School-leaver scholarships
We offer hundreds of scholarships to school leavers—they can help fund your studies and help you adjust to student life. Find one that’s right for you.
Offering much more than just financial assistance, our scholarships are designed to create communities of students who share the same ambitions, goals, backgrounds, and values.
Our school-leaver scholarships have been developed to support and encourage school-leaver students who embody the key attributes that the University values: excellence, leadership, diversity, sustainability, and commitment to community.
All of our scholarship recipients will have access to a dedicated development toolkit that provides links to events, career development, internships, and learning opportunities. Whatever your study and life goals, our range of scholarships offers something for everyone.
Guaranteed accommodation
All scholarship recipients who apply for accommodation at a university hall of residence are guaranteed a place. This means you can use your scholarship funding to live in one of our nine central city halls of residence—make new friends, benefit from additional support, and live in an environment that encourages your academic success, plus have some fun of course!
School-leaver scholarships
Our school-leaver scholarships are named after different types of pounamu (greenstone). Māori consider pounamu to be a taonga that can protect and act as a source of strength for those who possess it.
Wellington Pakohe Scholarship for sustainability
The Wellington Pakohe Scholarship supports students who have demonstrated sustainability qualities that align with our aim to be a global thought leader by integrating sustainability into all we do.
- Valued at $5,000 to $10,000.
- Access to conferences and industry events.
- Mentoring from the University's director of sustainability.
- Opportunity to participate in many of our award-winning sustainability focused initiatives at the University.
Wellington Raukaraka Scholarship for leadership
The Wellington Raukaraka Scholarship supports students who have demonstrated leadership qualities, distinguishing them as New Zealand’s leaders of the future.
- Valued at $5,000 to $10,000.
- Recipients can join our two award-winning leadership programmes: the Wellington Plus Programme and the Wellington International Leadership Programme, providing opportunities to attend conferences and networking events, and connect with the diplomatic and not-for-profit sector in Wellington.
Wellington Tangiwai Scholarship for academic excellence
The Wellington Tangiwai Scholarship supports academically strong school leavers to study at the University, distinguishing them as New Zealand’s scholars of the future.
- Up to 300 scholarships valued at $5,000 to $10,000 awarded to the top school-leaver applicants who enrol in any of the University's Bachelor's programmes.
Wellington Totoweka Scholarship for supporting equity
The Wellington Totoweka Scholarship recognises the University’s commitment to equity issues in supporting students to have access to education.
- Valued at $5,000 to $10,000.
- The University encourages strong academic applicants who are Māori, Pasifika, or from refugee backgrounds; identify as LGBTQIA+ and takatāpui; have a disability; or come from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Wellington Kahurangi Scholarship for exceptional Māori students
The Wellington Kahurangi Scholarship recognises exceptional Māori students.
- Valued at up to $20,000 over three years of study at the University including full accommodation costs for the first year on the Marino floor in Joan Stevens hall of residence, where tikanga Māori (Māori cultural practices) and te reo Māori (Māori language) are part of everyday life.
- Dedicated pastoral support, plus $5,000 towards fees in the second and third year of studies.
- For students who are not in a hall, a $15,000 fees contribution can be taken evenly across the three years.
Wellington Mana Pasifika Scholarship for exceptional Pasifika Students
The Wellington Mana Pasifika Scholarship recognises exceptional Pasifika students.
- Valued at up to $20,000 over three years of study at the University, including full accommodation costs for the first year at one of the University’s halls of residence, plus $5,000 towards fees in the second and third years of study.
- For students who are not in a hall, a $15,000 fees contribution can be taken evenly across the three years.
- Pasifika students at the University are supported by a team of experts dedicated to their success.
Wellington Kahotea Scholarship for outstanding achievement
The Wellington Kahotea Scholarship recognises exceptional students and is valued at up to $35,000 over three years of study at the University. Recipients will be the top applicants from the Tangiwai, Kahurangi, Mana Pasifika, Totoweka, Raukaraka, and Pakohe Scholarships, who have achieved exceptional academic results or other high achievement within the areas of culture, community involvement, leadership, or equity.
- Up to 30 scholarships will be awarded to exceptional students.
- The package includes full accommodation costs for the first year at one of the University’s halls of residence, plus a stipend of $5,000 for three years. For students who are not in a hall, the stipend can be taken evenly across the three years or weighted higher in the first year.
More scholarship opportunities
Check out our scholarships database to find more awards for school leavers and first-year students, funded by faculties and generous donors.
You can also search for scholarships offered by other New Zealand organisations.