UniBound Summer FAQs

UniBound is a six-and-a-half-week academic enrichment programme to prepare Pacific school leavers for university studies. It's designed to prepare students to achieve at the University of Auckland, and to help them transition into university life.

UniBound students will have the opportunity to complete one course as part of a Certificate of Proficiency. This is a credit-bearing course that will go towards your University of Auckland degree.

Alongside this credit-bearing course, we offer a wide range of activities focusing on building your confidence and improving your study skills.

Summer School is for existing University students, not school leavers. Students would enrol in Summer School for a number of reasons:

• They are looking to get ahead on their degree
• Catching up on unsatisfactory performance in a previous semester
• Spreading their workload

Students from other tertiary institutions can also study in Summer School, and courses may be credited back to their degree at their home institution.

UniBound Summer, Tōia ki Waipapa and Summer Start are specific programmes designed for school leavers. Students can earn credits towards their degree, experience our campus, and get started on their academic journey. The focus of our programme is not just on academic preparation. It also includes free, fun social and cultural activities outside of class time to help students settle into life on campus and meet new people.

UniBound classes are taught in the Summer School semester.

In 2027, the dates for Summer School will be Wednesday 6 January 2027 through to Friday 12 February, with exams held 15–17 February.

If you are of Pacific descent and you want to take part in our programme then that is all you need. We welcome all Pacific school leavers to apply.

UniBound is our uniquely Pacific summer programme, just as Tōia ki Waipapa is our Māori equivalent. It is at the student’s discretion to decide which programme might be the best fit for them.

Applications for UniBound 2027 are open now and you can apply by completing an online application to study. When you submit an application, our Admissions team will assess your application and if you meet the requirements for the programme, offers for the programme will be sent out from October 2026. Once you have accepted your offer, you will be able to enrol in your course once enrolments open on 1 November 2026.

If you need help, please see our How to apply video and our information page.

You will also need to provide verification of your ID before you can enrol in your course. Enrolments need to be completed by 5 January 2027 to be able to begin your studies on 6 January 2027 without delays.

Applications for UniBound 2027 will close on 8 December 2026 to allow us time to process your application and send out any offers before the programme begins on 5 January 2027.

If you would like to apply after 8 December 2026, please contact us at unibound@auckland.ac.nz, visit our Student Hubs or call on 0800 61 62 63.

Please note that the University will be closed on the Christmas and New Year public holidays and will have limited services from 23 December 2026 to 5 January 2027.

• You will be enrolled into one credit-bearing course that will go towards your University of Auckland degree. 
• Academic preparation in numeracy and literacy
• Learning about Pacific and Māori cultures and knowledge
• Off-campus learning activities
• University 101: getting to grips with study at the University – where and how to do things
• Team building activities and peer mentoring
• Working on projects in tech or culture or research
• Scholarships for fees associated with Kōkiri Raumati
• AT HOP cards for travel during the six-week programme

If you have questions about this programme and what it involves, you can get in touch with our team:

Sara Toleafoa
UniBound Manager
Phone: +64 27 258 1440
Email: sara.toleafoa@auckland.ac.nz

Seulele Vine
UniBound Student Support Advisor
Phone: +64 27 340 4688
Email: cecile.vine@auckland.ac.nz

There is a tuition cost and other charges for the credit-bearing course and course fees will be invoiced to students. The fees for 2027 have not yet been confirmed, but as a guide, the domestic student course fees in 2026 were $952.05 plus Student Services Fees of $143.40. Please note that there may be a change in fees from 2026 to 2027. International fees will apply for International students.

To find out more about how to pay fees please see Fee payment methods.

Yes. For 2027 we will be offering Kōkiri Raumati Scholarships to support with fees and encourage you to apply if you are considering studying with us in Summer Start, UniBound or Tōia ki Waipapa in2027.

Students taking part in the Kōkiri Raumati programmes (Summer Start, Tōia ki Waipapa or UniBound) beginning in January 2027 may be eligible for a Kōkiri Raumati Scholarship to support with fees for the summer programmes. 

When you apply for a place in a Kōkiri Raumati programme at the University, you will be considered for a Kōkiri Raumati Scholarship – you just need to meet the closing date for admission to your chosen programme. No separate scholarship application is required.

This year’s closing date is 8 December 2026 and students who have been awarded a Kōkiri Raumati Scholarship will be advised in mid-December.

Please note that there will be a short acceptance period for these scholarship
offers so please keep an eye on your personal and university emails for any offers.

Applications are open now!

If you have applied for a Kōkiri Raumati programme but do not receive a scholarship in December and you no longer wish to join us in summer, we recommend that you decline your offer to the programme. If you have accepted your offer, you will be able to withdraw the application.

If you have enrolled into a course, please make sure that you withdraw from the course before the deadline to ensure you are not charged the course fees.

Summer accommodation is available for students who are over 18 at the beginning of the programme. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer accommodation during the summer to students who are under 18.

Summer accommodation will be self-funded, self-catered independent living. We recommend that Kōkiri Raumati students interested in applying for summer accommodation apply to University Hall Apartments.

All applications must be made to the Accommodation team before the university closedown in December. Any late applications will not be able to be processed until the new year which may result in a delay for your application. 

For further information on summer accommodation please visit our Wharenoho Raumati | Summer Accommodation page. 

For guidance on how to enrol in your UniBound 2027 course, please see the video and how-to guide on our How to enrol page below. You can also join our Application and Enrolment clinic held on Induction Day on 7 December 2026.

If you have any questions or problems completing your enrolment, please visit a Student Hub, call on 0800 61 62 63 or contact us directly:

Sara Toleafoa 
UniBound Manager
Email: sara.toleafoa@auckland.ac.nz

Seulele Vine
UniBound Student Support Advisor
Phone: +64 27 340 4688
Email: cecile.vine@auckland.ac.nz

Once you enrol in your course, you will be charged the fees for that course. If you don't want to study a course anymore, make sure to drop the course before the enrolment closing date or you will be liable for the fees. 

Please note that the University will be closed on the Christmas and New Year public holidays and will have limited services from 23 December 2026 to 5 January 2027.

If there is a hold on your account and you cannot enrol, you may need to provide personal ID so we can verify your identity. You will not be able to enrol in your course until you have completed this step. If we are unable to verify your ID and enrol you in your course before the end of 2026, there may be a delay in your enrolment, which may affect your access to course content. 

For more information on how to provide this ID and what ID will be accepted, please see the information on Identity documents on our website. 

If you continue to have difficulties enrolling in your course, please contact us for assistance. 

Although we would love to have you join us for UniBound 2027, we understand things change. If it will no longer work out, we encourage you to get in touch with us as soon as possible so that we can advise on the next steps. 

You will need to make sure you drop your course before the add/drop/change date for Summer School.

Once you enrol in courses, you will be charged fees for them. If you don't want to study a course anymore, make sure to drop the course before the enrolment closing date or you will be liable for the fees. 

Yes, the UniBound programme will begin before final secondary school results (NCEA/CIE/IB) are published.

Eligible students are able to participate in the Certificate of Proficiency – UniBound in advance of having achieved UE.

For students whose secondary school results (NCEA/CIE/IB) indicate they have not achieved UE, the UniBound team will work with the student on appropriate options to help them continue their tertiary studies, which could include pathway programmes. Students will be able to complete the UniBound programme.

UniBound allows eligible students to attend University and take one credit bearing course as part of a Certificate of Proficiency, studying over a six-week period, rather than four credit bearing papers over a semester (12 weeks). You can experience University, and connect with peers, UniBound Leaders and staff who can support you in deciding your next steps. UniBound is an opportunity to see if university is a good fit for you while having fun in a supportive environment.

We will be holding an Induction Day for any students who are in Auckland on Monday 7 December 2026. Please either register your interest to attend when registrations open later in 2026, or complete an application for the UniBound programme and we will contact you with details closer to the time. 

This day is not compulsory, and if you cannot attend, you are welcome to send any questions you may have to:

Sara Toleafoa

UniBound Manager

Email: sara.toleafoa@auckland.ac.nz

General Education is designed to complement and broaden your education.

These courses are designed to:

• Give you a greater understanding of New Zealand and its place in the world
• Give you an opportunity to mix with students from different disciplines
• Expose you to cross-disciplinary research

Learn more about General Education.

As you will be enrolling in one credit-bearing course, we recommend that you take only this course to help you ease into tertiary study.

All participants in the UniBound Summer programme are required to follow and respect the same rules that are expected of all enrolled students at the University of Auckland. You can read about this in more detail in the Code of Conduct.

Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct may result in your withdrawal from the UniBound programme.