School-leaver and first-year scholarships
If you are in your final year of school and planning to enrol at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland in 2026, you may be eligible for a scholarship - regardless of your background or where you live.
It’s an exciting time! You’re finishing school this year or next, looking ahead and thinking about where to from here.
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland offers several hundred scholarships every year to new students embarking on undergraduate study.
As well as the scholarships funded centrally by the University, individual faculties and generous donors also provide a wide range of scholarships for new undergraduate students.
Applications for school-leaver scholarships for 2026
Check out our Applications open now webpage or click on any of the links in the Related links boxes and apply for anything you think you might be eligible for.
Applications for study commencing in 2026 will open on 21 May 2025.
If you are on a gap year this year and applied in 2024 for study commencing in 2026 - don't forget to apply for accommodation before applications close this year!
Read more about each scholarship at the links below:
University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarship
Rewards exceptional academic performance combined with outstanding sporting, artistic, cultural and/or leadership achievements.
University of Auckland Māori Academic Excellence Scholarship
Recognises exceptional academic success from Māori tauira who have either engaged in Te Ao Māori, their community, the arts or played a leadership role in sports or cultural contexts.
University of Auckland Pacific Academic Excellence Scholarship
Recognises students with Pacific heritage, who have excellent academic records and active participation in community, cultural and other activities.
University of Auckland Academic Potential Scholarship - School Leavers
Supports students demonstrating academic achievement (taking into account a number of factors that can impact on an individual's ability to participate fully at university).
University of Auckland Waka Moana Scholarship
To recognise Māori tauira potential who have strong engagement in either Te Ao Māori, their community, the arts or played an exceptional leadership role in sports or cultural contexts, as well as demonstrating academic ability.
University of Auckland Vaka Moana Scholarship
To recognise indigenous Pacific students who have strong engagement with their school and community, or the arts, or played an exceptional leadership role in sports or cultural contexts, as well as demonstrating academic ability.
University of Auckland Kōkiri Raumati Scholarship
A Scholarship for students taking part in the Summer Start, Tōia ki Waipapa and UniBound programmes beginning in January 2026.
The Scholarship is awarded in two Tiers:
Tier 1
- accommodation in a single room in Grafton Hall for the duration of Summer School 2026
- compulsory fees for enrolment in either the Summer Start, Tōia ki Waipapa or UniBound programme
Tier 2
- compulsory fees for enrolment in either the Summer Start, Tōia ki Waipapa or UniBound programme
University of Auckland High Performance Sports Scholarship
Scholarships worth $5,000 each to support New Zealand Citizens or Permanent Residents with the potential to succeed both academically and in their chosen sport. You can be enrolled full-time or part-time.
University of Auckland International School Leaver Scholarship
Supports international students who have attended a New Zealand secondary schools and who are enrolling in the first year of an undergraduate degree at the University of Auckland.
Timeline for applying for University of Auckland school-leaver scholarships
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 21 May |
|
| Early-June |
|
| 10 June |
|
| July |
|
| Early-August |
|
| 13 August |
|
| Mid-August |
|
| 28 August |
|
| 30 August |
|
| September |
|
| Early-October |
|
| October |
|
| 9 October |
|
| January |
|
If you're thinking of applying
These scholarships are valuable and there is a lot of competition for them. This means we receive many more applications for scholarships than we are able to award. So simply being in the position where you are thinking of applying signals to us that you’re a great student with a bright future ahead of you.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to go on to win one of these prestigious awards, we’d love you to apply.
As well as your academic prowess, we will also consider your achievements in other areas and take into account your personal circumstances as well, so you can be sure that it’s a level playing field for students across New Zealand.
It’s extremely important that the information you provide in your application is true and accurate, and we will ask your school and other referees to check it.
Getting started on your application
Before you start your scholarship application, you will need to apply for admission to at least one programme at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland. You can add more or change your chosen programme later, if you aren't sure yet what you want to enrol in for 2026.
About 24 hours after you've completed your application for admission, you should be able to access the scholarships application system Community Force. You only need to complete one form to be considered for the Top Achiever Scholarship, the Māori Academic Excellence Scholarship, the Pacific Academic Excellence Scholarship, the Academic Potential Scholarship - School Leavers, the Waka Moana Scholarship, and the Vaka Moana Scholarship, you just need to indicate which ones you want to be considered for. There may be some variations on what you need to answer in the application form depending on what you select.
Applicants for these scholarships may also be considered for additional faculty specific scholarships, based on the faculties and programmes you select.
Taking a gap year?
If you are taking a gap year next year, you need to apply while you are still in your final year of secondary study or kura, and your application will be considered along with next year’s applications. If you don’t apply this year, you won’t be able to apply for the above scholarships next year, but you will still be eligible for other scholarships and awards for the first year of study. Don't forget to apply for accommodation before next year's closing date!
Accommodation
As part of your application you also need to apply for accommodation at the University of Auckland. We will only be able to consider your application for a scholarship if you have applied for both the scholarship and for accommodation.
What is selection for a scholarship based on?
Academic achievement is a critical factor in these scholarships, and each scholarship has different academic requirements outlined in their regulations.
Your eligibility will be based on your academic achievements at Level 2 or higher for NCEA students and Year 12 results for CIE students. If you’re an IB student, we will ask your school for your predicted grade.
You will be asked about your achievements in academic, cultural, sports, and arts fields, your leadership experience, and community and personal development activities.
We'd also like to hear a bit about you, particularly things that might impact on your ability to attend university, or to participate in extra-curricular activities while you have been at secondary school or kura.
Your school endorser will be asked to confirm the information you supply in the Tell us about you and My Achievements sections, so you'll need to make sure you include everything before you request the endorsement.
Outcome of my application
When do I hear about my scholarship application?
- All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in early October. This will be sent to the email address used in your application form.
- This email will be the outcome of all your applications if you applied for more than one scholarship (one or more of the Top Achiever Scholarship, Academic Potential Scholarship - School Leavers, Māori Academic Excellence Scholarship, Pacific Academic Excellence Scholarship, Vaka Moana Scholarship, or Waka Moana Scholarship). The Review Committee has considered you for each of these Scholarships.
- You might be offered a different scholarship to the one(s) you applied for. This is because there are scholarships all eligible applicants for a Top Achiever Scholarship, Academic Potential Scholarship - School Leavers, Māori Academic Excellence Scholarship, or Pacific Academic Excellence Scholarship are considered for, as well as the scholarships they have applied for. These might be specific to a faculty or subject area, or may be a University of Auckland 140th Anniversary Academic Scholarship or a University of Auckland 140th Anniversary Kupenga Rau Māori and Pacific Scholarship.
If your scholarship application was not successful and you no longer wish to stay in accommodation, you can withdraw/decline an accommodation offer by emailing accom@auckland.ac.nz. The accommodation offer can then be reallocated.
Further school-leaver scholarships
As well as the above named scholarships, we have additional scholarships to support students in their first year of study. Check out the Related links boxes for scholarships for all faculties as well as ones for the specific faculties you are planning to study in.