising a representative from the Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Māori) and relevant academics from the Wellington School of Business and Government, in consultation with the donor. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to an interview with the donor.

Additional information

  • The Scholarship will be paid as a monthly stipend. Payment will begin as soon practicable following confirmation of the recipient’s enrolment after the Trimester 1 withdrawal period has passed. Payment and tenure will be pro-rated for part-time study.
  • Awardees of the scholarship may apply again for a second or third year.
  • Recipients must write a letter of thanks and an end-of-year progress report, which will be shared to the donor.
  • All applicants who submit a complete application by the closing date will be notified of the outcome after applications have closed.

Note I: Academic merit will be assessed as follows:

  • Applicants entering Year One (school leavers): based on National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 2 and Level 3 results,  or an equivalent qualification. A GPE of 6.00 is equivalent to an NCEA rank score of 270 or a CIE rank score of 330.
  • Applicants entering Year Two: based on the Scholarship's grade point average (GPA) or grade point equivalent (GPE) achieved during the first year of full-time graded study.
  • Applicants entering Year Three or subsequent years: based on the Scholarship's GPA or GPE achieved over the two most recent years of full-time graded study.

Conditions

  1. 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 4:30pm on the closing date in order for the application to be considered.
  2. All offers of the Scholarship will be conditional upon the recipient being enrolled in a full-year programme (as stipulated by Studylink as full-time), within the criteria and tenure of the scholarship. No payment of the Scholarship will be made until this condition is met.
  3. Where part-time study for the recipient is approved, their scholarship award may be pro-rated. This decision will be made by the decision-making panel. Before the recipient decides to reduce their workload from full-time study, this must be discussed with the Scholarships Office.
  4. The Scholarship cannot be deferred to a later year.
  5. The Scholarship may be held in conjunction with other University awards.
  6. Should the recipient withdraw from Victoria University of Wellington during the tenure of this scholarship or fail to achieve a satisfactory progress, partial repayment of the Scholarship will normally be expected. Recipients must advise the Scholarships Office if they intend to withdraw.
  7. Recipients are expected to act as Ambassadors for Victoria University of Wellington and participate in appropriate events or marketing if requested.
  8. At the discretion of the Deciding Authority, the application of the terms and conditions of the Scholarship may be modified in special circumstances or to avoid hardship to any candidate for the Scholarship.

Contact

Scholarships Office
scholarships-office@vuw.ac.nz
Phone 0800 04 04 04