University of Auckland Waka Moana and Vaka Moana Scholarships

In the application form you will be asked to tell us about you and your recent education and extracurricular activities. This will include:

• Whether you have participated in Māori performing arts
• Whether you competed in the finals of academic, sporting or arts competitions
• Whether you held senior leadership positions at school
• If you have been awarded a community-based honour or attended leadership training or personal development programmes

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland acknowledges that some talented students may face significant barriers to tertiary education and takes into account if you:

• have demonstrated financial need
• have attended a lower-decile school
• are from a refugee background
• have a disability
• have care responsibilities for whānau
• live, or attend school or kura, in a rural area
• If you are the first in your family to attend university

You can find more information in the regulations (see below), or on the Am I eligible? page.

Remember to save your application as you go, and once all sections are 100% completed you can submit your application.

How are my academic results assessed?

We look at the number of Excellence credits you attained at NCEA Level 2 or 3 last year, or your CIE average from last year, or your predicted score for IB for this year.

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.

• If you are awarded a scholarship, you will be given a date to accept your offer by. This is to allow for certificates to be prepared for school prize-givings.
• All offers are conditional on awardees meeting the requirements to take up and be paid the Scholarship following entry to the University.
• Applicants offered a scholarship will be sent a link to an online acceptance form and a date to accept the scholarship by.
• You will be asked to indicate which semester you intend to begin your studies i.e. Semester One or Two 2025.
• By accepting the Scholarship, you are confirming you understand and accept the entry requirements and conditions of the Scholarship outlined in the regulations.
• If you are weighing up offers from more than one university, let us know your decision as soon as you can. You can always accept the offer and then let us know if you have changed your mind later.
  

Accommodation offer

Accommodation offers will be made within the Accommodation Portal and will confirm the Hall of Residence you have been offered.

To accept the offer:

• Log into the Accommodation Portal.
• Click onto the offer link displayed on your homepage.
• Click on Save and Continue and you will be taken to your Residential Agreement.
  
• Review the Residential Agreement, and tick both boxes as the bottom of the agreement, to indicate you have read and understood all the terms and conditions of the agreement. Click Accept and Continue.
• If you are currently under the age of 18, you will need a parent or guardian to first co-accept the Residential Agreement before you will be able to do the same.
  
• As your Scholarship covers the deposit and administration fee, you can then close out of the portal.
  
• A copy of the Residential Agreement will be sent to your email address.

What happens if I don't respond to the scholarship offer in time?

If you don't accept your offer or make contact with the Scholarships Office, your offer will be forfeited and the Scholarship may be reallocated.

If I later decide to not take up the Scholarship, am I still required to stay in accommodation?

No, if you later decline your scholarship offer, you will not be required to stay in accommodation. You must also withdraw from your accommodation contract.

Being paid your scholarship

To be paid your scholarship you will need to

• achieve admission to Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland with an NCEA rank score of at least 160, a CIE rank score of at least 160 or an IB score of at least 25¹
• enrol full-time in an undergraduate degree, Tertiary Foundation Certificate, or Certificate in Health Sciences²
• live in a University hall of residence (unless you hold an approved exemption)
• enter your bank account details into the Personal Bank Account section in Student Services Online. To avoid any delays in your payment, make sure this is done before the start of your first semester of study. This must be a New Zealand bank account.
  

¹ If you applied for an undergraduate degree but are directed to enrol in a Tertiary Foundation Certificate (TFC) or a Certificate in Health Sciences prior to enrolling in an undergraduate degree, the Scholarships Office will discuss your scholarship with you before the start of your first semester of study.

You can start your enrolment in Semester One or Two. If you are planning to start in Semester Two we recommend you seek enrolment advice before the start of Semester One as you may not be able to start all programmes in Semester Two.

² For the purposes of this Scholarship, full-time study is considered as enrolling in at least 100 points over two semesters in one year (Semesters One and Two). Any study undertaken as part of a Summer Start programme will not be counted towards the first 100 points of undergraduate study. Read more on how many courses to enrol in.

The laptop will be issued at the start of your first semester of enrolment.

Living in a hall of residence

Your accommodation payments will be made directly from the Scholarships Office to your hall of residence, and includes the deposit. Additional costs such as extra activities (hall ball, floor/hall outings), incidentals (damage, lockouts, key replacement) or parking is not covered by the scholarship.

Please note, we do not recommend moving into accommodation unless you intend to enrol full-time at the University of Auckland otherwise you will be required to cover the costs of accommodation.

What happens if I don't meet the scholarship entry requirements, will I lose the scholarship?

When your Year 13 results become available in January, the Scholarships Office will check to make sure you have met the requirements for eligibility to take up the Scholarship. If the University has advised you to undertake and apply for a pathway programme such as the Tertiary Foundation Certificate or a Certificate in Health Sciences prior to commencing your undergraduate degree at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, you may still be eligible to hold the Scholarship in 2025.

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland entry-level scholarships are designed to provide support to exceptional students during their studies towards an undergraduate degree at this University. We intend to award our scholarships to students who are committed to studying with us.

The University reserves the right to seek repayment of funds made under this Scholarship from students who:

• withdraw from enrolment after payments have been made, or 
• transfer to at another tertiary institution without completing at least four consecutive semesters of study at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

What do I need to do to keep my scholarship for the second semester?

To remain in accommodation for  your second semester of study you must

• achieve a passing grade in all your courses in your first semester. This will be assessed over all the courses you are enrolled in.
  
• enrol full-time in your second semester.
  

Laptop terms and conditions

1. To use the technology appropriately and safely.

2. To take reasonable care and give attention to the safety and condition of the laptop including all associated technology therein.

3. To use the laptop for study and learning purposes and/or other appropriate use such as research and that accessing inappropriate content on this laptop might result in the loss of the laptop and the scholarship.

4. To contact the relevant parties in the event:

a. I need technical support of any kind.

b. There is an operational issue with the laptop.

5. To take full responsibility for the costs of repairs to any damages caused by my own person or persons using the laptop.

6. To take full responsibility in the event that the laptop is stolen or lost and that the University of Auckland and I understand that I will not be supplied with a replacement during or after the scholarship's tenure.

7. That the University of Auckland can supply my contact details to third parties who need information to access support services on my behalf.

8. That if I leave the University of Auckland and/or do not meet the requirements of the scholarship during its tenure, I will be required to return the laptop, when requested to do so by the University, to the relevant University of Auckland personnel.