AUT Kiwa Scholarships (Maori and Pacific)

Kiwa (pronounced Kiva) is part of the bigger name Te Moana Nui a Kiwa (Kiwa’s Big Sea). Kiwa being the God of the Pacific Ocean – the ocean that our ancestors sailed to get to Aotearoa and also the connecting route between NZ and the Pacific Islands.



AUT Kiwa Undergraduate Scholarships (Māori and Pacific Students) allow the University to recognise and reward the academic achievement, cultural participation, all-round ability, and leadership potential of Māori and Pacific students from New Zealand secondary schools.


Regulations [PDF, 245.4 KB]
Application Form
Closing date:01/09/2020
01/09/2021
1 September each year
Value of Award:$6,500 – See Additional Information
No. of awards:Determined annually
Tenure: The scholarship is initially awarded for one year.  Academic progress will be monitored each semester. Scholars who pass all papers and achieve the required level will be eligible at the completion of their first year to apply for the AUT Undergraduate Scholarship (Fees) available for subsequent years of study in an AUT Bachelor’s degree under the above categories.  

Selection criteria:

  • • The applicant must be studying an NZQA recognized qualification at a New Zealand scondary school. 
  • • The applicant must be intending to enrol for the first time, in a full-time degree programme of study in Semester 1 of the year following application.
  • • Full-time will normally be 60 pts per semester and no less than 120pts during the academic year.
  • • The applicant must have an AUT student ID number in order to apply. This can be obtained by commencing enrolment at AUT online www.aut.ac.nz/study-at-aut/apply-to-aut
  • • The applicant must be a NZ Citizen or permanent resident and register their primary or secondary ethnicity as either Māori or Pacific when commencing enrolment.
  • • Māori applicants must be of New Zealand Māori descent.
  • • Pacific applicants are defined as citizens or permanent residents of New Zealand who are of indigenous Pacific descent from any of the following islands: American Samoa; Cook Islands; Federated States of Micronesia, Wallis and Futuna; Fiji; French Polynesia; Hawaii; Kiribati; Marshall Islands; New Caledonia; Niue; Palau; Papaua New Guinea; Rapanui (Easter Island); Rotima; Samoa; Solomon Islands; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu. Applicants will be expected to have demonstrated the potential for leadership.
  • • The applicant must have studied subjects relevant to their proposed tertiary course of study and will have as a minimum, one of the following:    – NCEA 250 rank score    – CIE a minimum of 180 points on the UCAS Tariff    – IB Principal’s predicted score 28
  • • The rank score is calculated from university approved subjects (or in subjects leading to university approved subjects) studied in the year prior to application only and at Level 2 NCEA or AS (CIE) level or above. Students who have been accelerated may use relevant subjects from one year prior to this, however, a maximum of 24 credits only may be used in any one subject. The Information to assist calculating the rank score is available from the on-line Scholarships Application Form and from www.aut.ac.nz/study-at-aut/fees-scholarships-and-finance/scholarships/school-and-community-partnership.

General Information:

How do students apply?
A link to the application form and full regulations will be available in July of the year prior to commencement from the AUT Scholarships database www.aut.ac.nz/scholarships .

Application is through the AUT online scholarship portal. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria and complete the AUT School Leaver Scholarship Application online via the link available through the AUT Scholarships Database.  Applicants will be required to upload:

• A one-page personal statement explaining the reasons for wishing to attend AUT, the academic goals they hope to achieve and any career aspirations they have. Applicants should also state why they believe they merit the scholarship.

• A list of school, community, cultural and sporting achievements and/or leadership positions.

• A current certified copy of their NCEA, CIE or IB record of achievement.

• A declaration that they are of Māori or Pacific descent and will declare this ethnicity when applying for admission to AUT.

REFERENCES: Applicants must nominate two character references in support of their application. Nominated referees will be sent an email from the application portal CommunityForce.



• One referee should be from a cultural group, religious group, sports club, work place, community organisation, that the applicant is involved with or from a Kaumātua or other community leader who can vouch for the applicant being of Maori or Pacific descent.

• The second must be from their Principal or Principal’s nominee. If the applicant is studying IB this should include the Principal’s predicted IB score. All documentation must be received by the closing date inclusive of reference statements or the application will be considered ineligible. Please note: Applicants for this scholarship may also be considered for an alternative scholarship funded by the School or Faculty of the applicant’s nominated programme.
Regulations [PDF, 245.4 KB]
Application Form

Decision makers
• Selection will be made by an AUT panel and based on academic ability at Level 2 or higher in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) or an equivalent qualification, as well as cultural participation in Māori or Pacific contexts, leadership potential, and likelihood to succeed in the chosen programme of study.

• The applicant’s level of preparedness for university study will also be assessed by considering their performance to date in subjects relevant to their intended degree  

How and when do students learn of the decision?
As soon as possible after the closing date. Applicants may be considered for an alternative scholarship if they are not awarded this scholarship. However, it is advised that applicants apply for any other AUT scholarship where they meet the eligibility criteria.

What conditions are attached to acceptance of this award?
• The award of this scholarship is conditional on the student gaining entry to an AUT undergraduate degree programme.

• Scholars will enrol in no less than 120pts each year during the tenure of the scholarship. Permission to study less than 120pts will only be given in exceptional circumstances. In such cases the total value of the scholarship will be no greater than three times the annual value.

• The contribution towards fees will be paid directly towards tuition and student services fees.

• This scholarship may not be held in conjunction with any other fees scholarship. The recipient may hold non fee based scholarships with the approval of the Scholarships Office.

• A condition of the Scholarship is that the student agrees to complete two progress reports each Semester of their first year of study. This is an integral part of the first year and may be extended to subsequent years.

• Except in cases where there are compelling medical reasons or adverse personal circumstances beyond a student’s control, the uptake of scholarships cannot be deferred.

• Recipients must be enrolled continuously in their programme of study. Suspensions or Leave of Absence for students who have already commenced their degree will not usually be approved unless there are compelling medical or personal circumstances beyond the student’s control.

• Deferral and suspension requests must be made in writing to the Scholarships Office

• Renewal of the scholarship is conditional upon the student passing all papers and maintaining a minimum C+ grade average.

• Scholars may appeal if there are compelling reasons for not meeting these requirements, such an appeal must be supported by the Scholar Support Team and Faculty and will be considered in one year of the scholarship tenure only. Should a scholar who fails a paper successfully appeal to have the scholarship reinstated the scholarship will not pay for a resit of this paper.

• The Head of the Scholarships Office has the authority to terminate or suspend a scholarship on behalf of the Scholarships Committee if the office receives an unsatisfactory report on the academic progress of a recipient.

• Recipients who take up this Scholarship but do not complete at least two semesters of study at AUT may be required to pay back the full value of the scholarship received.

Additional information
An amount of $6,500 to support full-time study (no less than 120pts) in a degree programme at AUT. In the first year this will either be paid as: Option

1: A contribution towards accommodation in an approved Hall of Residence to be paid directly to the relevant Halls of Residence; or   Option 2: Payment into the student’s personal bank account in four equal instalments throughout the year commencing in mid-March. Scholars who pass all papers and achieve the required level will be eligible at the completion of their first year to apply for the AUT Undergraduate Scholarship (Fees) available for subsequent years of study in an AUT Bachelor’s degree under the above categories. 



Applicants for this scholarship may also be considered for alternative scholarships funded by AUT.