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For help completing a scholarship application - book an appointment with our careers team - Unitec -
Links to individual scholarships information pages
Please go to the respective pages below for scholarship details and information on how to apply. You may apply for any of the three scholarships you are eligible to be considered for. Each scholarship has different regulations. Please take the time to read through the regulations to find out if you are eligible to be considered for more than one of the scholarship programmes.
1. Unitec Vocational Pathway Scholarship
This scholarship assists school leavers who have completed at least one vocational pathway programme at Unitec and then choose to commence study at Unitec in a certificate, diploma or degree level programme.
2. Unitec Kura Kaupapa and Rumaki Reo Scholarship
This scholarship supports and engages Kura Kaupapa and Rumaki Reo graduates into tertiary studies at Unitec. It also helps with connecting recipients with Unitec’s Māori community.
This scholarship supports Māori ākonga new to Unitec pursue their education goals with Unitec. School Leavers may be given selection preference.
4. Pacific Success Scholarship
This scholarship supports Pacific ākonga new to Unitec pursue their education goals with Unitec. School Leavers may be given selection preference.
This scholarship is to encourage disabled and neuro diverse ākonga to pursue their studies at Unitec.
Open 4th February 2025 | Close 5th March 2025
We want all tauira Māori who are new to tertiary education or new to Unitec to apply along with tauira who have studied with Unitec in the past.
Eligibility for Whai Ake Māori Scholarship - Teina
To be eligible, you must:
- be a domestic student, i.e. a New Zealand citizen or Permanent Resident
- have enrolled, full-time or part-time, in a Semester 1 undergraduate certificate, diploma or degree, or a postgraduate certificate or diploma (Level 3 to 8) that takes at least one semester of fulltime study to complete
- be enrolled as a New Zealand Māori.
Please read the Scholarship Regulations for full details.
Selection Criteria
As part of our shortlisting process, we will give preference to tauira who are new to Unitec and aged between 18 - 25 years. However, your responses to the application questions and in interview, are important to our final decisions.
Need help or have more questions? Email the Whai ake i te Ara Tika Academic Co-ordinator Jonyne Mariu-Komene jkomene@unitec.ac.nz.
Still want more info? Find out more at Whai Ake Scholarship.
For help completing a scholarship application - book an appointment with our careers team - Unitec Institute of Technology -
Unitec recognises that financial support is an important consideration for ākonga/learners considering study. The scholarship provides both financial support and mentoring opportunities in the first year of study.
Scholarship recipients are expected to be involved and participate in the Unitec Māori Community.
2026 Applications for new student scholarships:
Opens 06th September 2025 | Closed 04th March 2026
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible, you must:
- be a domestic student, i.e. a New Zealand citizen or Permanent Resident
- be enrolling for the first time at Unitec
- be enrolled as a Māori ākonga
- be starting in a programme from Level 3 to 8 (certificate, diploma, undergraduate degree, postgraduate certificate or diploma) that takes at least one semester of full-time study to complete.
How to apply
Complete the online application. Support is available for ākonga through our Careers Team or Scholarships Team. Please book an appointment early and prior to the application deadline if you would like to discuss or seek support with your application: https://guides.unitec.ac.nz/scholarships
As part of your application you will need to respond to the following statements and questions:
- tell us a little about yourself, especially around your goals and achievements, community involvement and personal strengths. It would be great to see examples of how you have helped communities you belong to or identify with, such as your hāpori, marae, hapū, iwi, church, cultural or other community
- what will you be studying at Unitec in 2026 and what are your career aspirations after you complete your study?
- what motivates you to succeed in your studies?
- how will this scholarship help support you with your studies?
- In what ways do you think your study enables you to make a positive difference in society now (immediately) and in the future (long-term)?
- During the year we have Unitec events for ākonga. These include Māori and Pacific Orientations, Whānau/Fanau evenings, Te Wiki o te Reo & Pacific Island language weeks, events for Disabled and Neurodiverse ākonga, Ally Network and Under 25 ākonga. Please describe how you can contribute to events that connect to your identity.
You will also be asked to complete a Pepehā. There are Unitec kaitiaki who will help you complete this if you need assistance.
If you are a disabled ākonga, sole parent, or a ākonga with other carer responsibilities, who is applying to study part-time, you will also be asked how does being able to study part-time remove barriers and help you to succeed in your goals?
Selection Bases
A selection committee will review all eligible applications and make award recommendations based on:
- responses to the scholarship application questions; and
- preference may be given to learners who demonstrate that financial support will have an impact on their ability to begin their tertiary studies at Unitec.
Selection Process
Once scholarship applications close, the Scholarships & Mentoring Team (“Team”) check that applicants have:
- completed the online application
- applied to study a relevant course at Unitec
- enrolled as a New Zealand citizen or Permanent Resident; and
- enrolled as a NZ Māori ākonga
The Team send all eligible applications out to the Māori Scholarship Selection Committee for review.
The number of scholarships awarded varies and is dependent on available funding.
Ongoing eligibility
Academic progress: Ākonga who are awarded the scholarship are expected to achieve Pass grades for all courses, unless exceptional circumstances prevail.
Ākonga who fail one or more courses will be assisted by the Scholarships & Mentoring team to explain their circumstances via a breach appeals process.
Appeals are considered by the awarding scholarship selection Committee. The Committee will decide whether to terminate or maintain the scholarship, and will also suggest academic assistance, wherever possible, to support the ākonga.
Unitec Enrolment: ākonga are expected to maintain their enrolment status, i.e. be enrolled full-time (minimum of 60 credits) per semester, or part-time as stipulated when their scholarship was awarded.
Termination of a scholarship
Your scholarship terminates if:
- you withdraw from the Unitec course/programme after the start of the programme
- you cease to meet the eligibility criteria
- you breach the academic and enrolment eligibility requirements and don’t successfully appeal; or
- Unitec determines that you are guilty of misconduct and after consultation with the Director Student Success (or their nominee), deems that it is not appropriate for you to continue to hold the Scholarship.
For help completing a scholarship application - book an appointment with our careers team - Unitec Institute of Technology -
Unitec recognises that financial support is an important consideration for ākonga considering study. The scholarship provides both financial support and mentoring opportunities in the first semester of study.
Scholarship recipients are expected to be involved and participate in the Unitec Pacific Community.
2026 applications for new student scholarships:
Opens 06th September 2025 | Closes 4th March 2026
Eligibility Criteria
To apply, you must:
- be a domestic student, i.e. New Zealand citizen or Permanent Resident
- be enrolling for the first time at Unitec
- be enrolled as a Pacific student
- be starting a programme from Level 3 to 8 (certificate, diploma, undergraduate degree, postgraduate certificate or diploma) that takes at least one semester of full-time study to complete.
How to apply
Complete the online application form. Support is available for ākonga through our Careers Team and Scholarships Team. Please book an appointment early and prior to the application deadline if you would like to discuss or seek support with your application: https://guides.unitec.ac.nz/scholarships
As part of your application you will need to respond to the following statements and questions:
- tell us a little about yourself, especially around your goals and achievements, community involvement and personal strengths. It would be great to see examples of how you have helped communities you belong to or identify with, such as your hāpori, marae, hapū, iwi, church, cultural or other community
- what will you be studying at Unitec in 2026 and what are your career aspirations after you complete your study?
- what motivates you to succeed in your studies?
- how will this scholarship help support you with your studies?
- in what ways do you think your study enables you to make a positive difference in society now (immediately) and in the future (long-term)?
- During the year we have Unitec events for ākonga. These include Māori and Pacific Orientations, Whānau/Fanau evenings, Te Wiki o te Reo & Pacific Island language weeks, events for Disabled and Neurodiverse ākonga, Ally Network and Under 25 ākonga. Please describe how you can contribute to events that connect to your identity
If you are a disabled ākonga, sole parent, or a ākonga with other carer responsibilities, who is applying to study part-time, you will also be asked “how does being able to study part-time remove barriers and help you to succeed in your goals?”
Selection bases
A selection committee will review all eligible applications and make award recommendations based on responses to the scholarship application questions. In combination with that, preference may be given to:
- learners who demonstrate that financial support will have an impact on their ability to begin their tertiary studies at Unitec; and
- recent School leaver
Selection Process
Once scholarship applications close, the Scholarships & Mentoring Team (“Team”) check that applicants have:
- completed the online application
- applied to study a relevant course at Unitec
- enrolled as a New Zealand citizen or Permanent Resident; and
- enrolled as a Pacific ākonga
The Team send all eligible applications out to the Pacific Scholarship Selection Committee for review.
The number of scholarships awarded varies and is dependent on available funding.
Ongoing eligibility
Academic progress: Ākonga who are awarded the scholarship are expected to achieve Pass grades for all courses, unless exceptional circumstances prevail.
Ākonga who fail one or more courses will be assisted by the Scholarships & Mentoring team to explain their circumstances via a breach appeals process.
Appeals are considered by the awarding scholarship selection Committee. The Committee will decide whether to terminate or maintain the scholarship, and will also suggest academic assistance, wherever possible, to support the ākonga.
Unitec Enrolment: ākonga are expected to maintain their enrolment status, i.e. be enrolled full-time (minimum of 60 credits) per semester, or part-time as stipulated when their scholarship was awarded.
Termination of a scholarship
Your scholarship terminates if:
- you withdraw from the Unitec course/programme after the start of the programme
- you cease to meet the eligibility criteria;
- you breach the academic and enrolment eligibility requirements and don’t successfully appeal; or
- Unitec determines that you are guilty of misconduct and after consultation with the Director Student Success (or their nominee), deems that it is not appropriate for you to continue to hold the Scholarship.
