Wellington Raukaraka Scholarship (School-leaver scholarships for leadership)

Scholarship level: School leaver
Closing date(s): 1 September
Tenure: One year
Value: $5,000 - $10,000

Description

Scholarships will be awarded competitively based on academic merit, leadership, commitment to community, sporting and cultural achievements. Scholarships are valued at $5,000 or $10,000 for the first year of study which can be put towards accommodation costs at a Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington hall of residence, or as a stipend to contribute towards your first year living costs.

History

The Wellington Raukaraka Scholarship recognises the University's commitment to supporting school leavers who demonstrate leadership qualities and recognises them as New Zealand’s leaders of the future.

Who is eligible?

  • Applicants must be New Zealand Citizens, Permanent Residents or International Students who have completed at least two full years (ie. their Year 12 and Year 13) at a New Zealand Secondary School at the time of application.
  • Applicants are expected to have their NCEA Level 2 Certificate endorsed with Merit from Year 12 (or an equivalent level of achievement in an alternate qualification).
  • Applicants must be intending to enrol full-time in the year following application in their first undergraduate degree at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
  • Applicants must be in Year 13 or have completed Year 13 in the year prior and be taking a gap year to be eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Selection criteria

Scholarships will be awarded competitively based on academic merit, leadership, commitment to community, sporting, and cultural achievements.

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.

Scholarship specific documentation

  • A one-page personal statement outlining any attributes of leadership and/or commitment to your community, sporting, and cultural achievements (i.e., with your iwi or hapu, youth group, Polynesian festivals).
  • A reference from your school (to be requested via the online application).

Selection process

Selection will be made by the Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Undergraduate Scholarship Committee.

Regulations and conditions

  1. A completed online application must be submitted by 4:30pm 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 for the application to be considered.
  2. All Scholarship offers will be conditional upon the recipient being fully enrolled in a full-year programme (this will be at the level of points considered by Studylink as full-time) within the stipulated criteria and tenure of the scholarship. No payment of the Scholarship will be made until this condition is met.
  3. Scholarships will be awarded at the value of $5,000 or $10,000, based on the level of leadership qualities.
  4. Applicants are expected to have their NCEA Level 2 Certificate endorsed with Merit, or equivalent in another qualification.
  5. The equivalent for Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) is a score of 170 across no more than four subjects on the UCAS tariff.
  6. The equivalent for International Baccalaureate (IB) is a predicted grade of 31 (which will need to be confirmed in January once IB results are available). Credits must be gained in Year 12; credits gained in Year 13 cannot be included (except for IB students).
  7. All offers of the Scholarship will be conditional upon the recipient being fully engaged in year 13 and gaining NCEA Level 3 with at least 25 credits at Merit or Excellence (or equivalent in another qualification), University Entrance and admission to their degree programme. (NOTE: equivalent for CIE is 240 points on UCAS tariff, from Year 13, or 3 C grades at A level).
  8. Applicants who wish to enrol at the University in the year following application directly from Year 12 may not apply for the Scholarship unless they will meet all the normal conditions of the scholarship by the end of their Year 12 year (see regulation 7 in particular).
  9. Applicants who go on an official student school exchange for a minimum of six months instead of completing Year 13 may apply for the Scholarship. These applicants will also need to gain admission through Discretionary Entrance.
  10. Applicants who have taken a (single) gap year after completing Year 13 may apply for the Scholarship as long as they have not studied at another university during that time (i.e., this scholarship is for first-year students, not transferring students). They will need to apply in the year prior to starting study at Victoria University of Wellington.
  11. Applicants who have studied up to 60 points of courses at tertiary level during secondary school are eligible to apply. This includes applicants who may have completed any STAR funded courses while still enrolled at secondary school.
  12. Exceptional applicants will also be considered for the Wellington Kahotea Scholarship which includes full accommodation costs at a University hall of residence plus a stipend for three years conditional on students continuing to be enrolled full-time and maintaining a Grade Point Average of 6 (a B+ average). See full regulations here.
  13. Applicants who meet the criteria for both the Wellington Raukaraka and the Wellington Tangiwai Scholarships will be awarded the Wellington Tangiwai Scholarship. They will still be considered for the Wellington Kahotea Scholarship (see regulation 12).
  14. All recipients of a Wellington School Leaver Scholarship are guaranteed an offer of a place in a University hall of residence, provided an accommodation application is received by University Accommodation Wellington by their deadline.
  15. The Scholarship cannot be deferred to a later year.
  16. The Scholarship may not be held in conjunction with any other Victoria University of Wellington funded School Leaver Scholarships or the Robert Bostock Scholarship.
  17. Should the recipient withdraw from the University 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.
  18. Recipients are expected to act as Ambassadors for the University and participate in appropriate events or marketing if requested.
  19. 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