External Scholarships

This award welcomes men into the early childhood care and education profession.

• Applicants must be male.

• Applicants must be a New Zealand citizen or NZ resident.

• Applicants must be studying towards a degree/diploma in early childhood education.

• Applicants must have enrolled within the last 60 days.

Five different educator scholarships available. 

• Te Huarau - 130 scholarships for aspiring teachers in priority subjects and education settings.

• Te Tipu Whakarito - 130 scholarships for students aspiring to teach in kaupapa Māori/Māori-medium settings.

• Te Huawhiti Career-Changer - 85 scholarships for people looking to change their career and teach in priority subjects and education settings. 

• Te Waka Whakarei Career-Changer - 90 scholarships for people looking to change their career and teach in kaupapa Māori/Māori medium settings. 

• Kupe - 30 scholarships to dedicated and high-achieving Māori and Pacific students who can see themselves as outstanding education role models.

The Jaycee Trust offers a Travelling Fellowship Scheme to successful applicants. The funding is towards the travel costs for a study programme or a special project within or beyond New Zealand.

The bursary is available to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents residing in the Manawatū/Tararua region who are commencing their first year of tertiary study in 2019. Candidates will be assessed based on factors including:

• academic record

• participation in cultural, sports or community activities

• future leadership potential

• financial need

In addition, a higher weighting on school academic performance will apply.

A grant to support developments in the visual fine arts and enhance the artistic community in the Manawatū and Rangitīkei districts. The Trust encourages individual and group creativity and offers help with resourcing for artistic outcomes that will be accessible to the public in one form or another, for example, displayed in public buildings or publicly available spaces as appropriate. The Trust encourages creating novel work of visual artistic merit in any media or technique. Beneficiaries could include individuals or groups.

The grant is awarded to one eligible student a year. The applicant should have enrolled full-time in an accredited New Zealand Tertiary Education Institution and be studying for a certificate, diploma, degree or traineeship in any of the following areas: business, finance, medicine, healthcare, specialist healthcare.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) offers a wide range of national and regional scholarships for undergraduate nursing students who are members of NZNO.

This grant is awarded to one eligible student that is:

• enrolled full-time in an accredited New Zealand Tertiary Education Institution

• is studying for a certificate, diploma, degree or traineeship in any of the following areas:

  • aged care

  • aged care nursing

  • dementia care

  • disabilities care

  • any other courses leading to similar careers as an aged carer.

This grant is offered annually to one person. To be eligible, you must be:

• enrolled full-time and be studying for a:

  • certificate,

  • diploma,

  • degree, or

  • traineeship in evidence-based animal care that aligns with SPCA’s organisational position, including vet nursing and animal care.

To apply for the scholarship, you will need to write an essay (maximum 500 words) on why you want to work in your selected industry and the difference you hope to make in your particular field of study. See the website for full details.

The 2026 Roy Watling Mitchell Bursaries Scholarship aims to support first year Māori students who have completed their secondary school career as Year 13’s in 2025, with a focus on those who display academic merit and financial need.

This scholarship is available to full-time Māori undergraduate students enrolled at UCOL Palmerston North Campus in their second or subsequent year of study for a Bachelor of Nursing.

This scholarship is available to full-time Māori undergraduate students.

This is available to Māori graduates enrolled in their final year of study with a record of academic excellence.

This is available to ākonga Māori who are enrolling in or undertaking eligible vocational education and training programmes and who demonstrate characteristics that align with the values of the 28th (Māori) Battalion.

This is available for wāhine students who are continuing or coming back to a tertiary level qualification or trade training, and who may not have had the most straightforward path to education.

The scholarship is available to female students who are:

• New Zealand citizens

• aged at least 25 years as of 1 September of the year of application

• enrolled in studying at UCOL, with a proven record of academic achievement

The scholarship is available to young women from refugee backgrounds to complete a tertiary qualification. The scholarship will cover the tuition fees in full through to degree attainment, subject to satisfactory examination results and the hostel accommodation for the first two years of study if the student attends a tertiary institution outside their home town.

The scholarship is available to female students (second year and above) studying Science (e.g. IT related), Technology, Engineering or Mathematics.

A grant to advance a project in the area of Technology that will build ‘new’ into science and technology projects that lead to valuable outcomes. Projects should be broadly local and originate within the Manawatū and Rangitīkei regions. There could be a wide range of these, with grant amounts appropriate to the project. Possibilities are broad, including aspects of:

• engineering

• metalworking

• electronics

• information technology

• ceramics

• woodworking

• processing of biological or other materials, including food, and manufacturing

Beneficiaries could include individuals or groups, including small and medium-sized businesses. Grants should encourage technical abilities and technology in the region and so result in charitable outcomes for the benefit of the districts, such as job creation.

The Hi-Tech Foundation’s 'He Whetū Mārama Ngā Karahipi / Leading Light Scholarship Programme’ provides financial support for the career development and advancement of New Zealand technology students. The scholarship covers the tuition and living costs.